Nasarapan sa dog food

Si Jaypee ay 43 taong gulang, tubong Benguet at may asawa. Kalilipat pa lang niya sa among German at French matapos ang dalawang taong paninilbihan sa pamilyang Intsik.

Sa bago niyang trabaho ay agad niyang napansin na maraming stock ng corned beef at omega-3 supplement sa kusina. Sa isip niya, sino kaya ang mahilig kumain ng corned beef sa bahay dahil hindi naman niya nakikita ang mga amo na ito ang ulam.

Nang hindi na makatiis ay tinanong niya ang kanyang amo at ang sabi, “Excuse me sir, I just want to know who eats this corned beef and take the omega 3? Sagot ng amo, “the two doggies,” na ang tinuran ay ang dalawa niyang alaga na mga hush puppies.

“Ah, ok, sagot ni Antonia, na ang nasa isip ay, wow ang sarap naman ng pagkain ng mga aso, at may food supplement pa na parang mayamang tao. Medyo nainggit siya sa mga aso, kaya minsan kapag wala siyang ulam ay kumukuha din sa kanilang corned beef na ang nasa isip ay

“Bakit, ang aso lang ba ang may karapatan na kumain ng masarap?” Maingat naman siya na hindi niya naagawan ng pagkain at sustanya ang mga alaga na na-eenjoy naman niyang alagaan.

Kasalukuyan silang nakatira sila sa New Territories. – Merly Bunda

Cooking is a challenge

Gina N. Ordona

For this issue we feature one of the longtime contributors of The SUN who has transformed herself in recent years as an excellent and versatile cook.

Gina N. Ordona, who has a degree in agribusiness from the Mindanao State University, has been working in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, but it was only when she started working for the family of Filcom leader Daphne Ceniza-Kuok six years ago that she has blossomed into one of the most prolific and talented cooks hereabouts. From cooking mainly Chinese dishes, Gina’s repertoire now extends to all things Asian – including Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Korean, and of course, Filipino - to Middle Eastern and Western dishes.

What’s more amazing is, Gina has practically taught herself to cook many of the dishes, although she also gets a lot of support from her employer who is no stranger to the kitchen herself. Gina attributes much of her cooking skills to challenging herself to come up with a complete meal each time her very popular employer invites friends over. It doesn’t hurt, either, that “Ma’am Daphne” is herself a certified gourmet, and brings home a lot of exotic ingredients from her frequent travels abroad.

We emailed some questions to Gina to find out more about what inspires her to cook and continually search for new dishes, and she came up with very comprehensive answers that we decided to print the Q&A in full, as below:

Q: How long have you been with the Kuoks? Is cooking your main job for the family?
A: I’ve been working with the Kuok family for 6 years now and I am responsible for cooking meals for the family.

Q: How did you develop your love for cooking? 
A: My employer loves to entertain. Definitely the regular flow of guests coming over for lunch or dinner including the weekly Bible Study session is a big factor. It gives me purpose to create something new.  I always challenge myself to come up with cohesive menu so I explore.

Q: How did you learn to cook so many dishes?
A: My employer has given me so much leeway in the kitchen. Our pantry is filled with spices and ingredients to use for different cuisines so I took advantage of it. I also try to understand the flavor profile of each cuisine by reading food blogs and watching cooking shows. 

Q: It’s usual for those who cook to have hits and misses. What is your best “hit” (or favorite culinary creation) and your worst miss (as in “palpak”), and how you tried to remedy this.
A: I don’t have a particular favorite or best “hit” dish but if I am to name my worst miss, it would be Braised Pork Belly (a Chinese recipe). I tried several times to follow different ways of cooking it, but the results were all the same; the meat always comes out tough and dry instead of “melt-in- your-mouth” goodness.

Q: You seem to have a big budget for your cooking, but are there dishes that you could recommend for those who are on a tight budget?
A: Dishes that are packed with flavors are not necessarily expensive. For example, the humble bean curd or tofu has so many possibilities, like Chinese mapo tofu, Korean sundubu-jjigae or beancurd stew, Japanese agedashi tofu or deep-fried tofu etc. My advice is, keep exploring and don’t be afraid to try new recipes.

Q: Where do you usually buy your food supplies and ingredients?
A: I go shopping for seafood, fruit and vegetables in the wet market. I buy meat and chicken in the supermarket.

Q: What are your culinary aspirations, if any?
A: As of now, wala po. Just love to cook for family and friends.

Pomelo Salad
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
1 tbsp palm sugar
1½ tbsp lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
Thai chilies, to taste
Salad
2 cups Pomelo, torn into chunks
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
2 tbsp dried shrimp, blitzed in a blender
3 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
 1) In a mortar and pestle, grind the chilies into a paste, then add palm sugar and pound until dissolved.

2) Add fish sauce and lime juice and swirl to mix.

3) Pour the dressing into a mixing bowl, then add all the ingredients and toss to combine.

Green Curry Chicken
 INGREDIENTS
2 cups coconut milk
50 g green curry paste (about 3 Tbsp)
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped
1.5-2 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
1.5 cup bamboo shoots, cooked, sliced into bite-sized pieces
 5 pcs Thai eggplant
¼ cup pea eggplant
1 cup Thai basil
1 spur chilies or ¼ red bell pepper, julienned

INSTRUCTIONS
1) Pour 1 cup of coconut milk in a casserole. Let it boil and reduce until thick and the coconut oil starts to separate from the coconut milk. Add curry paste and sauté, stirring constantly over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the paste.

2) Add chicken thigh and stir to mix with the paste. Add kaffir lime leaves, chicken stock, the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, palm sugar and 1 Tbsp fish sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fork-tender.

3) Add bamboo shoots and eggplants. Continue simmering until the vegetables are done. Adjust the taste by adding fish sauce as needed. Remove from heat and stir in Thai basil and spur chilies. Serve with jasmine rice.

Fish with Sweet & Sour Chili Sauce
INGREDIENTS
4-5 cloves garlic
2-3 cilantro roots, chopped
1/4 tsp white peppercorns
2-3 spur chili (diced)
3 tbsp chopped palm sugar
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
2.5 tbsp tamarind juice
¼ cup water
¼ cup chopped cilantro
300 grams of any white fish filet

 INSTRUCTIONS
 1) To make the sauce, pound the cilantro roots, garlic, and white pepper using a mortar and pestle until it resembles a rough paste. Add the spur chili, continue pounding until the mixture is incorporated.

2) In a pan, over medium heat, sauté chili mixture in a little oil and stir constantly. When the mixture starts to dry up, add the palm sugar. Once the palm sugar has melted, add water, fish sauce and tamarind juice. Stir and let simmer for 1-2 minutes until you achieve a thick, syrupy consistency. Taste and adjust to your liking. Set aside.

3) To panfry the fish: In a frying pan, add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Fry the fish on both sides until golden brown.

4) To assemble: Place the fish on a serving plate. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the sauce over the fish and pour the rest around the fish. Garnish with cilantro.

Ang nakatagong ganda ng Wang Chung Stream

Ni Marites D. Palma

Ang pamumundok ay isang masaya at kaiga-igayang paraan ng pagsukat sa kakayahang makapaglakad sa kabundukan. Ito rin ay nagsisilbing komunyon o pagniniig ng tao at kalikasan, kaya mahalaga na mapanatili ang kaayusan sa paligid. Dapat siguraduhin na walang mga bakas o basura na maiiwan sa iyong paglisan. Kasabay ng pag-uuwi mo ng mga magagandang alaala ay dalhin mo na rin ang boteng pinaglagyan mo ng inumin at mga gamit sa pagkain. Ang ganitong panuntunan ang magsisiguro na ang mga magagandang alaala mo ng iyong pamamasyal at paglalakad ay mananatili hanggang sa iyong pagbabalik.

Kabilang sa mga magagandang lugar na maaring puntahan ng isang mahilig sa hiking at swimming ang Wang Chung Stream o Dragon Ball Falls na nasa Plover Country Park sa New Territories.

Ang Wang Chung Stream ay matatagpuan ilang metro mula sa sikat na Bride’s Pool na nasa loob din ng parke. Medyo mahirap ang paglalakad patungo dito dahil gugugol ka ng tatlo hanggang apat na oras mula sa bukana kung saan ka ibaba ng bus. Ang paglalakad ay pakanluran at pataas hanggang sa pinakatuktok ng bundok, at madadaanan ang ilang  matataas na talon na may malalim at malamig na pool o languyan. Ang madulas at matarik na lakaran ay di hamak na mahirap lakaran kaysa sa lugar na tuyo at patag.

Ang talon at ang batis sa ilalim nito ay nagbibigay ng panibagong sigla sa mga pagod sa pag-akyat sa bundok.

Magmula sa bus stop ng Brides Pool Road ay kailangan mong lumakad ng mga limang minuto bago marating ang bungad ng sapa. Mula naman sa dulo nito kung saan matatagpuan ang tulay ng Pat Sin Leng nature trail ay aabutin ka ng hanggang 25 minuto na paglalakad bago ka makabalik sa sa bus stop.

Ang antas ng hirap sa paglalakad dito ay 6/10, na ang ibig sabihin ay may kahirapan pero kaya pa rin ng karamihan dahil maraming may mga edad na ang nakakarating dito. Kahit iyong mga matagal nang naglalakad ay mahigpit pa ring pinapaalalahanan na huwag na huwag subukan na akyatin diretso ang mga malalaking talon, dahil may mga nagbuwis na ng buhay dito. Ang dapat gawin ay taimtim na sundan ang direksiyon ng mga nakataling ribbon sa mga sanga ng mga punongkahoy na siyang nagsisilbing gabay kung saan dapat dumaan para malampasan ang mga nagtataasang talon sa paligid at masiguro ang kaligtasan.

Sa mga mahilig ng live streaming sa Facebook, sorry at mahina ang signal ng internet dito dahil napapagitnaan ng mga matatarik na bundok ang sapa. Mag video na lang at i upload ang mga kuha mo habang naglalakad pabalik sa sakayan ng bus dahil tiyak na may signal na ulit dito. Pero ingat din habang nagkukuha ng mga litrato at baka ka madulas sa basang lakaran.

Ang pinakamagandang parte ng lugar na ito ay ang mababang parte ng sapa dahil dito makikita ang mga naglalakihang talon at malalalim at malamig na languyan.

Marami sa mga pumapasyal dito ang lumalangoy, nag da dive o nag I snorkel sa napakalinis at malamig na tubig.

Ito ang dahilan kaya paboritong puntahan ito ng mga turista, dayuhan man o lokal, tuwing panahon ng tag-araw. Hindi makukumpleto ang pagpunta mo dito kung hindi mo susubukang lumangoy o magtampisaw man lang sa malinaw na tubig. Para kasing nagsisilbing pantanggal ng tensyon at lungkot ang preskong tubig na dumadaloy sa mga languyan na ito.Hindi mo iindahin ang hirap at sakit sa pag-akyat dahil kapag nalampasan mo ang pinakamahirap na parte ay maaari kang magtampisaw muli para buhayin ang iyong damdamin.

Bagamat mahaba-haba at may kahirapan ang pagpunta dito ay lubhang ligtas ang paligid kaya maraming mga iba-ibang grupo ang dumarayo dito. Minsan, hindi maiiwasan na nagpapang-abot ang mga grupo ng hiker sa parteng mahirap daanan, halimbawa sa matarik na bangin, ngunit hindi naman ito malaking sagabal dahil maraming mga ugat at sanga ng punongkahoy ang maari mong kapitan para makatawid. At kahit mainit ang sikat ng araw ay hindi mo masyadong maramdaman dahil maraming mga puno sa daanan kaya malilim. Lubos ka ring maaaliw sa paglalakad dahil presko ang hangin sa paligid, at maraming makukulay na paruparo kang makikita sa paligid. Kitang kita din mula sa malinaw na tubig ng sapa ang ibat ibang uri ng isdang tabang na nabubuhay dito.

 Ang  Wang Chung Stream ay isa sa pinakakilalang stream  sa Hong Kong, napakadaling magtungo dito dahil ang bungad ay malapit lamang sa pinakahuling antayan ng bus sa Bride’s Pool Road.

Para makarating dito, sumakay ng MTR papunta sa Tai Po Market, at paglabas ay sumakay ng bus 75K or 20C na green mini bus patungong Tai Mei Tuk. Maiging mag-taxi mula rito papunta sa Bride’ Pool tuwing ordinaryong araw. Kung Sabado o Linggo naman ay maaring sumakay ng KMB Bus 275 K o 20 R mula sa Tai Po Market station at pupunta ito ng diretso sa Bride’s Pool Road.

Maaring padalhan ng mensahe sa Facebook messenger ang may-akda sakaling may gustong itanong tungkol sa hike na ito.

Cricket champs SCC Divas seeks new players as training set to start

By Vir B. Lumicao

All-Filipina cricket champion SCC Divas is looking for more players as it plans to make its presence felt by fielding a team in each of the three leagues on Cricket Hong Kong’s calendar in coming seasons.

A structured training begins this Sunday, Aug 5, for SCC Divas’ players to prepare them for the 16-over Development League, the next-level T20 and the 35 Overs League for the 2018-2019 season beginning on Sept 5.

Coach Najeeb Amar in a groufie with players. Supporters and sponsors  gave them individual trophies for Best Player of the Year, Best Bowler of the Year and Best batsman of the Year and medals for their contributions to the team.

“We are inviting new players. Anyone who is interested, we welcome them,” manager Animesh Kulkarni told The SUN during the team’s victory party at the United Services Recreation Club’s Garden Room in Yaumatei on Jul 22.

The team was awarded the Development League championship trophy, while individual players were given three smaller trophies and six gold medals for special awards. Another 24 gold medals were given those who saw action last season.

“Our vision is to field three teams with a hope that SCC Divas will make an impact and let its presence felt in the Main League, taking forward its performance this year in the Development League,” said Kulkarni, an Indian businessman.

On its cricket debut last season, the all-domestic-worker SCC Divas swept all its nine games to become the grand slam champion in Hong Kong’s Development League.

But Kulkarni admits the triumph of the team, organized by captain Josie Arimas and trained by Pakistani coach Najeeb Amar, may be hard to repeat in the higher leagues because Divas will be facing National Team players distributed in the various sides. “The girls will be playing against the national side. We may not win every game like this time, but we may not lose badly. I’m very confident we will give them a run,” the manager said.

“We know we will have limitations playing against the National Team players, but with the help of coach Najeeb Amar, we will prepare our players through more structured training in skill development starting on Aug 5,” Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni said those of the 32 who played this year will be promoted immediately to the higher league, the T20, where teams will compete in the 20-over format.

He said those who did not play last season will maintain the team’s trophy in the Development League, the 16-over division that is considered the entry level in the sport.

Ravi Lulla, manager of JD Jaguar men’s cricket team and a sponsor of SCC Divas, congratulated the team and promised continuous support to the Filipinas as they move to a higher league.

“It will not be an easy game next season, but if you do half as well as you have done, then you’ll do very well,” Lulla said.

He said the Filipinas will be given T-shirts for their training this Sunday and their official training kits before their next games.

As the SCC Divas advances, Kulkarni said he is seeking their recognition by the cricketing body in Manila. “Now I am in contact with the Philippine Cricket Association to plan future meetings,” he said.

He said he will also train the team members to do scoring and every aspect of cricket as he wants the Filipinas to hone up their skills.

Anyone who is interested to join the team can contact captain Josie Arimas.  He said Divas will form one development team, which will start cross-training on Aug 5.

Another Filipina’s death linked to heat wave

By Daisy CL Mandap

A female Hong Kong resident has died amid the heat wave affecting the city.

Marissa Danao, 60 years old, from Pasig City, died on Jul 28, a Sunday, after reportedly coming home from work and complaining of the heat. She immediately went to bed and was found dead the next day.

Danao had complained of the heat
the day before she was found dead in bed

Officials at the Consulate say Danao, who was divorced with one child, had a thyroid problem which could have triggered her death. But the exact cause will not be known until the autopsy report is released within the next few months.

A funeral service for Danao was held on Sunday, Aug. 5, attended by about 80 of her friends and relatives. Her remains are scheduled to be repatriated to the Philippines on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 9.

Danao was the third Filipina whose death within a week of each other was linked to heat-related causes. The two other victims were both domestic helpers who were found lifeless in the toilets of their respective employers’ flats.

The first victim was a 62-year-old native of La Union who was found dead on Jul 28. The second was 54 years old and hailed from Ilocos, who was found dead in the morning of Aug 2.

Also the previous week, two Filipina domestic workers were rushed to hospital in an ambulance after feeling unwell while on the 18^th floor offices of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at Mass Mutual Tower in Wanchai.  

Romulo has expressed alarm at the rising number of health-related deaths among overseas Filipino workers that she is planning to hold quarterly wellness seminars at POLO. Tapped to conduct them is Assistant Labor Attache Angelica Sunga, who is a registered nurse in the Philippines.

Over the past weeks, Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection has been posting daily advisories on preventing heat stroke and sunburn “in very hot weather”.

Part of the advisory states:

"The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

             "Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.

            "The obese, the sick, including those with heart disease or high blood pressure, the old and the young are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.

            The public should adopt the following precautions:

1) Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;

2) Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion place additional demands on the physique;

3) Perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon;

4) For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation; and

5)  Reschedule work to cooler times of the day.

If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable, and start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Get into a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.”

Nasobrahan sa pagiging pangahas

Saklot ng pagsisi si Linda, 45, ng Pangasinan matapos niyang mapagtripan na gupitan ang aso ng kanyang amo na ikinagalit nito sa kanya, at naging sanhi para siya palayasin. Masyado kasing naging kampante si Linda dahil sa kabaitan ng amo kaya huli na nang mapagtanto niya na naging masyado siyang pangahas.

Aminado naman siyang mali ang kanyang ginawa, at sana man lang sana ay tinanong niya muna ang amo niya tungkol dito.

Pagdating ng amo galing sa trabaho ay ganoon na lang ang pagkabigla nang makita ang sobrang iksi ng buhok ng aso kaya nagtatalak nang nagtatalak, at pinalayas siya kinabukasan.

Mabuti na lamang at natiyempo na nangangailangan ng katulong si Paupau -- nanay ng kanyang amo -- at sinalo siya nito.

Ngayon ay ingat na si Linda kay Paupau at lagi nang isinasangguni ang nais gawin sa bahay nito. Nameligro siyang mawalan ng trabaho, bagay na ayaw na niyang maulit.

Malaki ang kanyang pasalamat kay Paupau sa pagtitiwalang ibinigay sa kanya sa kabila ng kanyang kapalpakan. – George Manalansan

Isang kaibigang tunay

Nagkakilala sina Florence, 49,  at Ana, 42, sa Hong Kong mga pitong taon na ang nakakaraan at naging matalik na magkaibigan. Lagi silang magkasama sa mga lakad sa unang limang taon ng kanilang pagkakilala, at nagdadamayan tuwing may problema ang bawat isa.

Kailan lang ay nasubok ang lalim ng kanilang magandang samahan nang ihanap ni Florence ng amo si Ana, na nagdesisyong umuwi na at magpakasal dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan. Kahit kasi nagkalayo na sila ay patuloy pa rin ang kanilang kamustahan sa Facebook.

Dahil may edad na nang nag-asawa ay hindi na nagkaanak si Ana, kaya naisipan ng kanyang asawa na bumalik sa kanyang trabaho sa Qatar para madagdagan ang kanilang ipon. Nagdesisyon si Ana na bumalik na lang din sa Hong Kong, na sinang-ayunan naman ng asawa.

Dahil sa kanyang edad ay nagdalawang isip si Ana na mag-apply sa ahensya kaya naisip na humingi na lang ng tulong kay Florence. Nangako naman si Florence na tutulong, at agad na kinausap ang mabait na amo kung mayroon ba itong kaibigan na naghahanap ng katulong.

Pagbalik ng amo kamakailan galing sa bakasyon ay ibinalita nito kay Florence na inirekomenda niya ang kaibigan nito sa kapatid, at pumayag naman ito. Tuwang tuwa naman si Florence dahil makakabalik na rin ang kaibigan sa Hong Kong, at mas madalas pa niya itong makakasama.

Tuwang tuwa din si Ana dahil may mabait siyang kaibigan katulad ni Florence. Sa ngayon ay naghihintay na lamang ng visa si Ana para makabalik ng Hong Kong at mag-umpisang manilbihan sa among taga Aberdeen. Si Florence na tubong Iloilo ay halos 10 taon na sa mabait na amo na taga Kennedy Town. – Ellen Asis

2 Pinay moms fail in final bid to stay with kids in Hong Kong

Two Filipina mothers have failed to get permission from the High Court to go to the Court of Final Appeal to challenge the Immigration Department’s refusal to let them stay on in Hong Kong to be with their resident children.

Milagros T. Comilang, Desiree R. Luis and their co-applicant/co-appellant children, who were all on Legal Aid, were also ordered by the Court of Appeal on Jul 24 to pay the Immigration Director’s court costs of $250,000.

The High Court.

Comilang and Luis, both former domestic helpers, filed separate applications on Jun 4 to seek leave to appeal the appellate court’s decision denying them the right to remain in Hong Kong so they could look after their children who are all minors.

Named as co-applicants were Comilang’s daughter Zarah Noor Ahmed and Luis’ three sons David John, Carl Benz and Mark Joelry.

Gladys Li, SC,who represented the mothers, cited “great general or public importance” as the main ground for asking for leave to appeal. She also cited international laws to support her claim that the CA had failed to consider the appeal properly.

The two mothers and their children, through Li, raised nine questions, including whether a non-Hong Kong resident parent-caregiver and her resident child could not rely on Art 37 of the Basic Law to guarantee their enjoyment of family life in Hong Kong.

The three justices sitting as Court of Appeal, answered all the questions point by point, before refusing the application.

While accepting that the case could have potential impact on other families similarly situated, the CA said they were not convinced any of the questions raised on behalf of the appellants were reasonably arguable and satisfied the requirements for using the “general public interest” ground.

The application stemmed from the decision by the Court of Appeal on Mar 26 this year, dismissing the appellants’ challenge to the Director of Immigration’s decision denying them the right to remain in Hong Kong.

Comilang married a Pakistani citizen in April 2005 and gave birth to Zahrah on Feb 2, 2006, who acquired permanent residency by birth. Since September 2007, Comilang had made several futile applications to extend her stay in Hong Kong so she could take care of her daughter.

Desiree Luis married a fellow Filipino domestic helper in 1997, and they had four sons, the
eldest of whom was born in the Philippines and the three others in Hong Kong. Her second son has gained permanent resident status.

Since 2011, Luis had applied but failed to get an extension of stay to take care of her three sons in Hong Kong, so she overstayed. In May 2014, Luis applied for leave for judicial review, which was granted her in July that year.

However, her appeal against the Director’s rejection of her application to stay in Hong Kong was also denied in March this year.

The Court was made up of Vice President Justice of Appeal Jeremy Poon, who penned the decision; and Chief Judge Andrew Cheung and Vice President Justice of Appeal Johnson Lam.

POLO vows help for OFWs forced to undergo useless ‘retraining’

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office has vowed to take action against employment agencies that require overseas Filipino workers returning to Hong Kong to undergo retraining despite being in possession of valid training certificates.

Labor Attache Nida Romulo issued the statement after being told that agencies in the Philippines are requiring holders of Tesda (Technical Education Skills Development Authority ) NCII certificates to go through  training again because the document has been renamed.

Labor Attache Nida Romulo interviews workers who were made to retrain for new NCII.

But Romulo cautioned the affected OFWs to ensure they have documentary evidence such as receipts so POLO can take action.

“Kailangang meron tayong ebidensiya laban doon sa mga ikino-complain natin ha, kasi mas maganda iyon dahil may mga aksiyon tayong gagawin,” Romulo said, as three workers dopped by her office on Jul 29 to complain against the retraining.

Other Hong Kong-bound workers who are still processing their papers in Manila have also told The SUN about the new practice of agencies.

Training is one of the biggest costs borne by a Filipino worker before she flies to her destination abroad. A two-week training offered by agency partners costs upwards of PhP15,000.

The agencies are apparently capitalizing on the name change of NCII , which was for “household service,” to a new certificate for “domestic work” to further squeeze money from OFW applicants.

One worker who said she still had three years left in the validity of her NCII was charged PhP25,000 for retraining. She said she had used two years of the five-year validity certificate as a domestic helper in Malaysia.

Her two companions, who were charged PhP26,000 each, had worked previously in Kuwait and Malaysia.

Filipino community leader Leo Selomenio said she has also received reports about the apparent scam being used on returning OFWs. “Marami talaga”, she said in a message.

One worker who went through a new training offered by an agency partner said she and her batchmates were taught nothing new. “We were just made to watch videos,” she said.

Romulo said her office will forward the complaints to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in Manila.

 “Unang-una, i-endorse natin iyan sa POEA para sa anumang dapat nilang gawin doon. Sabay niyan dito ay pag-aaralan namin, kasi kung madami talaga kayo ay bakit ganun, di ba? May gagawin din kaming mga aksiyon,” Romulo said.

However, she did not specify what action might be taken against the errant agencies.

Earlier, Assistant Labor Attaché Ma Nena German also said there was no need for holders of valid NCII certificates to retrain.

She said all they have to do is go to assessment centers accredited by the Tesda and show their valid NCII and employer’s certificates to get the new certification.

German said the name change was announced by Tesda in a resolution some time ago. But she said the costly retraining can be avoided if the worker would just go for skills assessment and pay only Php470-630.

Foreign domestic workers in HK call for $5,500 minimum wage

By Daisy CL Mandap

The speakers show what they hope to bring
 to tomorrow's meeting with HK labor officials

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong are calling for their minimum monthly salary to be raised to $5,500, and their food allowance to no less than $2,500 a month.

The call was issued earlier today, Aug 6, a day before the biggest support organizations for migrant workers were due to meet with Hong Kong labour officials for the yearly consultation on the “minimum allowable wage” (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers.

The migrant workers, along with three of the biggest organizations fighting for their rights and welfare, announced their position at a media briefing called to unveil the findings of a survey that shows where their monthly earnings go.

The joint study by the Mission for Migrant Workers and the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants showed that three-fifths (3/5) of FDWs’ salaries, or $2,700 goes to paying for goods and services in Hong Kong, leaving only about $1,700 for savings and family remittance.

Given these figures, the Mission said: “It is estimated that they (migrant workers) infuse over $562 million per month or over $6.75 billion per year towards the Hong Kong economy through purchases alone.”

Despite their huge contribution to the local economy, the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) said in a statement that wages given to FDWs leave them unable to cope with the steady rise in the cost of goods, utilities and services in Hong Kong.

Using the government’s own estimates of the cost of living in Hong Kong, and even granting that FDWs have to live with their employers, AMCB said they should be getting $5,585 for working 10 hours a day on average.

The demand for a $2,500 monthly food allowance is also said to be based on government statistics on the per capita expenditure on food by Hong Kong residents.

According to the group, the current minimum wage of $4,410 is “a measly 44%” of what is needed for a person to survive in Hong Kong. The current monthly food allowance of $1,053 is said to be 59% lower than what is considered sufficient in the city.

AMCB spokesperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez said that her group intends to bring to tomorrow’s meeting a reiteration of their call to be paid the same wages as local workers, and for the government to use a more transparent scheme for computing the MAW.

Indonesian migrant leader Sringatin, also of AMCB, said they also want to call on both Hong Kong and the sending countries to work jointly on promoting the rights and welfare of FDWs, and acknowledge their great contribution to their respective economies.

The Mission’s Cynthia Tellez said that her group would push for a more realistic MAW based on a more transparent mechanism - and “better yet”, align it with the statutory minimum wage for other workers in Hong Kong.

She also wants the Hong Kong government to actively address the recurring issues of illegal recruitment and illegal agency fees, and to enact an anti-human trafficking law based on the United Nations-Palermo protocol.

APMM’s Ramon Bultron backed the other groups’ calls, but put emphasis on ensuring that the rights and welfare of FDWs are protected, and reiterated the need for Hong Kong to pass a law against human trafficking.

He also called on the media and other groups to continue working with organizations that support and promote the rights of migrants.