TWTP-HK holds events

By Cecile Eduarte

The World Through Photography (TWTP), an online group of photographers around the globe, held its second “photowalk” for October at Kowloon City’s Walled Park on Oct. 28, with 14 Filipino and one Indonesian domestic worker taking part.

The photowalk began with a basic guide to new members on how to properly hold a camera, adjust its aperture (opening), and set its ISO (International Standards Organization) while shooting a subject.

Dany Bae Lah, the lone Indonesian participant and an active TWTP member, said that she was so happy mingling with fellow photographers on such a meaningful and productive day. She added it was an honor and a privilege being with Filipino friends.

Peach A. Ayem, a professional photographer to some Filipino organizations in Hong Kong, welcomed the participants, and complimented Ma. Soccorro Agranzamendez for being an early bird.

The photowalk was organized by Emmeline Aro-Cuyugan, a TWTP Hong Kong Chapter Coordinator. According to her, the walk aims to promote camaraderie among members while enhancing their skills in taking pictures.

Organizers brought a model for the photo enthusiasts and dressed her up in a Qing Dynasty attire to match the Walled City, one of Hong Kong’s important historical sites.

Members of TWTP Hong Kong Chapter are now looking forward to their next evetn, which will be held on Dec. 10. Those who wish to join TWTP to hone their photography skills and share some of their beautiful pictures may contact Andy Maniwang at 94320290.

Paoay group holds Tumba Fest

The Kapehan sa Paoay Association celebrated the annual Tumba Festival at Admiralty Park at 6 pm on Oct 29  as part of “Semana Ti Ar Aria”, a cultural tradition held in celebration of All Soul’s Day. 

The members prepared different types  of offering for the dead, from food to songs and prayers.

Tumba Festival was first held about 100 years ago, and has become a cultural heritage that has been passed on through generations. 

According to the Paoay group their town is the only one in Ilocos Norte or even the whole Philippines, that has this kind of cultural tradition. 

After praying, the members and invited guests ate the sumptuous food they prepared.
— Marites Palma

Members of the Kapehan sa Paoay Association gather to celebrate the annual Tumba Festival at Admiralty Park.

How to save, invest for future

About 75 overseas Filipino workers joined a reintegration and counseling seminar organized by Pinoy Wise at Best Western Hotel on Oct. 28.

Seminar participant in a final gesture to
thank organizers of the seminar.

Pinoy ‘Wise’ stands for Worldwide Initiative for Investment Saving Entrepreneurship, a project of Philippine NGO Atikha, and supported by UN Women Fund for Gender Equality.

The seminar focused on income and family management, two very important lessons that migrant workers need to better prepare for their reintegration or going home for good.

According to Atikha’s deputy executive director  Aileen Constantino-Peña, reintegration means the successful return of migrant workers to their hometowns. It means being able to resettle themselves into the social and economic structure of their countries of origin, after living and working abroad.

Often, OFWs prolong their stay abroad due to economic and social issues such as unemployment, financial crisis and racism or discrimination, and also for political reasons like war, turmoil and violence.

Other factors such as family issues, failure in business, minimal investment savings and lack of integration of OFW resources in their respective province, municipality, and communities affect the reintegration of OFWs.

Unfortunately, community experience shows that a majority of those who return home were only forced to do so because they became victims of human trafficking, abuse, or exploitation, or because of financial crisis or illness. Many also went home only to retire after spending many years working abroad.

Pinoy Wise intends to help migrant workers to plan and prepare for their return so they don’t go back home empty-handed.

At the same time, Pinoy Wise and Atikha partner with national and local government units, cooperatives, NGOs and migrant organizations to also teach financial literacy to OFW families so they can help pave the way for the successful return and reintegration of their OFW member.

Peñas told participants that one way of preparing for their future is to learn, save and invest in Atikha’s  cooperative and sustainable agribusiness as it promote jobs and opportunities in their respective communities. - Ellen Asis

Migrant support group holds rights talk

Participants in the seminar organized by the Domestic Workers’ Corner for its members.

By Rodelia Villar

Around 50 members of the Domestic Workers’ Corner joined a talk on their rights under Hong Kong laws on Oct.29 at Li Hall of St John’s Cathedral  The lecturer was Holly Allan, director of Help for Domestic Workers.

Allan said domestic work in Hong Kong is not easy, given the different situations one has to contend with, and adjust to. A domestic worker is lucky if she gets a good employer, but there is always a chance of getting caught in a worse working condition.

Thus, it is important for the workers to know their rights so they can protect themselves in case of abuse.

Allan talked about employment agency issues, from the maximum fee that could be charged worker (no more than 10% of the first monthly salary) to the kind of help the agency is obliged to give them.

She also guided them through the standard employment contract for domestic workers, which sets out their rights, from getting suitable accommodation and free food if a food allowance is not given. 

More importantly, the workers were given pointers on how they could avoid getting into abusive situations, and what remedies are available to them.

A question and answer portion followed the lecture, where the workers asked about their holiday or rest day entitlements, what they should do if their employer takes them to China, who to report to in case they hear of a worker falling victim to human trafficking, how can one go back to working in HK if they get “blacklisted” by Immigration, and many other concerns.

Most of the participants said afterwards that they learned a lot from the talk, including those not covered by the PDOS (Pre~Departure Orientation Seminar) and PAOS (Post Arrival Orientation Seminar) which they were required to attend.

According to Ana Maria Daria, “I really appreciate the talk. It’s true that if we lack knowledge about our rights as household workers we are afraid to assert ourselves, or seek help. Sometimes, we get afraid about losing our job, but  the talk made me realize that the law in HK is fair. The knowledge I learned can help me with my own situation, and I now know where to go if someone asks me for help. “

Marichu Cascarro says the lecture was a big help as she learned that there were still a lot of things she didn’t know, like she could not be terminated a month or less before her contract of employment ends. But most importantly she learned the value of keeping a diary, especially when an employer makes the worker do something not stated in the contract. - Rodelia  Villar

Inulan man ang Sining sa Bote, natuloy pa rin ang pasinaya

Ni Marites Palma

Hindi nagpatalo sa buhos ng ulan ang mga naging kalahok sa Sining sa Bote na idinaos noong Nob. 12 sa Chater Road, at pinangunahan  ng Organic Environmental and Cultural Organization.

Ang paligsahan ay isinagawa para maipalaganap ang kaalaman tungkol sa pagkasira ng kalikasan, at para maihayag ang pagtutol  ng grupo sa Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

Sinisipat mabuti ng mga hurado ang kasali sa Sining sa Bote.

Ayon kay Norman Uy Carnay na siyang panauhing pandangal,  93 %  ng likas na yamang mineral ng Pilipinas ay  napupunta lamang sa mga ganid na dambuhalang dayuhang korporasyon na nagmimina ng malawakan  sa mga kabundukan sa ating bansa. Wala daw halos napapakinabangan sa malawakang pagmimina na ito, dahil 004 % lamang sa kanilang kita ang pumupunta sa pansamantalang trabaho para sa mga Pilipino.

Ang pinakamasaklap ay ang  pag-iwan ng mga kumpanyang ito ng mga nakalalasong kemikal na sumisira sa kalikasan, at nagdudulot ng panganib sa mga mamamayan.

Walang daw magandang naidulot ang malawakang pagmimina, dahil kung titingnan ang mga lugar na pinagmiminahan gaya ng Benguet ay makikita na mataas ang bilang ng mga migrante na mula dito.  Patunay daw ito na hindi nakakatulong sa pangkalahatan ang pagmimina, bagkus ay pinakikinabangan lamang ito ng mga dayuhan kumpanya sa pakikipagtulungan ng mga ganid na pulitiko

Dahil dito, hinikayat ni Carnay ang grupo na na lalong paigtingin ang kampanya sa pagtutol sa Mining Act of 1995 upang malaman ng karamihan ang nakamamatay na epekto ng malawakang pagmimina ng mga dayuhan sa ating mga kabundukan.

Bagaman umulan ay nagpakitang gilas ang FMWU Chater Road Chapter na pinangungunahan ni Bing Yungco sa pamamagitan ng isang awiting pangkalikasan.

Ang unang gantimpala sa sining sa bote ay mula sa Likha, sinundan ng FMWU CRC at pumangatlo ang Cuyapo.

Ayon kay Jen Cabanez na siyang pangulo ng Organic, umpisa lamang ito ng hayagang pagtutol ng grupo sa malawakang pagmimina ng mga dayuhan sa Pilipinas. Papaigtingin pa raw ng kanyang grupo ang nasimulang adhikain para sa kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino.

What's on, where

Financial Health Literacy
Nov 19, PCG Sentro Rizal
Free one-on-one consultation: 1-3 pm
Money Wise Public Forum: 3-5 pm
Organizer: Enrich HK.
To sign up for an appointment, call 2386 5811

Massage Therapy Graduation (Batches 21, 22 & 23)
Nov. 26, 1-4pm. PCG Conference Room
Organizer: United Migrants Entrepreneurship & Livelihood Association (Umela)-HK. For inquiries on how to join Umela’s training, call Maellen Lupera, 5535 2165; Opalyn Albidas, 61387357 and Emma Capal, 9859 5023

CARD HK Foundation Graduation
Nov. 26, 1-5pm. 1/F Auditorium, Duke of Windsor Bldg
15 Hennesy Road, Wanchai
Graduation of batches 41-44 of Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Seminars
Contacf: Jessica 5110 4472

Sikap Anniversary and Christmas Party
Nov. 26, 1-3 pm. Empire Hotel, Wanchai
Oeganizer: Sikap Association
Contact: Rey Vital 9639 0758

Migrants Pride Parade
Nov. 26,  1 pm. Edinburgh Place (near City Hall), Central
A campaign to promote the rights and welfare of LGBT migrants in the community, and to fight for equality and against homophobia and discrimination
Details: Shiela Tebia, 9013 1542

Traffic Laws in HK Seminar
Nov. 26, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. Central Police Station, No. 2 Chung Kong Rd, Sheung Wan
Organizer: HK Police. Those interested to attend may email  Wendy Yip at sslo-1-cdist@police.gov.hk

Lifestyle Diseases Seminar and Free Consultation
Nov. 26, 11am - 6pm. 15F Nan Dao Commercial Bldg
359-361 Queens Road Central, Sheung Wan
Organizer: Noble Life International
To register, call 6625 5924 and look for Ms. Evelyn Leung

Simplicity. Power: An exhibit of traditional Cordillera Art
Dec. 1, 2017 – Feb. 4, 2018. University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam, Hong Kong

2017 Migrants’ Health Matters
Dec 10, 10am-6pm. Kik Yeung Football Pitch, Kik Yeung, Yuen Long.
Fun-filled community health day with free health information and basic screenings for migrant workers.
Hosted by: PathFinders and Christian Action and sponsored by Operation Santa Claus. Participating groups: Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, Equal Opportunities Commission and many other migrant support groups. For details, contact PathFinders at Tel 5621 8329 or email infor@pathfinders.org.hk

Consulate closed on these dates

The Philippine Consulate General will be closed to the public on the following dates: Nov 30 (Thursday) Bonifacio Day, Dec 25 (Monday) Christmas Day, Dec. 26 (Tuesday) Boxing Day , Dec. 31 (Sunday) Last Day of the Year. There will be no official transactions at both the PCG and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on these dates. In case of emergency,  call: 9155 4023 ( Consular/ Assistance), 2866 0640 (Polo), 6345 9324 (Owwa)

PaStaran 2017
All Filipino community organizations are invited to join PaStaran (Paligsahan sa Paggawa ng Parol). All parol entries must be made of recycled materials, and should measure between 0.8 to 1 meter in diameter. To join, register with the PCG ‘s cultural section between Nov 12 to Dec. 10, 2017. Videos of each entry running no longer than 2 minutes must be sent to the cultural section from Dec.17 up to no later than 5pm on Dec 20. The parols will then be displayed in Chater Garden starting at 4pm on Dec24. Winners will be announced during a program just before the Misa de Gallo Prizes of $5,000; $3,000; $2,000 and $1,000 will be awarded to the first four winning entries. For more details, check the Facebook page of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong or email cultural.pcg@gmail.com

For Tinikling Lovers
The Tinikling Group of Migrants is in need of male/female performers with or without experience, no age limit. TGM performs mostly for the LCSD events. Interested person may contact Marie Velarde @ 67175379, Emz Bautista @ 98512804 and Rowena Solir @97331049.

Attention: Rugby enthusiasts
We, the Exiles Touch Rugby group are inviting rugby enthusiasts to join the team. We practice every Sunday at the Happy Valley Pitch 8 from 5pm to 8pm at the Happy Valley
Pitch 8.  For those interested please contact: Ghelai 65414432 whatsapp/sms or click like on Exiles HK facebook page

Wanted: softball players
The all-Filipina softball team is now open for tryouts. Those who are interested, especially those with prior experience in the game may contact Team Captain Don Gaborno at 5318-5113

An invitation to play volleyball
Calling sport-minded Filipinas who want to play volleyball. A team is being organized by a group led by Shane Key Gonzales to compete in upcoming volleyball leagues in Hong Kong. Interested parties may contact Shane at 54498080.

Study shows lack of transparency in kinder quality reviews

By Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau has not been transparent in disclosing results of quality reviews of individual kindergartens by publishing these only in Chinese, thus failing to provide accountability to non-Chinese-speaking parents.

This view was expressed by local NGO Hong Kong Unison and Legislative Councillor Fernando Cheung in a media conference on Nov 2 at the Legislative Council to launch a research Unison had conducted on 151 quality review reports from three districts.

Cheung said Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who had promised better treatment for ethnic minority students when she campaigned on the slogan “Connect”, should rectify this problem while there is still time.

“You know Carrie Lam’s slogan in her election campaign is ‘Connect’. I would expect that connection would be extended to all, including ethnic minorities in Hong Kong,” Cheung said in response to a question from The SUN on Lam’s policy on ethnic minorities.

“One would expect that her being the Chief Executive, she would make education policy accessible and connecting to everyone in Hong Kong. So, judging from that slogan, I would expect policies that should make these connections to follow,” Cheung said.

But the legislator expressed his disappointment at the administration’s latest letdown. “Now, we had just discovered that the access to kindergarten education in terms of materials in facilitating parents in making choices for their children, for non-Chinese-speaking populations, is not quite accessible,” Cheung said.

“Catalogues in kindergartens are in both languages (Chinese and English) but are lacking in information pertaining to support for non-Chinese-speaking students. And this quality assessment report is only in Chinese, so, no access for non-Chinese students and parents. I hope this should be changed,” he said.

He said that in LegCo, the lawmakers had alerted the government as early as 2015 that the quality assessment report needed to be published in both languages.

Puja Kapai, associate professor of law at Hong Kong University, recounted her first-hand experience as an ethnic minority parent searching for the right kindergarten for her son.

She said it took her some time looking for a school that offered equal opportunities for both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese-speaking students in terms of learning experience in their formative years.

Kapai eventually found one such kindergarten that taught both Cantonese and English to all its students, so, her son learned Cantonese. This year, in his Kindergarten 1 class he is learning Putonghua, English and Cantonese.”

"But I have to emphasize that I can only do this because I have the resources to be able to access such a kindergarten.. It’s the only one I know of which enables children of any background to be able to master three languages in their formative years and I’m very happy,” Kapai said.

Even so, Kapai said she could only do this because she had the resources. She said she still needed to hire a tutor for the boy’s homework in Putonghua and Cantonese.

“I tell you, this is a class problem, as much as it is a language problem. If you have resources, you can try to catch up. But if you don’t, even if you have access to these schools, support in those schools does not allow you and your child to progress in the same way as Chinese-speaking students,” she said.

Hong Kong Unison’s research on 151 QR reports from 3 districts investigated what kind of information non-Chinese-speaking parents missed from Chinese-only QR reports.

The study also assessed if the information in the reports reflected performance of kindergartens on the teaching and learning for ethnic minority children and parents.

Unison and Cheung both said the EDB should provide an English version of QR reports to ensure equal access to information and to enhance accountability to non-Chinese-speaking parents.

Labatt sets sights on new alleged Russia job scam

By Vir B. Lumicao

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre 

A recruitment agency in Kowloon is being watched by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for allegedly charging $43,000 to $45,000 for fake or non-existent jobs in Russia.

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre disclosed the new scam on Nov 9, just a fortnight after he warned domestic workers in Hong Kong against a post by Filipino Nanny Ltd claiming that Russia was still issuing work visas, without disclosing that these do not cover domestic work.

In a online post on Nov 9, the labor official disclosed that an agency in Kowloon had asked for $43,000 from an OFW for a “work visa” – in reality, a commercial visa – issued by the Russian consulate in Hong Kong or embassy in Manila based on an invitation to a fake position in a spurious firm in Russia.

Dela Torre said the fake position described the applicant’s profession as doctor, dentist, manager, company director, specialist, etc.

When the applicant could not pay up, the Filipina recruiter allegedly went to the Philippines and harassed her parents until they signed papers acknowledging the”debt” and pledged their certificate of land ownership as beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

 “A lawyer of the human trafficker now serves as accomplice by continually harassing the parents with collection demand letters,” the labor attaché said.

Dela Torre said the same agency charged $45,000 from Filipinas it sends to Russia and then “just practically abandons our women, leaving them to deal with not having a job for months, playing hide and seek with the police, having to pay off debts in the Philippines and Hong Kong, and all the while coping with being trapped in a vicious circle of debt and desperation.”

He told The SUN the agency had many victims who were preparing affidavits detailing how they had been duped.

Once he receives the affidavits from Russia, Labatt Dela Torre will endorse the case to the Hong Kong Labour Department for prosecution, he said.

He urged would-be victims to be wary of these illegal recruiters. “All our efforts at hunting down human traffickers and illegal recruiters are for nothing if the would-be victims continue to ignore or be complicit with the offenders,” Dela Torre said.

He warned OFW jobseekers against Hong Kong agencies recruiting for Russia, Mongolia, or Kazakhstan, saying these are ruining the lives of their recruits.

 “They promise (recruits) a life of ease and excellent working conditions in these countries. Instead, what our workers find after landing is that they’ve been lied to. There are no jobs waiting,” Dela Torre said.

The commercial visa that most of them secure in Hong Kong does not allow them to work, and has to be renewed every three months. The more desirable “working” visas, on the other hand, are expenaive as they need companies to sign on as sponsors. They reportedly cost between US$3,500 to US$5,000.

 “The question is: why is the Russian Consulate in Hong Kong issuing these commercial visas?” Dela Torre asked.

To show how bad the situation of the illegal recruitment victims in Russia is, the labor attaché hooked up a former Mindanao community leader in Hong Kong now working in Russia to an online video chat with her former friends in the SAR.

All the friends burst into tears during the video chat and could only offer consolation to the victim, Dela Torre said.

He uncovered the apparently new modus on Nov 9, weeks after he foiled the latest attempt by a Pakistani-Filipina couple in Moscow to recruit OFWs for illegal work in Russia.

But the Pakistani recruiter who goes by the name Jon Meer on Facebook, is unrepentant. He recently posted a message on Facebook, inviting applicants for a nanny/cleaner position and offering a salary of 55,000-60,000 rouble ($7,222-$7,882).

Ex-DSWD Sec hits out at Duterte but says peace talks must continue

By Daisy CL Mandap

She may have spoken out against the extrajudicial killings of thousands of mostly poor people in the Philippines, but Prof. Judy Taguiwalo says peace talks between the left and the government must continue.

“Hindi naman either/or yan, you try all avenues,” Taguiwalo said at a forum held at the HK Boys and Girls Club auditorium in Wanchai on Nov. 6.

She said the desire to push ahead with the stalled peace talks has not stopped other groups within the leftist factions, like Karapatan, from condeming the EJKs.

Prof. Judy Taguiwalo

“Papasok ka sa lahat ng arena kasi...whether you like it or not, President (Rodrigo) Duterte was duly elected by the Filipino people.”

Taguiwalo also expressed no regrets about losing the post of social welfare secretary after her appointment by President Duterte was bypassed by Congress recently, saying there are other ways of serving the people.

“Walang forever sa posisyon pero may forever sa paglilingkod sa bayan,” she said.

She recalled accepting the appointment because “I had high hopes that for the first time, we had an inclusive president,” she said.

This belief was said to have been bolstered by the widespread support she saw being given to Duterte, even by Filipinos who are abroad.

In Davao, she said “kahit ganoon ang bibig niya (Duterte), he is well loved by the people. She cited his many pro-women initiatives like providing a breastfeeding center at the airport and keeping the women’s correctional institute looking homey and not like a prison. “Even yung mga sisters (nuns), love sya.”

For Taguiwalo, the unraveling happened when she clashed head-on with other members of the Cabinet, like when she opposed the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos in Libingan ng Mga Bayani” and the more recent tax reform package that Duterte wants implemented.

In her talk, Taguiwalo focused mainly on “Neoliberal Dutertenomcis” which she said is anti-people and resulted not in changes for the better, but for worse.

Prof. Judy Taguiwalo joins her audience for a photo.

She cited statistics from Ibon Foundation which show that despite a continuing economic growth (now hovering at around 6.8%), production has slowed down by as much as 48.9%, while unemployment has surged. Ibon’s estimate put the number of Filipinos without jobs at 4.3 million.

The worsening economy is said to have led to about 66million Filipinos becoming poor, meaning they live on P125 a day or less.

Migration is said to have allowed many Filipinos to “keep body and soul together” but Taguiwalo said it’s not the answer to the widening poverty in the country.

She said there is no difference between the economic policies of Duterte and his predecessor, Benigno S. Aquino III, as they are both elitists.

The former social welfare chief noted Duterte’s “build, build, build” campaign which she said is “definitely not for the poor.” She showed graphs indicating the rush to build infrastructure as being concentrated in Metro Manila and surrounding regions, and not in areas where the poor are concentrated, like in the Mindanao.

The second part of her lecture dealt with EJKs which she said reflects a culture of impunity in the country.

“Just imagine, 32 killings in one night, and the President does not see anything wrong with it.”  She said drug addiction is a health issue and not a policy problem.

She also hit out at Duterte’s recent moves to stamp out dissent, like harassing the Commission on Human Rights, threatening the Ombudsman, and sanctioning moves to impeach the Chuef Justice.

“The lesson learned (from all these) is wala talaga tayong aasaahan kundi tayong mga tao din,” she said.