The SUN HK

Kwentong OFW

Posted on 16 April 2019 No comments

Katulad ng karamihan sa migranteng mangagagawa ay ipinagdiwang ni Lilibeth Javonillo, 45, ang kanyang kaarawan noong Marso 31 sa piling ng kanyang barkada. Ang Ilokana ay nag-imbita ng mga kababayan mula sa Ilocos, pero meron ding ibang bisita na galing sa Tarlac, Pampanga at Quezon province.

Nagluto si Lilibeth ng pansit, kanin, nilagang hipon at bumili ng fried chicken, pizza, soft drinks at pati cake bilang panghimagas. Ang ilan sa kanyang bisita ay nagbitbit ng pandagdag tulad ng biko at macaroni salad .

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Ang kanilang puwesto ay sa ilalim ng hagdang paakyat sa Shatin Library, kung saan lagi silang nag to tong-its o kaya ay nagkakantahan gamit ang magic sing pagkatapos ng kani-kanilang mga lakad.

May paluwagan din ang grupo, kung saan ang hulog ng bawat kasapi ay $200 kada buwan, kaya ang kumukubra ng kabayaran tuwing katapusan ay may $2,400.

Sa pagkakataong ito ay nagkuwentuhan ang ilan sa mga bisita. Kabilang sa kanila si Rhodora Martin, 54, dalaga at solong babae sa anim na magkakapatid. Siya ay dumating ng Hong Kong noong 1987. Ayon sa kanya konti pa daw ang Pilipino noon dito at $2,300 pa lang ang sweldo, pero mura pa ang bilihin. Ang set breakfast sa Mac Donald ay wala pa daw $10 at ang set lunch ay nasa $12.90 pa lang. Para makausap ang pamilya sa Pilipinas kailangan na gumamit ng phone booth na huhulugan mo ng barya habang nagmamadali ka sa pagsasalita dahil mahal ang bawat minuto sa tawag. Maari ding magsulatan, pero inaabot ng ilang linggo ang sulat galing sa Pilipinas. Sa kabila nito ay patuloy pa ring nagpapangita ang magkakaibigan tuwing day-off. Kailangan lang na may usapan lagi kung saan magkikita sa susunod. Kokonti pa daw ang Philippine products sa Hong Kong noon, ang pagre- remit ay bank to bank pa dahil walang pang mga remittance center. Wala pa ring dyaryong Pilipino noon kaya hindi halos nababalitaan ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ng mga OFW.

Dagdag kuwento ni Rhodora, siya ay naloko ng isang kaibigan na umiyàk pa sa kanya at humingi ng tulong dahil daw naospital ang nanay. Dahil sa awa, ipinangutang niya ang kaibigan ng halagang $15,000 sa isang financing company. Nakabayad naman daw ito sa unang dalawang buwan hulog bago biglang nawala.

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Nagkamali din daw siya sa pagsali sa isang networking project dahil ayaw mapahiya ang kaibigan. Umabot siya sa antas na tatlong membership na ang katumbas na halaga ay P24,000 o “3 heads” pero wala ding nangyari.

Saklot daw ng pag-alala si Rhodora bago ang Handover ng Hong Kong sa China noong 1997 dahil takot siyang mawalan ng trabaho. Marami din kasing mga employer ang nagsipag-alisan papuntang Canada, Australia at ibang bansa, sa pag-aalalang magiging pangit ang palakad ng China. Saka lamang daw nakahinga ng maluwag ang lahat pagkatapos ng 1997 dahil wala namang malaking pagbabago na naganap.

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May pamilya na daw lahat ang limang kapatid niyang lalaki, at marami sa kanyang mga pamangkin ang natulungan niyang makatapos sa pag-aaral. May sarili na daw siyang bahay at lupang sakahan, bukod pa sa naipon para sa kanyang retirement.

Kabilang daw siya sa mga nagantso ng isang ahente ng isang pension fund plan na hindi hinulog ang bayad na premium, mabuti at nakaahon pa siya.

Sa ngayon ay handa na daw siyang mag for good kung sakali, pero ano naman daw ang gagawin niya sa Pilipinas gayong wala naman siyang sariling pamilya? Kaya dito na lang daw muna siya habang may pumipirma pa sa kanyang kontrata.

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I-TRY MO ITO, KATRIBO!
Mas madali nang tawagan ang mga advertiser natin dito. Pindutin lang ang kanilang ad at lalabas ang automatic dialer. Isa pang pindot ay matatawagan mo ang advertiser na hindi na kailangang i-dial ang numero nila. I-try mo!

DH charges employer with repeated assault

Posted on 15 April 2019 No comments

Jubie Sabarillo

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina helper who was allegedly physically assaulted 10 times by her female employer in Mid-Levels has filed a criminal complaint with the police after Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre convinced her to pursue her case.

Jubie Sabarillo, 50, dialed 999 on friends’ advice after the latest attack on Apr 4, but then told the police who came that she would rather go home soon. She said she had signed a waiver not to press charges against her employer, a Mrs Lam.

Labatt Dela Torre immediately put Lam on the Philippine Overseas Labor Office’s “eternal” watchlist and told Assistant Labor Attaché Tony Villafuerte to help the worker go for a medical check-up, then file a criminal complaint against the employer

Villafuerte later told The SUN that the Police Criminal Investigation Division was investigating.

Sabarillo kept a diary where she wrote down the date and time of each alleged assault, beginning on June 10, 2018 until Apr 4 this year, when she decided to call police.

Sabarillo said in an interview at Labatt Dela Torre’s office on Apr 5 that three officers went to Lam’s flat on Kennedy Road while a few others stayed on the ground minutes after she called the police.

Sabarillo's notes.

She said Lam was surprised when she let the officers in. The officers reportedly told Lam that they were responding to a distress call and pointed to the crying maid.

“Nagkuwento-kuwento, hindi ko alam kung anong pinag-usapan, tapos iniinterbyu-interbyu ako, kinukuhanan ng mga picture,” the helper said.

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Afterwards, the officers reportedly asked her to decide whether she wanted them to arrest her employer, or if she’d rather go home soon.

“Kung gusto mong i-arrest namin yung amo mo, magpaduktor ka at ituloy na yung kaso, o kung gusto mo umuwi ka. Nag-decide na lang ako umuwi kasi parang physically stressed na ako eh. Hindi ko na alam, nalito na ako,” Saberilla said.

The helper said she told the police she had decided to go home. The interviewing officer took out a document and asked her to sign it. She said the document was about her decision not to press charges and to go home as soon as possible.

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Dela Torre asked the helper why she signed the waiver without a lawyer assisting her.

“Dapat may counsel ka. Uuwi ka na walang hustisya sa ginawa sa iyo?” the labor official told the helper.

Saberillo said she was confused and did not know what to say when the officers asked her to make a decision. “Kasi stressed na ako, nalito na ako at nahihilo na ako,” she said.

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She said the owner of her agency in Hong Kong promised to work out a settlement between her and her employer.

At first, the agency owner reportedly told Saberillo she would have to pay her employer one month’s wages in lieu of notice, but then took it back. He then said he would ask Lam to settle and buy her a ticket that day.

Labatt Dela Torre asked his staff to call the agency owner to a meeting and he was at POLO in half an hour.

The agency owner said it was the first time a helper had complained against Lam. He said he wouldn’t supply a maid to the employer again.

Labatt dela Torre told the agency owner Saberillo would be moved to OWWA’s shelter that day.

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Cancer patient Baby Jane settles labor case with employer for $30k

Posted on No comments

By Daisy CL Mandap

Baby Jane is assisted by a local union in pursuing her claims

Ailing Filipina domestic worker Baby Jane Allas has settled her labor claims against her former employer for $30,000, during a half-day hearing at the Labour Tribunal on Apr 15 before Principal Presiding Officer Eric Tam.

The settlement, covering unpaid wages, a month’s salary in lieu of notice, return air ticket, travel allowance and half-day pay for days off not fully spent, was without prejudice to Allas pursuing cases in the Equal Opportunities Commission or other courts.

Not included in the settlement was the Filipina’s claim for damages over her supposed illegal dismissal. She had originally claimed a total of $46,365 against her Pakistani employer, Jamil Bushra, who allegedly dismissed her after learning that she had stage 3 cervical cancer.

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Interviewed after the hearing, Allas, 38, a native of Palawan and a single mother of five children, said she was not happy with the settlement, and will definitely pursue her EOC case to win full justice.

She said all the statements made by Bushra through her brother-in-law who acted as her representative at the hearing, were all untrue.

“Lahat ng sinabi ng employer ko na depensa nila,

mali

po iyan. Naglabas sila ng ebidensya na hindi totoo.”

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WALKOUT IN COURT

The hearing was marred by the walkout of one elderly spectator who openly protested the way Tam had castigated Allas earlier for insisting that her employer should have been told to appear at the tribunal, instead of sending her brother-in-law.

“Just tell the court what you want! The defendant is pregnant and will deliver within a month or so, and she authorized this gentleman and I accepted it,” said Tam in a stern voice.

At this point, the woman spectator stood up and shouted, “She (Allas) has stage 4 cancer, for goodness’ sake! I am leaving this courtroom!”.

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Tam shouted “Shut up!” back at the woman, who walked out before she could be escorted out by security staff of the courtroom.

Earlier, Bushra’s representative, referred to only as “Mr. Shahajahan”, told the court the employer is pregnant, and is likely to give birth in May or early June. She has reportedly been vomiting, and has been advised by her doctor “not to travel.” However, she is said to be just at home in Hong Kong, resting.

CONFLICTING CLAIMS

At one point, the representative cried in open court, saying “My sister-in-law is pregnant, my father-in-law has a heart problem. But because she (Allas) is sick she asked to be allowed to live with her sister, and we agreed.”

The next thing they knew, he said, the family was put in a bad light for allegedly sacking Allas while she was gravely ill.

He said the family had a good relationship with Allas, and that they were all “shocked” when they heard that she had cancer. As a gesture of goodwill, he said the family was willing to offer $40,000 to settle all her claims, including the one before the EOC.

His claim was, however, denied by Allas. She told the tribunal that she was made to sleep in a storage room under the stairs, and was made to do chores like walking and feeding the dog, before and after taking her day off.

She also said she was dismissed by her employer through a letter given to her while she was still on sick leave.

“Nagmakaawa po ang kapatid ko na huwag putulin ang kontrata ko,” Allas said, referring to her sister Mary Ann, whose employer, Jessica Cutrera, eventually offered her shelter, and waged a successful media campaign to shed light on her plight.

Baby Jane with 2 of her 5 kids who flew into HK to give her support

FUND DRIVE RAISES $1M

To date, the funding campaign started by Cutrera has raised nearly $1million for Allas’ treatment. The money has also funded the visit of her two children and other relatives from the Philippines.

A foundation run by the high-end Adventist Hospital in Mid-Levels has also stepped forward to help, and has so far funded three chemotherapy sessions for Allas. Two more are said to have been lined up for her at the hospital.

According to Cutrera, Allas was recommended for sick leave between Jan 25 to Feb. 14, then Feb 16-18, during which her cancer was confirmed to be an advanced stage 3 cervical adenocarcinoma.

But on Feb. 17, while she was supposed to be on sick leave, her employer gave her a termination letter, stating that her last date of employment was Feb. 19.

The letter reportedly stated:

”Your last working day was 24 January 2019…
Reason for termination (if any): Diagnosed with cervical cancer…
Given your medical conditions, I am no longer able to continue your employment effective from 19 February 2019.
Wish you good health.”

Cutrera said that because Allas’ employer had wrongfully terminated their contract, the helper lost the right to remain in Hong Kong and avail of free public health care.

However, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Hong Kong says Allas was still scheduled for follow-up treatment at Tuen Mun Hospital after she was discharged following her cancer diagnosis.

Welfare officer Virsie Tamayao said Allas had even asked for her treatment to be continued at Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam which was nearer to where she was staying, but when this was declined, agreed to return to Tuen Mun Hospital.'
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Phone use now banned in voting rooms at Bayanihan

Posted on No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao

Voting rooms now have these notices about the ban on phones and cameras

The use of cellphones and cameras is no longer allowed inside voting precincts at Bayanihan Centre, where the overseas voting for Filipinos in Hong Kong is being held.

Members of the special board of election inspectors (SBEIs) started banning the devices today, Apr 15, after questions were raised yesterday about some voters openly using their telephones, supposedly to copy off them the names of their favored candidates.

From day one, voters had been told that the use of telephones was not allowed inside the voting area. But they can bring in slips of paper with the names of their preferred candidates, should they need them as reminders.

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Meanwhile, the number of voters on the first weekday of voting has noticeably dropped, but the exact turnout for the day could not be immediately ascertained. A Consulate officer said only Consul General Antonio Morales should be giving updates.

However, another officer noted that there were more arrivals in the afternoon than in the morning and expressed hope that at the end of the day, the turnout could reach 500.

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In the first two days of the election, about 2,500 registered voters had cast their ballots, said Congen Morales.

Today, Bayanihan was noticeably quiet, with many voters arriving singly, although by the afternoon, a few had come in pairs, or in big groups.

A lone voter inside an election precinct

Unlike yesterday when about 2,500 people voted, there was no machine malfunction, perhaps because fewer ballots were fed into them.

“Siguro hindi nakayanan yung dami ng mga tao kahapon kaya nagkaproblema. Ngayon naman ay maayos ang mga VCM,” said one inspector.

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Poll watchers were also a lot fewer than over the weekend, with only five representing various political parties and party-lists.

A watcher for the Liberal Party, the only major party accredited in Hong Kong, rued that the SBEIs still refused to provide the total figure on the VCMs from the previous day’s vote.

Outside, exit poll takers from the Duterte Diehard Supporters said one voter had complained that she had to feed her ballot twice into the machine before it was accepted.

They warned voters to make sure the machines reflect the names of those they voted for, saying that in the past election, “nagkaroon ng dayaan.”

However, during a briefing four months ago by Commission on Elections official Rowena Guanzon, the same DDS group was stumped when asked how could there have been cheating when their candidate won the vote.

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