DAY 20: 2 counting devices arrive as voter turnout seen to spike

This vote counting machine, one of
two shipped by Comelec to Hong Kong
and delivered on Apr 28 to the
Bayanihan, will act as a reserve just in
case another one breaks down. Election officials
are also planning to use it to conduct the election for Filipino
 seafarers on board vessels calling Hong Kong.

Two new vote counting machines arrived at the Bayanihan Center today, Apr 28, restoring the full complement of 10 VCMs that will handle the expected heavy turnout of voters on the last 11 days of the 2016 Philippine general elections.

The machines were delivered in the morning before the precincts opened, giving the election staff time to install in Room 501, where the previous VCM broke down on Apr 23, leaving only nine in operation.

“All 10 precincts now have VCMs, so, voting should hopefully be smooth on the remaining days of the elections,” said Vice Consul Fatima Quintin, the officer-of-the-day at the polling center.

One VCM-related problem was reported today, with a female voter politely calling the attention of the special board of election inspectors in one precinct to some missing names from the creased printout of her ballot receipt.

The voter did not make a fuss and, instead, offered to write down her statement about the glitch on a pro forma complaint sheet that the election board made available at the voting precincts since Monday.

“The voter was very civil; she told us she would write down her complaint instead of seeking a media interview to publicize what happened,” Quintin said.

She said the woman even promised to tell her friends and other voters that the proper thing to do if they encounter similar problems at the polls is to make a formal complaint.

That was the second formal complaint against an alleged malfunction of the vote counting machines filed by a voter since the complaint form was introduced.

Quintin said with each of the 10 voting precincts now having its vote counting machine, , election officials could pursue plans to visit ships on Hong Kong port calls and let their Filipino crew cast their votes aboard the vessels.

“With the spare VCM, we should now be able to conduct voting aboard ships during the week once we get a firm schedule from our shipping industry contacts,” said Quintin.

Latecomers try to beat the 5pm closing of the
polling precincts on Apr 28.

The plan was mentioned last week by election officials as a novelty to capture some of 49,000 registered voters among the nearly half-million Filipino seafarers deployed on ocean-going vessels.

The voter turnout today improved to 502, increasing the total tally for the first 20 days of the overseas voting in Hong Kong to 25,130, or 27% of the 93,000 registered voters from the estimated 203,000 Filipinos in the city.

With only 11 days remaining in the 31-day balloting that will culminate on May 9, election officials expect the turnout to reach 45-50% given the propensity of some people to wait until the final day to cast their votes.

Only about five people failed to vote today because they had either been deactivated for not voting in the two previous national elections, or their names were missing from the voters list even though they registered at the consulate last year .

Migrants say draft code for job agencies lacks teeth

Headquarters of Hong Kong Labour Department.

By Daisy CL Mandap

Too late, too little, is how a large support group for migrants has branded the proposed code of practice for employment agencies released on Apr 17 by Hong Kong’s Labour Department for public consultation.
The draft code, which will be open to comments and suggestions from interested parties until June 17, was issued after more than two years of public hearings on issues related to the recruitment of foreign domestic helpers to Hong Kong.
The 100-page document provides strict guidelines for employment agencies, but stops short of imposing penalties or sanctions on violators.
This, according to Eman Villanueva of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, is what makes the code far from satisfactory.
“Very disappointed kami, kasi after so many consultations, ito lang ang resulta,” he said.
“It remains to be seen kung may idudulot itong pagbabago, but offhand there is nothing much that the code of practice can do because it is not mandatory”.
As it is now, the code only provides that the Commissioner for Labour could revoke an agency’s license for repeated violations.
However, in a background brief issued to launch the code, the Legislative Council’s manpower power did not rule out taking further steps to tighten the regulation.
“In light of the implementation of CoP (code of practice), the Administration would review the need for making compliance with CoP a statutory requirement and introducing other regulatory measures,” said the brief.
Such regulations could include introducing legislative amendments, like raising the maximum penalty for the more serious forms of violations.
The code was the result of a series of hearings conducted by Legco’s manpower panel starting in early 2014 on the need to protect migrant workers rights, and tighten control over employment agencies.
Dozens of non-government organizations were asked to present submissions, while legislators grilled government officials on some of the issues raised during the hearings.
Most of the groups’ submissions focused on the high placement fees collected from the migrant workers, and the pressure exerted on them by their recruiters to pay up, either directly while still in their home countries, or by taking out loans upon arrival in Hong Kong.
The result was the draft code which defines the roles and obligations of the agencies in their dealings with job seekers or workers and employers alike.
The document also provides for the adoption of best practices for agencies, like prohibiting them from getting their recruits to take out loans to pay for fees, or from withholding the worker’s passport.
A key feature is the requirement for agencies to draft a service agreement separately with the employer and the worker, setting out clearly the terms of their engagement, including fees. While the code is silent on how much can be collected from the employer, it is clear in saying that only 10% of the worker’s first monthly salary may be charged to the worker.

Mother of dumped baby charged with infanticide

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina maid who dumped her newborn baby in a mall toilet appeared in Tsuen Wan court on Apr 14, charged with infanticide.
The 37-year-old woman was arrested after she went to the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section to seek help to surrender.
“She came to me and I called the police to inform them that I was going to accompany her to the station to surrender,” said Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr.
The police detained the suspect for further questioning.
PathFinders, a Hong Kong charity aiding and protecting migrant women and their children, offered to assist the woman and urged pregnant domestic workers to seek help, no matter how difficult or embarrassing it may be.
The NGO’s deputy chief executive Luna Chan said: “We can provide counselling and access to justice services for the woman if she is in need.” She requested The SUN to relay the message.
Local newspapers citing investigators reported that the woman confessed to giving birth to a stillborn and dumping it in the toilet.
The baby was found by a clerk in Chan Kee Plaza in Sham Tseng at about 7:45 pm on Apr 4 after she looked for the source of a foul smell in the toilet. The infant was believed to have been dead for two days. Its placenta and umbilical cord were still intact.
Cayabyab, who interviewed the woman identified as Aileen P., said the baby’s father is an African.
He said the employer was supportive when she learned of the maid’s predicament but dismissed her upon hearing of her arrest. The Filipina was less than a year into her second contract with the employer, who lived in Tsuen Wan.
PathFinders’ case managers and social workers help guide and counsel all women regardless of visa status in a non-judgmental manner, PathFinders said. It has assisted more than 3,000 women, babies and children in this situation over the last eight years.
“The issues affecting Hong Kong’s pregnant foreign domestic workers and their babies who are born here can be extremely complex and difficult to unravel,” Kay McArdle, CEO of PathFinders, said.
She urged any worker who suspects she may be pregnant to seek advice early on.
“Do not delay. From a medical perspective, delayed intervention presents risks and complications for all concerned. You are not alone. We urge you to call or whatsapp to PathFinders’ hotline on 5190 4886,” she said.

2 Pinoy transgenders held on sex charges

By Vir B. Lumicao

Two Filipino transgenders separately pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, Apr 26, to charges of soliciting for an immoral purpose and for breaching their condition of stay.
The arrests came as an officer as the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section noted that many Filipino transgenders were coming to Hong Kong as tourists and end up working illegally in Wanchai. He said they were possibly being brought to Hong Kong by pimps or handlers who profit from the illegal act.
The two tourists, Mark Anthony Reyes and Junisan Catarungan, who were in police custody, appeared briefly before Magistrate Bina Chainrai at Eastern Court.
No details about their cases and their arrests were read in court, except that they were both arrested in Wanchai last weekend.
Chainrai set the hearing of Catarungan’s case for May 11, and Reyes’ for May 12,
They were both remanded in custody and no bail application was made on their behalf.
A case officer of the NGO Midnight Blue, whose advocacy was the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, accompanied relatives and friends of the two defendants to the court.
The officer, Kin, briefed the group about the procedures the two defendants would go through in court.
In a brief chat with The SUN, Kin said LGBTs were treated better now than last year, after a Filipino transgender sought court protection against the alleged inappropriate treatment “she” received from correctional staff.
Kin said Midnight Blue had been receiving positive feedbacks from LGBT detainees about their improved conditions in the detention center.
This was confirmed by Vice Consul Fatima Quintin, who said all Filipino transgenders are now held in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, originally a facility for prisoners who require psychiatric observation, treatment, assessment or special psychological care.
Quintin said LGBTs who have undergone a complete sex change are now being attended to by female officers especially during body searches.
Their special needs, such as hormone injections to help make the change successful, are being addressed at a hospital within Siu Lam.
Kin said Midnight Blue knows of only two Filipino transgenders among the LGBTs from various nationalities who are in the detention center. However, other sources said nine Filipino transgenders are currently being held in Hong Kong jails.

Voting smooth, so far; officials hope for higher turnout

Nakaboto na si Marilyn Marasigan (kanan), ang OFW na unang bumoto noong ika 9 ng Abril at pinakahuling botante ng araw na iyon. Nireject ng VCM ang balota ni Marasigan at dineklarang 'spoiled ballot' ito. Tinawagan ng Konsulado si Marasigan para pumunta sa Bayanihan Center para muling ilagak ang kanyang boto. Kaharap ang media at si Vice Consul Alex Villespin, binuksan ng Special Board of Election Inspector ang selyadong balota at si Marasigan mismo ang nagpasok sa Vote Counting Machine. Tagumpay na tinanggap ng VCM ang balota at resibo ng boto ni Marasigan.

Except for the four vote counting machines (VCM) malfunctioning because of the high humidity, the first two weeks of voting in Hong Kong proceeded smoothly.
As of April 27, a total of 24,628 overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong had cast their ballots at the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town, out of the 93,000 voters who are registered in Hong Kong. Consulate officials, who are overseeing the poll, said they hope more people will vote in the coming days.
Voters have until May 9 to elect a new president, vice-president, 12 senators and one partylist.
Of the four VCMs that malfunctioned and sent back to the Manila headquarters of the Commission on Elections, three have been replaced by spare machines sent by Comelec in the first week of voting. The Consulate is asking for at least four more spares, with about two more weeks to go before polling ends on May 9.
Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the election board that conducts the voting in Hong Kong, was amazed that despite only nine vote counting machines operating, the election has not been disrupted.
But while the polling went smoothly, voters hardly noticed that four VCM had crashed by Apr 23.
The last incident which happened at around 2:45 pm on April 23, caused Consulate officials to scramble to draw up contingency arrangements ahead of what is expected to be another heavy voter turnout the next day, a Sunday.
Three voters who failed to insert their ballots into the machine in room 501 were asked to put them inside sealed individual envelopes which they were asked to sign, then hand over to the SBEI for safekeeping. They will have to reinsert their own ballots into another machine at a future date.
Vallespin said he is optimistic the machine breakdowns will not cause too much of a problem.
But there were events worth noting.
Amid the quiet day at Bayanihan on April 26, was a big fuss on social media over a cheating claim by a supporter of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. (https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=eva%20ocate% 20villa%20video)
The supporter who cast her ballot on Apr 17, returned to Bayanihan on Apr 24, to complain about an SBEI (special board of election inspectors) who allegedly threatened to file a case against her for taking a photo of her ballot receipt.
The voter said she took the photo because the receipt did not show the names of her chosen president and vice president.
But according to Consulate officials, the receipt just got crinkled on top so the names overlapped. Taking a photo of the receipt is, indeed, a violation of Comelec rules.
After some explaining by Consulate officials in the presence of media representatives and poll watchers, the voter eventually calmed down.
However, a video of her being interviewed by Duterte supporters about the alleged cheating circulated on social media.
On April 27, another voter roused members of the Special Board of Election Inspectors in Room 603 when she raised a howl over why the names printed on her tear-off ballot receipt were not those of the candidates that she had marked on her ballot.
Vallespin rushed to the room when the issue was relayed to him.
“We told the voter that looked impossible, but we asked her to file a complaint so that we would send it to the Comelec,” Vallespin told The SUN.
He said the voter declined to fill out a pro forma affidavit stating her complaint.
Vallespin said SBEIs were supplied the affidavit forms so that voters who complain about what they perceive as cheating in the precincts can file a formal complaint that would be investigated by the Comelec.
“It seems some people are seeing mirages,” a puzzled Vallespin said of some voters’ claims about mismatched ballots and receipt printouts. “I can’t still make out how such things happen.”
He said he was doing a report to the Comelec about the various voter complaints relating to the vote counting machines installed in the polling precincts.
So far, he added, only one voter has filed an affidavit (on April 26), complaining that her receipt showed more than the 10 senatorial candidates she had picked.

Another incident noted by poll watchers on April 25, was when a voter was mistakenly given two ballots, because these that were stuck together.
When a poll watcher said the ballots could not be inserted into the vote counting machine, the SBEI (special board of election inspectors) marked the ballots as spoiled.
But according to Vallespin, the voter was made to choose which of the two ballots she wanted to insert into the machine: the first where her choices for president, vice president and senators were marked, or the second with her partylist vote.
The voter chose the first.
More drama ensued on Apr 23 when a woman claiming to be a resident reportedly blew her top upon learning that she could not vote because her name had been deactivated by Comelec.
According to a Facebook post by Consul Charles Macaspac, the woman failed to vote in the past three overseas elections.
Comelec has deactivated voters who failed to cast their ballots in at least two successive elections.
“We were not informed! You should have texted us, trabaho niyo yan! Ang hirap sa inyo, OFW lang inaasikaso niyo! OFW lang sila, residente kami!” the woman reportedly shouted.
That led Macaspac to step in and tell her she should have read the reports in community newspapers and watched Philippine television. The woman retorted by saying she only read the SCMP and watched ABS-CBN.
Macaspac’s post about the irate voter drew the ire of many Filipinos, who were particularly incensed by the woman’s arrogant assertion that she, as a resident, had better rights than an OFW.
Obviously miffed himself, Macaspac closed his post with the statement: “Isang boto po para sa bawat isang rehistradong Filipino. Walang residente, walang OFW, lahat Filipino.”
Other residents, however, has other problems.
In the case of old timer Carmencita D. Han, her trip to Kennedy Town would have been wasted after taking a circuitous two-hour trip by bus, train and taxi from her home in Tsz Wan Shan, and then taking 15 minutes to limp her way up to the secretariat because of her arthritic legs.
The reason: she had used a name when she registered and another when she went to the  information desk. Her name on her Hong Kong ID did not appear in the list of voters. But before thing went out of hand, she remembered that she brought her passport which bore the name she had used to register.
“I registered as Carmencita D. Bautista, but I remarried about six years after my husband died in 1995,” she said. She then married a Korean trader surnamed Han, and when she got a new HK ID card, she used his surname.
She said she last went to the polls in 2010, when she voted for incumbent President, Benigno S. Aquino III.
What encouraged her to travel all the way from Tsz Wan Shan to vote? She said she wanted her candidate to win and even placed a bet on him.She is hoping the government will give farmers more help, provide children better education, and the country is rid of rape, drugs, and killings.
“Kung sino’ng gusto natin, yung nakikita nating may ginagagawa para sa bayan,” Aling Carmen said.
After checking with the Commission on Elections which gave the all-clear, Consulate staff helped Aling Carmen secure a ballot and feed it into the vote-counting machine.
Aling Carmen came to Hong Kong in the 1960s with her first husband, Ruben, a musician. Their children who were all born and raised in Hong Kong, are now grown-ups with families of their own and have adopted different nationalities.
Still, the list of people unable to vote because their names were not in the list furnished by the Commission on Elections, is growing.
As of 3pm of April 25, 34 voters had found to their dismay that their registration had been deactivated because they failed to vote twice consecutively in previous elections.
Another 80 who registered last year were not on the list.
Those whose names were deactivated did not stand a chance, but those who had been mistakenly left out of the list were made to wait while the secretariat texted Comelec to try to get them cleared to vote.
Those who had been inadvertently dropped from the official list were able to vote after Comelec gave the Consulate the go signal through an exchange of viber messages.
One voter from Sai Kung who listed up in the voter registration at the Consulate last year, was disappointed when her name was missing from the Comelec voters list.
“They told me to come back and bring my registration slip so I could vote,” she said.
Another woman, Arlyn Panes from Mid-Levels, said she had registered several years ago and was surprised not to find her name on the list.
When asked if she voted in the past two national elections, she said no. She said she was not aware of the Comelec deactivating nearly 14,000 Hong Kong-based voters from the list for failure to exercise their rights.
If there are fears officials harbor about the election, it is that turnout would be lower than their target of 45 to 50 per cent.
Their fears were heightened on Apr 25, a Monday, when only 334 voters turned up—one of the lowest turnout so far.
But this could be explained by the fact that work must have kept most Filipino voters from trooping to the voting center.
Measures have been adopted to raise turnout, including providing buses to offer free rides to those who live in farflung areas to come to Bayanihan Center to vote. The buses were paid for by private companies and non-government groups who joined the campaign to convince voters to exercise their right.
Outside the voting center, in the bus terminal where the buses unload the voters, campaigners from all sides formed a gauntlet through which voters had to go through.
This was formally deemed legal after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on April 20 lifting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ban on campaigning. The ban is set out in Republic Act 9189 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act which prohibits campaigning abroad during the 30-day overseas voting period.
The high court allowed campaigning abroad except in Philippine embassies and consulates, as well as other premises where voting takes place.
The TRO was obtained by Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis, who said the prohibition on campaigning overseas violates the right to assembly and freedom of expression.

Pinay jailed 16 months for drugs

A former domestic worker who had pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession was sentenced on Apr 27 by a High Court judge to 16 months in prison.
Veronica Baylon, 45, was also originally charged with breaching her condition of stay for overstaying since May 2010. She pleaded guilty to that charge in an earlier hearing and was given a three-month sentence to run concurrently with the new sentence.
Before the sentencing, Baylon’s counsel told Judge Joseph Yau that he had received a report from the police indicating the drug seized from her during a raid in a North Point hotel room in May 2015 was for her own use to relieve her asthma. During that raid,  the officers also found out that she had a baby.
The report also said the rest of the methamphetamine hydrochloride or “ice” and equipment that police found in the hotel room belonged to her boyfriend, Aziz Khan, a drug abuser who introduced her to drugs in 2013.
In mitigation, the defense lawyer sought leniency for Baylon, who he said finished six contracts as a domestic helper in Hong Kong before her last contract was terminated and she was forced to overstay her visa.
The lawyer said his client was very remorseful and had learned a bitter lesson.
Yau noted Baylon’s claim that she used ice to treat her asthma. He also said she had two previous convictions including one for breach of condition of stay.  
Baylon, a commerce graduate, came to Hong Kong to support her three children who were reportedly neglected by their father. But while in Hong Kong she got pregnant by a boyfriend, then after she gave birth she cohabited with another man.
Yau said that since Baylon had been in custody for about a year, she could be released soon. – Vir B. Lumicao

DH jailed for indecent assault on ward

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 45-year-old Filipina domestic helper was sentenced on Apr 21, to a total of 4 years and six months in jail for indecently assaulting her young male ward more than three years ago.
The sentencing of the self-confessed lesbian, SRM, came more than a month after her conviction on Mar 4 for three counts of indecent assault committed against the boy, then 8 years old, between July 1, 2011 and Aug 31, 2013.
In sentencing, District Court Judge Johnny Chan said: “The defendant has done much damage to the boy. The defendant’s duty was to take care of the victim when his parents were away, but she flagrantly breached that duty and assaulted the boy.”
He said the boy would need a long time to recover and would have to be undergo therapy. The impact report presented to the court cited the child victim’s “recurrent nightmares” and “crying in the middle of the night” following the assaults.
But earlier, another report submitted by a clinical psychologist said he interviewed the boy three times before the trial and found him “calm and settled”.
Because of the apparent discrepancy in the two reports, defense lawyer John Hemmings advised the defendant to immediately ask for legal aid so they could appeal her case. –

X-rated na kahihiyan

Sobrang kahihiyan ang inabot ni Rose matapos ikalat sa Facebook ang malaswa niyang larawan ng umano’y naging boyfriend niya sa Hong Kong ng tatlong taon na. Nakikipagkalas na kasi siya sa boyfriend dahil may asawa silang pareho pero hindi pumayag ang lalaki kaya blinock ito ni Rose sa Facebook. Nagalit ang lalaki at ipinost ang mga litrato ni Rose na malaswa. Hindi ba nakunteno ang lalaki ay hiningan nito ng pera si Rose, at ang banta ay kapag hindi siya nagbigay ay patuloy nitong ipapakalat ang mga masagwang litrato. Nakapagbigay na ng medyo malaking halaga si Rose nang malaman niyang  nakita na ng mga kababayan niya ang mga litrato niya dahil dumaan ang mga ito sa kanilang news feed. Hindi pa sana niya alam na kumalat na ang kanyang larawan kung hindi sinabi ng kanyang kababata na narito din sa Hong Kong. Pati ang asawa ni Rose na nasa Pilipinas ay alam na din. Mabuti na lang at hindi siya hiniwalayan nito, at pumayag na lumipat na lang sila ng bahay para makaiwas sa kahihiyan. Sising sisi si Rose sa ginawa niya pero huli na ang lahat. Sa tulong ng isang kaibigan ay nag-report na lang siya sa Konsulado, at nagpatulong para makasuhan ang dating kasintahan dahil sa pagba blackmail nito at paninirang puti sa kanya. Nagpaabot naman ng babala ang Konsulado na iwasan ng kahit na sinong Pilipino, babae man o lalaki, na huwag maghubad sa harapan ng camera kapag nakikipagvideo call at huwag na huwag ding magpapadala ng malaswang litrato.
Si Rose ay mula sa dakong norte sa Pilipinas, may asawa at mga anak. – Marites Palma

Playboy ang peg ng asawa

Halos anim na taon nang hindi nagpapang-abot sa Pilipinas sina Ems at ang kanyang kabiyak dahil pareho silang OFW. Narito sa Hong Kong si Ems at nasa Middle East naman ang asawa. Puro sa telepono na lang sila nag-uusap at sa Facebook. Minsan ay humingi ang kanyang asawa ng sulat na imbitasyon para makapunta ito sa Hong Kong, pero laking gulat ni Ems dahil nakita niya sa Facebook na may kasamang ibang babae ang asawa sa pamamasyal nito dito. Noon lang naisip ni Ems na ang babae pala nito ang dinalaw ng kanyang asawa at hindi siya. Sumama lalo ang loob ni Ems dahil nakuha pang ipagyabang sa Facebook nung babae ang mga larawan nila na parang siya ang tunay na asawa ng lalaki. Walang magawa si Ems kundi manahimik dahil alam naman niya na kanya na sadyang babaero ang asawa. Hindi lang iisa ang babae nito kundi marami sila, at nakikilala pa mandin ni Ems sa Facebook dahil ipinapakilala naman siya ng mister niya bilang asawa nito. Pero hindi pa rin alintana ng mga babae nito ang estado ng lalaki, bagkus ay nag-aaway pa nga ang mga ito sa kanilang lugar. Ang hindi lang matanggap ni Ems ay ang paggamit ng mga babae sa kanyang Facebook account para awayin siya at pati ang mga anak nila ng mga dalagita at binatilyo na. Alam niyang pati ang mga ito ay nasasaktan sa pinaggagawa ng ama. Nitong huling buwan ay umuwi sa Pilipinas ang mister niya dahil nagtapos ang isang anak nila, at nabalitaan niya na umuwi din sa Pilipinas ang babaeng dinalaw nito noon sa Hong Kong. Nalaman ni Ems na nagkasabay ang uwi ng dalawa kaya malamang daw ay nagtagpo muna sa Maynila ang dalawa bago sila umuwi sa probinsya. Sa iisang bayan sila nanggaling kaya nalalaman lahat ni Ems ang bawat galaw nila. Natuto na lang siya na magkibit-balikat dahil nasanay na daw siya sa kalokohan ng lalaki. Sinubukan na niyang makipaghiwalay sa asawa ngunit hindi ito pumayag, sampu ng mga magulang nito. Sa kabila kasi ng pambabae ng kanyang asawa ay hindi nito kinakalimutan ang kanyang responsibilidad bilang ama sa kanyang mga anak. Patuloy ang pagsuporta nito sa mga anak, at pinaganda pa lalo ang kanilang bahay. Katwiran na lang ni Ems, nagpapasalamat na lang siya dahil hindi sila iniwan ng kanyang asawa, di katulad ng iba na kapag nambabae ay kinakalimutan na ang pagiging asawa at ama sa mga anak. Si Ems ay 43 taong gulang at tubong Cagayan Valley. – Marites Palma

Malungkot na balita

Mangiyak-ngiyak si Norma sa balitang hatid ng kanyang amo. Hindi niya inaasahan na sa pagtatapos ng kanyang kontrata ay sasabihan siyang kailangan niyang humanap ng bagong amo. Na promote daw kasi ang kanyang amo at kailangan na nilang lumipat sa ibang bansa kung saan ito made-destino. Laking gulat ni Norma dahil ito pala ang dahilan kung bakit tila aligaga ang mag-asawang amo niya kamakailan, at tila nagsesenyasan. Maya-maya ay lumabas ang kanyang among lalaki dala ang kanilang kontrata, at naisip ni Norma na malamang na pipirma na sila ng para sa pangatlong kontrata nila. Kampante kasi siyang hindi siya papalitan ng mga ito dahil maayos ang kanilang samahan. Dahil sa balitang natanggap ay natulala si Norma, lalo at sinabi sa kanya ng mga amo dati na wala silang balak na umalis sa Hong Kong hanggang lumaki ang kanilang anak. Ngayon ay namomoroblema si Norma dahil sa July na ang tapos ng kontrata nila, at ito rin ang takdang pag alis ng kanyang mga amo. Baka raw kasi magahol siya sa panahon para maghanap ng bagong amo. Gayunpaman, nag-umpisa na rin siyang humanap ng malilipatan. –Jo Campos

Ubos biyaya kaya walang naipon

Tuwing uuwi si Irma sa Pilipinas para magbakasyon ay halos isang taon niya itong pinaghahandaan. Mahilig kasi siyang magplano ng mga lakad, at talaga namang hindi mabubuo ang kanyang bakasyon kapag walang outing ang kanyang pamilya. Sa pinakahuli niyang pagbabakasyon ay sa Boracay niya napiling isama ang asawa at mga anak. Bukod pa dito ang kanilang shopping kahit may isang kahon ng pasalubong na siyang ipinadala. Laging bukambibig niya sa mga kaibigan na bakasyon grande siya kapag umuuwi. Bago ang takdang uwi ay lagi siyang namimili ng pasalubong kada day-off at unti-unti niyang iniipon ang mga ito para ilagay sa dalawang door-to-door boxes na ipapadala niya, Ilang buwan pa bago siya tumulak pauwi ay puno ng ang dalawang kahon, kaya kinailangan pa niyang magbayad para sa excess baggage sa eroplano. Tumanggi na rin siyang bitbitin ang mga padala ng kababayan. Para masigurong bongga ang kanyang pag-uwi ay nangutang pa si Irma sa isang ahensiya ng pautangan. Hindi bale na raw ang pagbabayad pagkatapos, ang mahalaga ay masaya at bongga ang bakasyon niya. Hindi niya alintana ang payo ng mga kaibigan na hindi ito praktikal dahil malaki ang mababawas sa kanyang kita buwan-buwan para mabayaran ang utang. Matapos ang isang buwan na bonggang bakasyon ay balik Hong Kong na ulit si Irma, at ngayon lang niya napilitang harapin ang katotohanan. Sa dami ng utang niya, halos wala nang natitira sa suweldo niya para ipadala sa pamilya. Gayunpaman, hindi daw niya magawang talikuran ang nakasanayan dahil lagi na itong inaasahan ng kanyang pamilya.
Nakakalungkot lang na sa anim na taong pagtatrabaho niya sa Hong Kong ay wala siyang naipon, bagkus ay baon pa sa utang.– Jo Campos

Dream come true

Naging idolo ni Jelly sina Sir Chief o Richard Yap at Judy Sta. Maria mula nang masubaybayan niya ang pagganap nila sa telerseryeng “Be Careful with My Heart”. Sa pamamagitan ng FB group ay patuloy pa rin ang ugnayan ng mga fan na katulad ni Jelly kahit matagal nang natapos ang nasabing teleserye. Ito ang nagsisilbing mata at boses ng katulad niyang tagahanga para malaman kung ano ang kasalukuyang pinagkakaabalahan ng kanilang idolo. Kamakailan ay umuwi sa Maynila si Jelly upang magpa-medical check-up. Nagkataong nakatanggap ang kanilang grupo ng paanyaya bilang studio audience dahil magiging panauhin si Sir Chief sa programang “Tonight with Boy Abunda”. Hindi pinalampas ni Jelly ang pagkakataon na makita ng personal ang kanyang idolo kaya kahit hindi niya kabisado ang pasikot-sikot sa Maynila ay lakas-loob siyang pumunta. Balak niyang sumakay ng taxi pero sobrang haba ng pila kaya napilitan siyang makipaggitgitan sa loob ng MRT. Pagdating sa studio ay napawi ang lahat ng pagod niya nang kawayan siya ng kanyang idolo habang inaayusan bago sumalang sa set, at nagkaroon din siya ng tsansa na magpa-picture kasama si Sir Chief. Halos hatinggabi na siya nakauwi at kahit hindi naghapunan ay hindi siya nakaramdam ng gutom. Tama na sa kanya na matupad ang kanyang pangarap; ang makita si Sir Chief at maging studio audience. Si Jelly, 39, ay 16 na taon na dito sa HK.---Gina N. Ordona    

Prison inmate earns degree

Graduation. Mario delos Reyes, Stanley Prison inmate No. 115203, is flanked by Consul General Bernie Catalla and Fr. Rodolfo Jacobe at the Certificate Presentation Ceremony 2015 on Jan 6. Delos Reyes, who is serving a life sentence for murder, was awarded a certificate for finishing a Master's degree in Business English. Three other Filipinos jailed for life in Stanley for trafficking in dangerous drugs also received certificates in Business English, according to Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr., (left), ATN officer who has been visiting the four regularly.

Sol Pillas given last rites

Militant groups gave Sol Pillas, secretary general of Migrante International, a final send-off at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral in Ermita, Manila, on April 26
Sol died after being comatose for seven months as a result of a stroke she suffered while attending a congressional hearing at the Batasang Pambansa in September last year.
The hearing was about the case of Maryjane Veloso, who had been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking,  and proposals of the Bureau of Customs to open door-to-door boxes arrivihhng in the Philippines to search for smuggled goods.
She died last April 21.
“We grieve with her family, friends and Filipino migrant workers all over the world who she served until her last breath,” Migrante Interna-tional said.
Sol spent 25 years in Hong Kong as an OFW, and became one of Migrante’s leaders.

Migrante leaders led by Migrante Partylist No. 3 candidate Caridad Bachiller (4th from left) bid farewell to Migrante International secretary general Sol Pillas.

SUN fan in Stanley asks for copy

Kumusta po kayo? It has been a long time since I had gotten in touch dahil bihira na kaming makabasa ng The SUN kung hindi magdala ang mga taga Konsulado. This has something to do with the ever-changing policy here in jail.
Before I go further, let me express my gratitude for the song that Kuya Nicky (Flores) sang which you dedicated to me, during their annual visit for our Christmas entertainment here in prison. I shed tears of gratitude because you remembered me on this festive occasion.
It has been six years since the authorities here banned community newspapers, except for The SUN. However, for the past couple of years, minsan hindi pinapayagan ang The SUN na mai-hand in at kung minsan ay pinapayagan, depending on who is in the visit reception centre siguro. Kaya yung ibang dumadalaw sa amin ay kung minsan nagsasawa na sa pagdala dahil kalimitan ay ayaw tanggapin.
I am always arguing with the guards to please accept it. Sometimes I can persuade them and sometimes, it leads to bitter exchange of words. I always ask the Consulate staff to bring one during their quarterly visit pero minsan ay nakakalimutan nila.
Ang huli ko pang nabasa na issue ay iyong December na punong-puno ng mga balita sa nangyayari, kabilang ng tungkol sa laglag bala sa airport, sa mga politico at iba pang balita.
I really missed the many reports, including those on the OFWs who get into trouble with the law. Anyway, isang taon pa siguro muna bago ako makalabas and by that time, I will not miss a single issue.
Enclosed is my write-up on the recent visit by the acting justice secretary. Ma’am, please kindly mail me a copy if this article is printed para siguradong matanggap ko. Kasi pag sa mail ay hindi sila makatanggi na hindi ibigay sa amin.
Till here and may The SUN’s popularity continue to soar until it becomes a weekly. God bless po.
Mario de los Reyes
Stanley Prison
(We have promised to mail Mr. Mario de los Reyes every issue of The SUN so he will never miss reading it again.
– Ed)

Section Juan clarifies role in ‘Heneral Luna’
I am writing to clarify what had been inaccurately reported in the film review “A Look at Heneral Luna” which was published in the Balitang Artista section of The Sun’s April 2016 main edition. In the closing paragraph, the article stated: “The University of the Philippines Alumni Association Hong Kong chapter organised a screening of ‘Heneral Luna’ at the Consulate on March 5 and 6.”
While we appreciate the eloquence of the article, it is important for the general public to know that the screening at the Philippine Consulate on March 6 was organized by Section Juan, and not UPAA-HK, which was held a day prior.
Jan Yumul
President and Founder
Section Juan
(We regret the inadvertence – Ed)

Queen bowler Bong Coo inspires FBC charity event

FBC members pose with world bowling champion Bong Coo and Labor Attache Jolly dela Torre at the charity tournament of the group on April 24 at Dragon Bowling in Oi Man Plaza, Ho Man Tin.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Pin Bombers downed 2794 pins to top Class A event in the Filipino Bowling Club of Hong Kong’s 5th Charity Tournament on Apr 24 graced by Filipina four-time World Champion Olivia “Bong” Coo.
The tournament at the Dragon Bowling in Oi Man Plaza in Ho Man Tin was preceded by a seminar on tenpin bowling conducted at Football Club on Apr 23 by Coo, regarded as the queen of Asian Bowling.

Bong Coo holds
a bowling clinic.

Individual honors went to Miko Cabazor, who won the men’s high series with a score of 658 pinfalls, while the women’s high series was dominated by Emy Clarke took the women’s high series title by downing 521 pins.
FBC founder and chairwoman Jenny Gafate, an OFW and champion bowler herself, told The SUN the tournament was held to support the scholarship program of Wimler Foundation Philippines, which will send two poor but bright students to high school this year.
“FBC has been organizing the charity tournament for the past five years and have supported several students,” Gafate said.“In FBC, we always say we don’t play bowling for the scores, but we play bowling for a cause.”
In individual games, Cabazor scuttled 658 pins to hold off No 2 Ming Wong, who dropped 617 pins, and surging above the rest of the pack.
Joining them in the Top 3 was Benray Francisco, who racked up a score of 598 pinfalls.
Clarke, the current FBC president, trumped her closest rival, Racquel Salas, who settled for 482 pinfalls. Iris Cheung came in third with 469 pinfalls.
In team competition, The Warriors toppled 1892 pins to lead Class B after a duel with Wimler, which scored 1705.
Gafate was visibly absent from the lanes because she was running the tournament as its organizer. “No one could do the task of handling the event,” she said.
She distributed trophies and medals to the participants, and attended to Coo, who, Gafate said, is coming back this year for another clinic.
Gafate said the clinic participants had learned a lot from Coo, as FBC prepares itself for its participation in the Melbourne Australia Bowling Tournament on Nov 19-20.

Migrant workers’ groups formulate OFW agenda

Migrant workers groups have compiled an agenda for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to serve as guide for voters and candidates in the upcoming elections, and for the next set of government leaders.
The Center for Migrant Advocacy-Philippines (CMA) and the Working Group on Migration of the Political Science Department of Ateneo de Manila University (WGM) put together four thematic agenda that correspond to the abbreviation OFWS for easy reference or recall.
These are: Onsite foreign service posts (related to issues of governance), Families, too (social costs of migration), Workers’ Rights (promotion of workers’ rights as human rights), and Sustainable jobs (job creation, with the end view of eliminating forced migration).
Each theme represents a desired improvement in institutional arrangements and carries with it a situationer and rationale and desired improvements and specific proposals. The agendas are written in narrative form to send the message that platforms should not be just a listing of must-haves, rather, a set of interrelated proposals that clarify the reforms that need to be established and the means by which these reforms can be achieved, according to the agenda briefer.
Organizers said the agenda was largely based on the 10-point migrant agenda of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) developed in 2013 and the proceedings of the 2012 Roundtable discussions on "Migration and Development" organized jointly by CMA, Ateneo WGM and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Philippines.
Among the proposals under the first agenda is an increase in the budget for foreign service posts for the deployment of more personnel and provision of more assistance to OFWs on site.
It was noted that government saved P100 – P150 million in 2012 when it closed 10 foreign service posts but it meant higher personal costs for OFWs who had to travel farther to seek government assistance.
It said the proposal to establish a Department on Migration and Development separate from the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) must be studied carefully and consulted with all stakeholders.
“While at first glance such a national government body is needed as it will consolidate all migrant-related services, there are a number of problems that could arise from its establishment. A separate Department could send the wrong message to the public that migration-for-work is to be promoted further as its establishment signals a level of "permanence," the agenda briefer said.
The proposal can also displace government employees in existing migration-related agencies. “In other words, caution should be taken in establishing a new department at could create new problems rather than solve existing ones,” it said.

Tanim na galit

Hindi pa natatapos ang botohan ay mayroon na kaming nakikitang resulta. Hindi ito resulta ng balota, na sa Mayo 9 pa bibilangin, kundi resulta ng botohang ito sa mga magkakaibigan. Ayon sa mga nakausap na namin, naging karaniwan na ang pagka-kaibigan sa Hong Kong na nasira ng away-pulitika.
Hindi natin masisisi ang mga nanlamig o nagtanim ng galit sa isa’t isa. Marami kasi sa kanilang mga dating kaibigan ang bigla na lang naging palaban kung hindi sila makumbinsi na si ganitong kandidato ang kanilang iboto. Ang mga dating palabati ay naging masungit. Ang mga dating magkakampi ay naging magkalaban.
Karaniwan na sa mga magkakaibigan ang asaran, kantiyawan at iba pa. May nag-aaway din pero nagbabalik-bati naman. Kung ganito ang pagkakaibigan nila, bakit sa panahon ng halalalang ito ay naging mas malalim ang sugat na kanilang iniwan? Dahil ba hindi na naging pabiro ang mga asaran, kundi insulto na? Dahil ba mas masasakit ang mga salitang binitawan sa isa’t isa?
Ewan kung saan galing ang ugaling ito. Ito ba ay turo sa kanila ng kanilang lider? Ito ba ay kailangan nilang ipakita upang matanggap sila sa kanilang grupo? O ito ba ay talaga lang nakabaon na sa kultura nating mga Pilipino?
Hindi kasi natin maitatanggi na sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, pulitika ang naging sanhi ng maraming maiinit na bakbakan hindi lang ng pananalita kundi ng mga armas. Libo libo na ang namatay dahil lang sa away-pulitika. Karamihan, maliliit na tao ang biktima. Pero mayroon ding mga naging biktima ng mga sakim sa kapangyarihan, at kilala natin bilang bayani, gaya ni Andres Bonifacio at Heneral Luna.
Sa paglipas ng panahon, ang pinagbuwisan nila ng buhay ay nakakalimutan ng sumunod na mga henerasyon, lalo na ng mga madaling nasilaw sa mga magagandang salita, pangako, slogan, at pabida ng mga kandidato.
Ang masakit nito, mahirap nang  maibalik  ang mga relasyong asira ng  away-halalan. At ang mas masakit pa, ni hindi alam ng ating mga ipinaglaban noon ang ating pinagdaanan.
Kesehodang ngumawa ka ngayon—hindi ka maririnig ng mga gumamit sa iyo bilang hagdan tungo sa kani-kanilang ambisyon.

Cultural savings

Is being disposed to save and being entrepreneurial generally not inherent among Filipinos as a people compared to say, the Chinese? Or does the acumen for business have nothing to do with race or location?
I believe it is more an “environmental” issue when comparing which types of people are more entrepreneurial.  While some children are born extroverts and with stronger personalities, those who are introverts and shy can still be strongly influenced by what they observe and experience during their childhood.  I think more Filipinos are starting to be entrepreneurial.
Education is a very big factor. Going to other countries for further education has opened the eyes of would-be entrepreneurs on what can be available.  It has given them more self-esteem and ability to see things from a different perspective.
Being under the Spaniards and the Americans didn’t help us to develop a more inquisitive mind and the desire to take risks which are characteristics of an entrepreneur.  Most were happy to be followers and employees of the rich Spaniards and American companies.  The more inquisitive and courageous Filipinos took advantage of their connections to put up their own empires.
In general, those who developed their business acumen through western ways, also learn to spend in western ways.  The development of credit cards came from the west.  It taught all of us the culture of “self-gratification.” We can enjoy life even if we have not yet earned the money.  We have the “Pay Later Plans.”
In the case of the Chinese “behavior”, in general, they don’t change lifestyle even as they increase their income.  At least the Chinese patriarchs and matriarchs behave this way.  It may be different for their western-educated children and grandchildren.
The Chinese know because they see and experience how small money having high velocity (meaning more money contributors and used more often) is better than big money, which comes uncertainly from time to unpredictable time.
Then again, we have the likes of Warren Buffet who is one of the richest men in the world and who certainly has the capability to earn so much more billions in the future because of his business acumen.  It is reported that until now Warren Buffet lives in his original bungalow house, drives an ordinary car and does not have drivers or bodyguards.  We may not agree with his style but we have to agree that he is indeed a special man of principle.  He is happy with what he has and is the best example of the saying “The richest man in the world is not the one who has most but is the one who needs the least.”  He already is in the category of those having the most and he still needs the least!  He is indeed the richest man ever.
Francisco J. Colayco is an entrepreneur, a venture developer and financial advisor.  He is the founder of Colayco Financial Education and the Kapatiran sa Kasaganaan Service and Multipurpose Cooperative which have developed businesses in Banking and Finance, Real Estate, Food, Agriculture and others.  He is the Author of Seven Bestsellers in the Pera Palaguin Series, the latest of which is now available in bookstores:  “Wealth Reached. Money Worked. Pera Mo, Pinalago Mo!”
Find his works and catch him on TV and radio.  Check out: www.colaycofinancialeducation.com, www.franciscocolayco.com, www.kskcoop.com, FaceBook and Instagram.

Bias

It’s a word that keeps popping up on social media nowadays. Often, it is wrongly used – as an adjective, instead of as a noun – but more annoying is how it has been tagged to just about any person, group or media entity that does not heap praises on Rody Duterte.
In fact, all one has to do sometimes is to give attention to a rival candidate, before being  besieged by a horde of cyber bullies.
We experienced this ourselves recently, when we posted a collection of pictures from the Hong Kong visit by Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo. As we did not have our own photographers we thought of gathering remarkable pictures of the visit from various individuals. We posted them as an album on our Facebook page overnight, and the very next day, found ourselves the target of so many haters and bashers, many of whom used the vilest language possible.
“Bias”, bayaran were just some of the words dumped on us, along with a lot of cursing and even threats.
The few sensible ones we tried to engage, often with not much success, but the vile ones we just deleted or blocked. After the initial shock, we decided we would not let ourselves be bullied and intimidated on our own wall. Definitely, not by people who could not even figure out the difference between “bias” and “biased”.
At first, it stung to be called “bayaran” when in all of the 20 years that we have been in business no one dared ascribe this to us, as the community we serve know that we have never kowtowed to anyone, no matter how powerful or rich they may be.
But a quick check on the comments pages of other media entities showed it was nothing extraordinary. Every single article that did not put Duterte in the best light possible provoked the same angry response from netizens, many of whom are hiding behind assumed names or are trolls that are unleashed to attack perceived enemies.
Lost in all these was the fact that we were the only community newspaper to have published in two successive issues, an exclusive and unexpurgated interview, curses and all, with Duterte. We had actually sought the interview sometime in December, upon hearing that he and his running mate Alan Cayetano were in town to attend a fund-raising event attended by some rich local Chinese.
Also in December, our staff chanced upon Grace Poe wandering about Chater Road, and again got an exclusive interview.
In March, a known supporter of Roxas and Robredo flew into town to campaign, and we again covered the visit. The article that came out of that sortie did not reflect well on Roxas, but we decided to print it anyway.
Curiously, not one of these articles resulted in the swift and rabid pounding we got from posting mere pictures of the Roxas and Robredo visit.
The only chance we had of actually writing an article on the administration candidates was early this month, when Filipinos in Hong Kong got the rare privilege of having two prominent politicians come over to mingle with, and listen to them. The occasion was so news worthy that the two biggest English language publications in Hong Kong sent reporters to trail them around.
No journalist worth his or her salt would have missed such a rare chance for a write-up, but Duterte’s supporters were just concerned about one thing: that we did not give the same focus on a girly group that came on the same day in support of their candidate.
To set the record straight, a senior member of our team went and tried to cover the girly show and ask for an interview with the organizers, but was rebuffed, and escorted out of the venue.
Again, no self-respecting journalist who got that kind of a treatment should insist on writing an article, especially on an event so insignificant, so we decided to drop it.
But to this very day, we get pilloried by people whipped into angered frenzy by those who want to bring us down because we dared to stand up against their bullying and intimidation.
If at all, the scare tactics made us realize we should stick to what we have always believed in, that is, to speak up and even take sides when need be.
We will not be cowed.