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Reds ‘guardedly’ positive on peace talks

Fidel V. Agcaoili (third from left) and wife Chit are joined in a meeting with Unifil-Migrante’s Eman Villanueva (left) and Dolores Balladares-Pelaez (right).

By Vir B. Lumicao

Communist rebels are “guardedly optimistic” that the long-stalled peace process will be completed when negotiations with the Philippine government are resumed during the term of incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The President-elect met twice last month in Davao City with Fidel V. Agcaoili, member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines’ negotiating panel, to discuss the possible resumption of the peace talks.
“We are guardedly optimistic because in our view, Duterte has a track record of relating with the revolutionary movement,” Agcaoili said in an interview with The SUN on May 31 during a brief visit to Hong Kong with his wife Chit.
First, he cited the times during the administrations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III when the Davao City mayor had received prisoners of war freed by the New People’s Army.
“Secondly, he said he was pro-Left or a socialist, thus he is for social justice, so we could see good results,” Agcaoili said.
The two sides signed The Hague Joint Declaration in 1992, in which they agreed to tackle substantive agendas including human rights and international humanitarian law, socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, end of hostilities and disposition of forces.
“We have so far achieved the first item, the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Previously, we had the The Hague Joint Declaration. Then we signed the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees,” he said.
“When President Duterte comes in, hopefully an agreement on social and economic reforms will be concluded so that we will be able to move on to a government of national unity, peace and development,” Agcaoili said.
Even as the couple flew to Hong Kong, Duterte told media he was sending his emissaries Jesus Dureza and Silvestre Bello III to Norway to hold preliminary talks with Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison.
No date has been set for the Oslo meeting, but Agcaoili said it could come shortly after Duterte had taken over the presidency from Aquino. “When he (Duterte) has assumed office, then we can start talking,” Agcaoili said.
“In our meeting last Tuesday (May 23), he told me the discussions would be about the reaffirmation of the previously signed agreements, releases of political prisoners, mutual ceasefire and how to accelerate the peace negotiations so that hopefully during his term the negotiations would be completed,” Agcaoili said.
Norway has been the host of the peace talks initiated by President Cory Aquino after the 1986 EDSA Revolt. But the process had been sidelined following the incident in Mendiola on Jan 22, 1987, when farmers marching for land reform were met with police fire on the bridge to Malacañang Palace. Thirteen were killed and scores wounded.
Agcaoili said the Left will be reminding Duterte about his promises to end contractualization of jobs, return the lumads (indigenous people of Mindanao) to their villages, and order the military and their paramilitary allies back to barracks.
“So, we are encouraging Duterte in his pro-poor, pro-people initiatives, and of course criticize him on any anti-poor, anti-people  actions so that he would be encouraged to carry out reforms,” Agcaoili said.
He also welcomed Duterte’s offer to give four cabinet posts to leftist leaders. Agcaoili said he personally delivered the names of the four nominees to Duterte during their second meeting in Davao City.
Two of them were eventually appointed by Duterte to his cabinet. They were former Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano as his agrarian reform secretary and University of the Philippines professor and martial law victim Judy Taguiwalo as head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
He said initially the NDFP panel would comprise Sison and his wife Julie de Lima, Luis Jalandoni and his wife Coni Ledesma, Agcaoili, Nonoy Calima and, hopefully, Alan Jazmines, “if he gets released before the talks”.
The government panel would consist of Dureza, Bello, Braganza, Rene Sarmiento, and Sedfrey Candelaria.

Fate A scores revenge win over TB

By Emz Frial

All-Filipina softball team Fate A turned back an early lead by TB to beat the local rivals 12-9 in a Hong Kong Softball Association women’s league match at Tin Kwong Field on May 29.
The victory avenged Fate’s controversial loss to the same team on Apr 17 in the annual Festival of Sports, a yearly knockout event for all Hong Kong softball teams. The Pinays had blamed alleged biased calls by the umpires for the defeat.
So, when both teams met again on May 29, Fate was all psyched up to prove it could defeat its tormentor in a fair game and regain its pride.
The game started with a home run by the locals’ first batter, Ng Tsz-yan. The next three batters, Yeung Rui-yi, Tam Wing-ying and Yeung Kit-ling, also scored a run each that put TB ahead, 4-0, in the first inning.
When Fate took over the batting plate, first batter Zenny Badajos set off a scoring run that was followed by Myra Japitana and Liezel Algonez, to end the inning at 4-3.
In the second inning, Badajos switched Fate’s infielders and outfielders in a reshuffle that strengthened its defense.
TB scored two more runs via Wong Hin-ning and Ng Wing-hin, but the Filipinas responded, also with two runs, courtesy of Eunice Locop and Ma. Eva Mendez to end the inning at 6-5.
Tight defense by first baseman Japitana and second baseman Cherry Octaviano left no room for the Hong Kong sluggers to score in the third inning. TB’s three consecutive batters were caught on the first base by passes from Octaviano to Japitana.
At Fate's turn to bat, TB changed its pitcher in a move that threw the team off balance and gave the Filipinas a scoring chance.
An error by the new pitcher adjusting to the position gave Sherlyn Gamata a free walk to first base. Another pitching error gave Fate a second free walk, prompting TB to put back its original pitcher, Ng Wing-hin.
But the switchback came too late. Fate, by then, had seized on the opportunity to score seven home runs in the third inning via Gamata, Edith Hidalgo, Octaviano, Locop,  Badajos, Japitana and Mendez. The inning closed at 12-6.
In the fourth inning, Ng Wing Hin added one run to TB’s score, while Fate was scoreless as the locals tried to fight back. The inning ended at 12-7.
TB took their last chance to catch up in the fifth inning, with batters Yeung Kit-ling and Hui Shui-ming adding two home runs.
But time was up and the umpires stopped the game with the score of 12-9, and the Fate players ran to the pitch cheering their victory.
“It was really a nice game!” exclaimed Law Wai-ho, Fate’s manager, who was very happy with the result of the match.

CARD to inject financial literacy in rural seminars for departing OFWs

About 200 graduated from various courses offered free by CARD MRI.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Starting this year, the Philippines’ biggest microfinance group, CARD MRI, will  integrate financial literacy in pre-departure orientation seminars for Filipino workers.
This was announced by CARD MRI president Julius Adrian Alip at the graduation ceremony for some 200 financial literacy and skills training graduates at the Catholic Centre Auditorium on May 29.
Alip also said those about to depart for work abroad will be signed up as members and provided with loan facility so they won’t have to borrow from loan sharks.
At the same time he invited graduates of its financial literacy program to apply for the 17,000 additional staff positions that the NGO needs for its Southeast Asian expansion in the next five years.
The graduation highlighted the fourth year of CARD MRI Foundation Hong Kong, which has already trained more than 1,200 OFWs in financial investment, debt management and livelihood skills since its founding.
Guest speaker Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre said he would push for the social and economic reintegration of professionals among the 180,000 OFWs in the SAR, while keynote speaker Vice Consul Alex Vallespin encouraged the workers to save and avoid getting mired in debt and in get-rich-quick schemes.
Alip noted with sadness a newspaper report that said domestic workers coming to Hong Kong are already buried in debt even before they arrive here.
 “If you read the whole article, it states that there are many violations of their contracts, but what struck me in the heart was a sentence that said even before they leave the Philippines they are already buried in debt,” Alip said.
“So, I was thinking, what can we do? Ano ang pwede naming gawin bago pa lang sila dumating dito para magtrabaho? How can we address the situation? Kasi sumasakay pa lang sa eroplano, may utang na. So, huli na yung financial literacy.”
He said the idea of pre-departure intervention was broached by CARD MRI Hong Kong’s first chair, Edna Aquino, when Alip was invited to join as private sector representative on a committee in the Commission for Filipinos Overseas.
He brought up the pre-departure intervention in a conference at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas about two months ago, proposing that OFWs should be given financial literacy training even before leaving the country.
Alip proposed that the government financial regulators could accredit microfinance institutions and the banking community in the rural areas as providers of pre-departure orientation seminars so that those in the provinces need not travel to Manila. He said financial literacy would be included in the PDOS.
He said CARD, through its three banks, would try to grant “reasonable loans” to those coming to Hong Kong for their air fare and other expenses “para hindi kayo baon sa utang. Gagawin na namin kayo kaagad na member para pagdating nyo rito, meron na kayong kakunekta kaagad.”
“We will be advancing this idea because it will help you a lot… I told your first chairman Edna Aquino we will start this project this year,” he said.
He said CARD MRI had been invited to Singapore and Japan to start the program in those two OFW destinations.
In the next five years, CARD would expand its operations in Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and, hopefully, in Thailand.
“Now I will be needing 17,000 additional staff within the next five years. Saan ako kukuha?  Sa inyo, at yung mga anak ng staff… because we are expanding,” Alip said.
Labatt De la Torre said OFWs’ main goal is to prepare themselves for reintegration to the Philippine society and the economy, yet, less than 10% of the businesses put up in the past by returning workers had become successful.
He said this raised worries about efforts to teach financial education without the proper preparation and management of the workers. “We need managers to lead them, otherwise they go back with nothing to do or they find the things they trained for are not any more suitable for current business realities,” he added.
He urged the graduates to strive for success in the businesses that they would put up, citing the case of a former Hong Kong domestic worker, Myrna Padilla, who has become a business icon through her successful IT business process outsourcing venture.
Vallespin, meanwhile, reiterated that the Consulate shares CARD’s program of promoting financial literacy and its goal of financial freedom for OFWs.
“Bago tayo makakauwi sa ating mga bayan sa Pilipinas ay matuto tayong mag-impok. Little steps, bit by bit…Wala po tayong ‘get rich quick’ schemes. To many overseas workers, the journey to financial freedom is long and arduous,” Vallespin said.
Expounding on “get rich quick” schemes, he warned that most of those who enroll fall for such ventures are scammed with no way of recovering their money.
More than a month after the recent Emgoldex pyramid scheme collapsed, there are still OFWs who fall prey the scam, Vallespin said.
Just before leaving for the CARD event, he said seven OFWs went to the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section to warn against a new spin-off of Emgoldex.

Saikung church honors DHs

Filipinas pose with Pastor Chris Ponniah (center, back row) and guest Pastor Terry Cheng (second from left) after the Resurrection Church's Helpers Day service.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Domestic helpers play a very important role in Hong Kong society caring for the children and elderly and tending the house while the employers are away at work, according to the pastor and worshippers at Resurrection Church in Saikung.
For their precious service, the church honored the migrant workers by holding a “Helpers Day” at its premises in Pak Sha Wan on May 29.
“This year is our third time we celebrate Helpers Day. The church was started by St. Andrews Church Kowloon to provide support and care for international and foreign workers in Saikung and Clear Water Bay,” Rev Chris Ponniah, minister in charge of Resurrection Church.
The pastor said this year’s event drew the largest attendance with more than 70 helpers joining the celebration.
Ponniah invited a group of Filipinas calling themselves “OFWs in Hong Kong” as special guests this year. He said the church would launch a broader fellowship that would include Indonesians and other nationalities, and would undertake outreach activities.
The whole-day celebration focused on the domestic workers, mostly Filipinas, who mingled with employers and their families in a two-hour church service that was followed by sharing of food specially prepared by the bosses for their helpers.
Resurrection Church celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013 with a mission “to share the love of Christ in the Saikung Clear Water Bay area through a community-style church.”
“Rev Peter Hurricks had the idea to celebrate Helpers Day three years ago. This year, I wanted to make it a big celebration so we created invitation cards and promoted (the event) widely,” said Ponniah.
“We want to make a difference in the lives of people,” said the pastor, announcing the launch of a Filipino fellowship the following Sunday, June 5, and eventually a Filipino worship.
The inspirational talk was delivered by Pastor Terry Cheng from Mindanao who gave a testimony of her conversion, while The Mission Filipino Solution comprising domestic workers provided choral singing.
Afterwards, Jessie Margo and the Fantasies presented their project in Maramag, Bukidnon – a church being built gradually with money from their fund-raising efforts.
As part of the service, two of 10 Filipinas who gave written testimonies of how Resurrection Church had changed their lives, spoke before the worshippers about the experience that brought them closer to God.

Duterte fills more posts

A sister of the controversial Tulfo brothers in the broadcast media was among three of the latest appointees of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte to his Cabinet.
Duterte announced on Monday evening, June 13, that he has chosen secretaries for the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The latest appointments were:
• Wanda Corazon Teo, a sister of Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo and radio broadcasters Erwin and Raffy, to the DOT
• Dr Paulyn Jean Rosell Ubial, an assistant health secretary, to head the DOH
• Ramon Lopez, executive director of the entrepreneurship advocacy Go Negosyo! to the DTI.
Teo is president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies. Reports aid she also owns Mt Apo Travel and Tours, named after the Philippines’ highest peak found 32 kilometers west of Davao City.
Earlier appointees to the Duterte Cabinet and bureaus:
• Salvador Medialdea - executive secretary
• Leoncio “Jun” Evasco - Cabinet secretary
• Christopher "Bong" Go - Special Assistant to the President with general supervision over Presidential Management Staff (PMS)
• Martin Andanar – secretary, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)
• Salvador Panelo - presidential spokesperson
• Leonor Briones – education secretary (DepEd)
• Benjamin Diokno – budget and management secretary (DBM)
• Perfecto Yasay Jr., former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – foreign affairs secretary (DFA)
• Arthur Tugade – transportation and communications secretary (DOTC)
• Carlos Dominguez, former agriculture secretary – secretary of finance (DOF)
• Former North Cotabato governor Emmanuel "Manny" Piñol – agriculture secretary (DA)
• Las Piñas Representative Mark Villar - public works and highways secretary (DPWH)
• Jesus Dureza – head of the Mindanao peace process
• Former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III – labor secretary (DOLE)
• Former Bureau of Immigration chief Andrea Domingo – chairperson of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)
• Michael Dino - presidential assistant for the Visayas
• Vitaliano Aguirre II – justice secretary (DOJ)
• Alfonso Cusi – energy secretary (DOE)
• Jose Calida – solicitor general (OSG)
• Ernesto Pernia – secretary general, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
• Hermogenes Esperon Jr. - national security adviser
• Mike Sueno - interior and local government secretary (DILG)
• Delfin Lorenzana – defense secretary (DND)
• Fortunato dela Pena – science and technology secretary (DOST)
• Isidro Lapena – director, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
• Ricardo Jalad – director – National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
• Nicanor Faeldon, commissioner, Bureau of Customs (BOC)
• Catalino Cuy – undersecretary for police matters under DILG
• Alex Monteagudo – director, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)
• Jaime Morente – commissioner, Bureau of Immigration (BI)
• Martin Delgra – director, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
• Edgar Galvante – director, Land Transportation Office (LTO)
• Dante Giran – director, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
• Ronald dela Rosa – director, Philippine National Police (PNP)
• Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya – chief, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP
• Col. Rolando Bautista – commander, Presidential Security Group (PSG)

Challenges await Duterte as he takes over gov’t

When Rodrigo Duterte takes his oath to start serving as president on June 30, challenges that had been brewing will be waiting for him.
The challenges come from within and outside the government.
One threat is that 20 big-time crime lords, mostly involved in illegal drugs, are reportedly raising a P1-billion fund for the heads of Duterte, his anointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, a senator and another government official.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the country’s top crime lords, including those inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), were contributing to the kill-Duterte fund.
The 71-year-old Duterte has promised to neutralize criminality within three to six months of his presidency. He  particularly mentioned those in the Bilibid Prison who have been able to continue producing and trading prohibited drugs even while detained.
The fund-raising came after Duterte offered rewards for every drug lord or pusher killed. Duterte promised P5 million for every dead drug lord, P3 million if arrested alive and P50,000 each for small-time pushers.
Apart from Duterte and his incoming PNP chief Roland dela Rosa, also included in the kill-list were former Justice Secretary now Senator Leila de Lima and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ricardo Rainier Cruz III. De Lima led the first of the series of raids inside Bilibid where authorities discovered some inmates living in “suite-like” kubols with appliances, hot tubs, gadgets and more.
Because of the first raid, 19 high-profile inmates, mostly drug lords, were transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) while Building 14, a highly secured facility inside NBP, was being constructed. After the construction, the 19 inmates were moved back to the NBP and detained at Building 14, isolated from other inmates.
Of more concern, however, is the infighting within the Duterte ranks.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, for example, has expressed  resentment in the way Duterte is tyreating Sen. Bongbong Marcos, his rival to the vice presidency.
Cayetano said the statement from Marcos that he was considered for a Cabinet position in the Duterte presidency proves that the incoming official family of the president does not have all the “best and the brightest.”
Cayetano himself had been promised the foreign affairs portfolio after the one-year constitutional ban on appointments of losing candidates.
“Our president wants the best and the brightest. It’s up to the president who he would appoint,” Cayetano said. But when asked if he thinks Marcos belongs to the “best and the brightest,” Cayetano replied: “It doesn’t matter what I think. You know what I think. It’s what he (Duterte) thinks. He is the appointing authority.”
Marcos was the subject of Cayetano’s tirades during the campaign period. He attacked Marcos’s alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam as well as the ill-gotten wealth of his family.
Both Marcos and Cayetano lost to Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo.
Another threat comes from traditional politicians who have been used to switching loyalties to Duterte’s side.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on the Laity, said on Radio Veritas that political turncoats manage to stay in power by aligning themselves with every new administration. “Sa bagong Presidente, maging maingat siya sa mga balimbing. Ang dami ngayong pulitiko na pumapanig sa kanya kaya yung kanyang programa ng pagbabago ay hindi mangyayari kung kukunin niya rin ‘yung mga dating pulitiko, ‘yung mga balimbing na ngayon na siya ang nauuna sila naman ay pupunta naman sa kanya, dito makikita natin ang pagkatrapo sa mga pulitiko,” Pabillo said.
In the past two weeks, politicians from other parties have been jumping into the PDP-Laban, the party that carried Duterte’s presidential bid.
Some political parties like the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) founded by businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and Nacionalista Party (NP) of former Senator Manuel Villar Jr. have signed coalition agreements with PDP-Laban.

SC chief: We’re ready for a Duterte presidency

Sereno 

Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno explained on Sunday, June 12, that the Supreme Court’s silence on the controversial statements of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte involving legal issues should not be misconstrued as a sign of cowardice.
Speaking at the Independence Day commemoration rites in Quezon City, Sereno asked for patience and to wait for the proper time when such controversial issues are raised to the Supreme Court to intervene, such as the time when Duterte’s public pronouncement in favor of the restoration of the death penalty against heinous crimes, particularly those involving the illegal drugs trade.
“We appeal for understanding on silence of judges, especially of the chief justice,” Sereno said in Filipino.  “Let’s be fair; otherwise, judgment will come even before these issues reach the Court.”
She told her audience that the judiciary is completely ready for a Duterte presidency.
But at this point, she said that the legal issues on the death penalty are not yet ripe for the Supreme Court to intervene.
Restoring the death penalty requires legislation by Congress.

Defend freedoms, Aquino urges Filipinos

In his last Independence Day address, outgoing President Benigno Aquino 3rd urged Filipinos on Sunday, June 12, to defend their freedom and democracy and to remain vigilant as he warned that the horrors of martial law could happen again.
Aquino turns over the presidency on June 30 to Rodrigo Duterte, who won with a vote margin of more than six million in the May 9 balloting.
“Now that we’re entering a new chapter in our history, let us not forget that freedom must be guarded and nurtured. We must strive to achieve and fight for all the things that matter,” Aquino said.
“All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” he said, using a quote usually attributed to British statesman Edmund Burke.
Aquino enumerated some of the achievements under his administration in transforming the country from being the “sick man of Asia,” to “Asia’s darling” under a democratic rule that honors due process, law and human rights. He underscored that this was accomplished without disregard for the rule of law.
“Let us remember that just a generation ago, the Philippine government itself was the one suppressing the freedom of our fellow Filipinos. A fellow Filipino deprived us of our freedoms. It means that if we are not vigilant, this can happen again,” the President said.
In between the speech, an audio visual presentation was shown about the Aquino family suffered during the martial law years particularly when his father and namesake was detained for more than seven years.
Aquino’s father, the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr., was assassinated in 1983 as he was going down the plane at the then Manila International Airport . Three years later, Filipinos succeeded in overthrowing then dictator Ferdinand Marcos who was flown to Honolulu, Hawaii where he died in 1989.
Part of the annual Independence Day celebrations was the traditional vin ‘d honneur attended by diplomats, top government officials, and business executives.
“Allow me to propose a toast. To the Filipino people: may we never lose our patience with the ways of democracy, and may we never take it for granted or be passive in its defense,” he said.
Aquino said Filipinos should treasure the country’s 118 years of independence and guard against attempts to revive authoritarianism.
He called on Filipinos to fight attempts to take away their freedoms as he prepared to hand over power to incoming president Rodrigo Duterte, who has vowed to kill criminals.
“To our hard-won Filipino freedom, earned by the blood and sacrifice of martyrs, nurtured by the vigilance of an empowered people, may it never again be challenged, diminished, or negated,” he said.
Duterte has warned that as president he will shut down Congress and establish a revolutionary government if lawmakers do not support his policies or if he is investigated for his anti-crime policies.
 Duterte has also promised to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, despite strong opposition from some quarters. Marcos’s remains has been kept in the family’s mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte. His son and namesake, who ran but lost in a tightly-fought vice presidential race in May, said his father’s body would be transferred to the heroes’ cemetery possibly in September.

Bawal kumuha ng pasaporte ng iba

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Kapag kinumpiska ng iyong amo o ahensiya ang iyong pasaporte sa kadahilanang ito umano ay pangalagaan nila, huwag mag-atubiling magsuplong sa mga maykapangyarihan. Ang pagsamsam at pagtatago sa pasaporte ng ibang tao ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal sa Hong Kong.
Dahil sa ginawang ito, nahaharap ngayon sa sakdal na pagnanakaw ang mag-asawang amo ng dalawang Pilipinang katulong na dumating sa Hong Kong noon lang Abril 28.
Ang kaso ay napakamahalaga dahil ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na kinasuhan ang mga amo dahil sa pagsamsam sa pasaporte ng kanilang kasambahay.
Ayon sa patakaran ng Hong Kong, walang karapatan ang ibang tao na samsamin at itago ang pasaporte ng ibang tao. Ayon sa mga gabay na ipinapalabas ng gobyerno sa mga dayuhang katulong, itawag sa pulisya o sa Immigration Department kapag kinuha ng ibang tao ang iyong pasaporte.
Ipinagbawal ng pamahalaan ng Hong Kong mula pa noong Dekada 90 ang nakagawian ng mga institusyon at mga taong nagpapautang na hawakan ang pasaporte o kontrata ng isang nangungutang upang hindi nito matakasan ang kanyang pagkakautang.
Natatandaan namin na noong hindi pa ibinawal ang ganyang kalakaran ay maraming katulong ang hindi nakakauwi o nakakapag-ayos ng kanilang mga visa dahil wala sa kanilang pag-iingat ang kanilang mga pasaporte.
Nauso kasi noong panahong iyon ang pagsasangla o pagpiprenda ng mga dayuhang katulong ng kanilang mga pasaporte kapag mayroon silang biglaang pangangailangan ng pera. Hanggang ngayon ay nangyayari ang pagtatago ng dayuhan sa Hong Kong kahit lipas na ang kanyang visa, dahil ang kanyang pasaporte at hawak ng pinagkakautangan.
Ang masaklap ay ginagawa rin ng mga amo at mga ahensiya sa empleo ang ganitong kalakaran upang mapilitang manatili sa amo o magbayad ng illegal na singilin sa ahensiya ang isang dayuhang katulong.
Ilan nang mga ganitong paglabag sa batas ang idinaing sa amin ng mga kasambahay na pinagmalupitan o di-makatarungang sinisante ng kanilang mga amo.
Kadalasang idinadahilan ng mga amo o ahensiya na may nilagdaang kasulatan ang mga nagreklamong katulong na diumano ay pinahahawakan nila ang kanilang mga pasaporte upang hindi sila matuksong mangutang. Ngunit itinatatwa ito ng mga katulong, at hindi din naman ito maaring gamitin na dahilan para kunin ang pasaporte                                             nila.
Ayon sa mga nabalitaan namin, hindi iisa o dadalawang amo o ahensiya ang nagsasamsam ng mga pasaporte ng mga katulong kundi marami sila – isang pahiwatig na malawakan ang maling kalakarang ito.
Samakatwid, ang pagsasampa ng kasong pagnanakaw sa mga amo ng dalawang katulong na iniligtas ng mga opisyal ng Konsulado noong Hunyo 8 sa Fotan, Shatin, ay isang babala sa mga amo at ahensiyang kumukumpiska sa pasaporte ng mga kasambahay.
Isa ring magandang ehemplo ito sa mga dayuhang kasambahay dito sa Hong Kong na sana ay mag-udyok sa kanila para kumilos at magsuplong sa mga awtoridad kapag inaabuso ng amo o ahensiya ang karapatan nila, kahit pa nakataya ang kanilang trabaho.
Aabangan namin ang kahihinatnan ng kasong ito dahil humigit-kumulang sa 350,000 dayuhang kasambahay ang maaapektuhan ng magiging resulta nito.

The Immigration Deparment policy on ‘job-hopping’

Recently, the Immigration Department reiterated a policy it announced it 2003 which stated that it will not allow a change of employer if a foreign domestic worker (FDW) has had three terminations of an employment contract in a year. In this case, the FDW is suspected to be job-hopping and a new job application may be refused.
Among our clients at the Mission, one thing we noticed is that many tend to stay in their job no matter their living condition, work situation and how they are treated by their employer. While some manage to stand up and say no to what is going on, give a month’s notice or pay a month’s wage in lieu of notice, they are more of the exceptions rather than the rule.
While there are those who are able to say to their employer that they are leaving, the reasons they give are far from the real ones because they try to avoid arguments. This is understandable because they are forced to live with their employer. If they tell the truth, employers can make life more difficult for them during the remaining period from when they tender their notice of termination of contract.  So to avoid arguments, migrant workers will just diplomatically say “I am needed at home” or “there is an emergency at home” or “my family wants me back for good”, and other safe ones. This way, an employer will not feel offended and the parting of ways may appear peaceful.
This, of course, does not address the real cause of termination of contract and may result to the continuation, or even worsening, of the bad attitude and untoward treatment of other workers. The ill-treatment was not pointed out. The abuse was not corrected because you did not make the employer aware that you disliked the meanness. This means that there may be more workers who will become victims of ill-treatment by that same employer. They may even say that you would have enjoyed working for them except for the excuse that you gave, because you never complained. You may then find yourself in the same situation with another employer, which could make you do the same thing all over again.
This may work against you now because of the Immigration Department’s policy of reviewing  cases which they think amount to job-hopping. If they do not see valid reasons why you terminated the contract, they could suspect you of job-hopping and refuse your visa application in the process. That is most unfortunate because aside from getting victimized several times over, the Immigration Department’s decision will make your situation worse.
Job-hopping in its strict sense is usually done by employees to gain financially. That can happen especially in the corporate world when one is offered higher salaries and better benefits by another company. A worker leaves one job after another for a better offer. In such cases, the job hopping does not result to one losing his or her employment visa.
But it’s different with FDWs, who are often too scared to lose their jobs. Even if they do decide to switch to another employer, it is rare that they would do it several times in one year.
In most cases, when an FDW transfers to another employer, she is confronted with joblessness for at least two months. Moreover, she will have to pay huge agency fees all over again– which usually amount to about two months’ salary.
For an FDW who is physically or sexually abused, even establishing a valid reason for the termination of contract can be hard. While there may be a breach of contract by the employer, it is usually difficult to prove such because there are no scars that are immediately visible.
But even with an injury, it is difficult to prove that an employer is liable for it. One concrete case we handled was that of an FDW who got her fingers cut off but the court ruled that it could not be proven that it was due to the employer’s misdeed because no one saw or witnessed what happened.
Indeed, a charge of job-hopping can, in most cases, be unfair and unjust.
While we do not encourage the arbitrary termination of the employment contract, we also do not want our OFWs to put up with an unbearable situation. The worker could be harmed further, physically or mentally, if she is forced to remain in a violent setting.
Thus, the following suggestions are in the hope that migrants are able to handle their situation more courageously and that the Immigration Department will be more considerate to their plight:
a. Gather all the pieces of evidence that you can get hold of. It may be in the form of a piece of paper with instructions or computation of wage with your employer’s handwriting, or any piece of evidence related to the breach of contract. You must be astute enough in collecting proof to prove your allegations. This is the only way that the Immigration Department may understand your predicament and consider your application for change of employment. Otherwise, failure to show proof might result to the automatic rejection of the application.
b. If it is a case of physical abuse, report the matter to the police by calling 999. If constant abuse is experienced, regularly visit your doctor and explain why you are suffering from physical pain though no signs of violence can be traced. The doctor through your medical record may be able to help.        
c. It will also be wise to inform the Labour Department about the breach of contract by the employer before you leave. Send copies to the Immigration Department and the Consular office. Usually, all these government agencies will reply with a notice of  acknowledgement. Keep this as additional proof that you have informed them about the breach of contract by the employer.  
d. Another proactive action to do while still in the process of building up the evidence is to start looking for a prospective employer. Explain to them your situation and ask for assurance that in case the Immigration Department interviews them, they can say that they know about your previous experience and that you were honest in informing them.

--

This is the monthly column from the Mission for Migrant Workers, an institution that has been serving the needs of migrant workers in Hong Kong for over 31 years. The Mission, headed by its general manager, Cynthia Tellez, assists migrant workers who are in distress, and  focuses its efforts on crisis intervention and prevention through migrant empowerment. Mission has its offices at St John’s Cathedral on Garden Road, Central, and may be reached through tel. no. 2522 8264.

Pork BBQ Pinoy Style

It’s summertime again and what better way to “bond” with your friends that to head to the beach for a barbeque party, Pinoy style. Being away from home, we often crave for those unique flavors and dishes we grew up on. Often, we try to recreate them, if only to bring back memories of home, and help relieve our homesickness. And what’s a Pinoy beach party without the barbeque? In our column this issue, we feature two barbeque favorites: chicken inasal and pork barbeque, two dishes that will surely get Pinoys dreaming of home, sweet home in no time.

So, let’s get that marinade ready, and fire up the grill!





Ingredients:

1 kg. pork
20 bamboo skewers
1 cup soy sauce
1 glove  garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice
1/2 cup of 7up, sprite or beer (optional)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 cup of banana catsup

Procedure:

1. Cut pork meat into thin and long slices – 1/4 inches thick and less than 2 inches wide.
2. In a mixing bowl, marinate the cut pork with the soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, calamansi juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana catsup and the soda or beer (this tenderizes and adds flavor to the pork barbeque)
3. Mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (turning occasionally).
4. Prepare the bamboo skewers by removing splinters and soaking in water to reduce burning during barbeque.
5. Skewer the pork slices, around 5 pieces to a stick.
6. Place the pork on skewers over the live charcoal, turning every few minutes on each side and basting the leftover marinate on the meat until cooked to your taste.

Chicken Inasal

It’s summertime again and what better way to “bond” with your friends that to head to the beach for a barbeque party, Pinoy style. Being away from home, we often crave for those unique flavors and dishes we grew up on. Often, we try to recreate them, if only to bring back memories of home, and help relieve our homesickness. And what’s a Pinoy beach party without the barbeque? In our column this issue, we feature two barbeque favorites: chicken inasal and pork barbeque, two dishes that will surely get Pinoys dreaming of home, sweet home in no time.

So, let’s get that marinade ready, and fire up the grill!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 6 parts (legs, wings, breasts)

Marinade
1 head garlic, crushed
2 tbsps. chopped ginger
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup sinamak (native coconut vinegar)
10 pieces calamansi  juice
3 stalks tanglad (lemon grass), julienne
salt and coarsely ground pepper

Basting Sauce
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup atsuete (annatto seeds) oil
salt and pepper
bamboo skewers

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, place the garlic, ginger, vinegar, a small amount of sugar, calamansi, tanglad, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix all the ingredients then add the chicken meat. Lightly rub the marinade on the meat. Place chicken in the chiller and let sit. After 30 minutes, turn the meat and let it sit for another 30 minutes. It is not ideal to marinate the meat overnight since the acid of the vinegar will completely break down the enzymes of the meat.
3. Meanwhile in a saucepan, over low fire, combine margarine/butter and annatto seeds. Stir until the margarine melts and the annatto seeds are well infused and have developed a deep orange color. Turn off heat then add a small amount of salt and pepper to taste.
4. After marinating the chicken, put several slits on the part near the bone to help with cooking the meat fully.
5.  Skewer the meat and cook over hot charcoal grill, skin side down, basting it once in a while. As much as possible do not turn the meat more than twice since the result will be drier meat.

Di makapaniwalang pinagkatiwalaan ulit

Nagtataka si Lyn sa isang kababayan na dating OFW sa Hong Kong nang malaman na nakuha ito bilang sekretarya ng kanilang barangay. Alam kasi niya na napatunayang nagkasala sa pagnanakaw ang kababayan at nakulong sa Hong Kong ng ilang buwan dahil dito. Tanong niya sa sarili, wala na bang ibang karapat-dapat na maging sekretarya ng kanilang barangay? Bakit iyon pang nakulong sa salang pagnanakaw ang itinalaga sa pwesto? Hindi ba daw isinasaalang-alang ang record ng isang magiging opisyal? Lalong nainis si Lyn nang marinig niya na sinabi ng sekretarya minsan na ang hawak-hawak nitong Php10,000 mula sa pondo ng barangay ay nawala sa isang kasalan na kanyang dinaluhan. Sabi ni Lyn, kahit ngayon pala ay magaling pa rin ang dating OFW pagdating sa pera. Nag-iisip siya ngayon kung ano ang dapat niyang gawin para matanggal sa pwesto ang di mapagkakatiwalaang kababayan. Pero alam niyang mahirap dahil kilala din sa kanilang barangay ang mga magulang ng naturang OFW. Si Lyn ay naninilbihan ngayon sa New Territories. – Marites Palma

Akala may sunog, false alarm lang pala

Nagising si Tess at ang mga amo niya dahil sa tuloy-tuloy at malakas na tunog ng fire alarm sa kanilang building, dakong alas kuwatro ng umaga. Nagmamadaling binuhat ng among babae si baby at takot na takot na inutusan ang lahat na lumabas at dumaan sa fire exit. Nataranta din ang mga magulang ng amo na kasalukuyang nagbabakasyon sa kanila, dahil hindi mahanap- hanap ng matandang babae ang kanyang bra sa kalituhan. Sinabihan naman ito ng anak na walang problema kung wala siyang bra dahil matanda na siya. Si Tess naman ay inisip na dalhin ang kanyang bag na kinalalagyan ng kanyang mga dokumento, pero nang makita ang amo na walang dala ay dali dali na rin siyang lumabas hawak lang ang kanyang mobile phone. Pagdating nila sa fire exit ay huminto ang alarm kaya huminto din sila. Hinanap ng among babae ang kanyang ina, at nalamang nasa 34th floor na pala ito habang sila ay hindi pa nakakababa. Tinawag nito ang ina para umakyat muli, kasabay ng pagtunog ulit ng alarm, at pagtigil ng lift. Lalong natakot ang among babae at pinagpipilitang bumaba papunta sa tinawag na “refuge” floor. Pagkababa ng isang hagdanan ay naisip bigla na tawagan ang guwardiya. Noon lang nila nalaman na wala namang sunog, at false alarm lang ang nangyari. Sa isip ni Tess, mukha naman talagang walang sunog dahil wala silang narinig na fire trucks, at ang iba pang nakatira sa kanilang floor ay hindi naman naglabasan. Sobra lang kasi ang pagka-nerbyosa ng kanyang amo. Nagtawanan na lang silang lahat nang makita ang kanilang mga suot dahil halatang tumakbo sila palabas mula sa kanilang pagkakatulog. Humingi na paumanhin ang among babae dahil sa pagka-tarantahin nito. Kinabukasan ay kinausap ng kanyang mga amo ang management ng kanilang building na ayusin ang fire alarm para hindi matakot at mainis ang mga nakatira doon. Si Tess ay itong buwan nang naninilbihan sa mga amo sa Tai Wai. – Marites Palma

Walang pinagkaiba ang turing

Nagkakuwentuhan ang magkaibigang Jessa at Kayla nang tumawag si Kayla kay Jessa upang magtanong kung may alam na amo ang kaibigan. Alam ni Jessa na matagal na si Kayla sa kanyang among mag-asawang Intsik at nagtaka ito kung bakit aalis na siya sa mga ito. Dito nagsimulang magkuwento si Kayla sa nangyari. Sinabi umano ng kanyang among lalaki na kailangang mas maaga siyang magsimulang magtrabaho, na hindi naman problema kay Kayla dahil madali naman daw siyang mag-adjust ng oras kahit siya ay stay-out sa kanyang mga amo. May sakit din na malubha ang kanyang among babae at ang kasama niyang Pinay ang stay-in sa mga ito. Ang hindi nagustuhan ni Kayla ay nang sabihin ng among lalaki na babawasan ang kanyang sahod sa dahilang hindi naman daw buong araw ang trabaho niya. Agad na tumutol si Kayla dahil sa 15 taon niyang pagtatrabaho sa mga ito ay ngayon  lang ito nangyari, samantalang ginagawa naman niya ang kanyang tungkulin nang maayos. Nag-usap silang muli ng amo at hinamon niya ang ito ng termination. Tila naman naging hamon ito sa kanyang amo at ora mismo ay gumawa ito ng termination letter para sa Immigration at agad na tinapos ang paglilingkod ni Kayla sa kanya. Binayaran naman nito ang kaukulang benepisyo ni Kayla na maayos na nagpaalam sa kanyang among babae na ang turing sa kanya ay kapatid na. Dahil sa awa ni Kayla sa among babae na pinagsilbihan niya ng mahigit 15 taon ay mabigat sa kalooban niya na iwan sila. Ngunit sabi nga ni Jessa sa kaibigan, walang pagkakaiba ang kanyang amo sa iba. Ang turing nila sa atin ay kasambahay lamang at gaano man katagal tayong nanilbihan sa kanila, gaano man kabuti ang ating pag-aalaga at pakikisama sa kanila, isa pa rin tayong mga bayarang katulong lamang. Parang kapag naibigay na ang mga benepisyo at bayad sa ating pagsisilbi, wala na silang pananagutan o utang na loob na dapat tanawin, himutok niya. - Jo Campos

Epekto ng sobrang pag-FB

Karamihan sa mga Pinay dito sa Hong Kong ay laging nasa FB. Sa bawa’t pagkakataon na makasingit kahit sa oras ng trabaho ay tiyak na sisilip para mag check ng kanilang notification. Ang iba ay inaabot din ng magdamag sa pakikipag chat. Isa na rito si Maria na halos lahat yata ng laman ng kanyang damdamin ay nailagay na sa Facebook status niya. Bawa’t lugar na puntahan, bawa’t kain sa isang restawran, tiyak may selfie na ipo-post. Kung minsan nga ay kahit bagong gising ay may selfie at status na “woke up like this”. Kahit mga lumang larawan niya na naipost na noon, babalikan muli para sa kanyang “throwback Thursday” post. Malungkot man o masaya, tiyak na ang mga friends niya sa FB ay malalaman ito. Kahit ang kanyang mga opinyon sa pulitika man o sa pangkaraniwang isyu ay tiyak na may kuro kuro siyang maihahatid sa kanyang status. Kung minsan ay nagiging dahilan ito para magkaroon ng isang pagtatalo o diskusyon sa pagitan ng mga nakababasa ng kanyang status at may pagkakataon din na napagsasalitaan siya ng hindi niya gusto. Siguro nga na sa panahon ngayon, napakasensitibo ng paksa tungkol sa pulitika. Maraming naging kagalit si Maria dahil dito. Ang iba naman sa kanyang mga kaibigan ay nagwawalang kibo na lang dahil para sa kanila ay hindi na dapat mag-aksaya ng panahon para makipagtalo sa kanya dahil na rin sa ipipilit lang din ni Maria ang kanyang paniniwala, maging ito man ay baluktot o walang katuturan. Kung minsan kasi ay dinadaan ni Maria sa tapang ng pananalita ang kanyang opinyon at hindi base sa katotohanang isyu at madalas na haka-haka lamang, Gayunpaman, tuloy pa rin ang kanyang pagpapa-viral sa FB at ano man ang maging comment ng kanyang mga kaibigan sa kanyang mga post ay di niya alintana. Ang mahalaga ay nai-post daw niya ang gusto niya at walang pakialam ang sino man kung ano man ang gusto niyang sabihin sa fb wall niya. Madalas man siyang mahuli ng kanyang amo na nakatutok sa kanyang cellphone ay tuloy pa rin ang pagka-addict niya sa FB kaya hindi na magtataka ang mga kakilala niya kung sakaling mawalan siya ng trabaho nang dahil dito. --Jo Campos 

Defiant theft suspect complains about forcible fingerprinting

By Vir B. Lumicao

A magistrate in Kowloon City Courts sidestepped a complaint by a Filipino theft suspect that his fingerprints were forcibly lifted by the police after he resisted them before his scheduled court appearance on June 10.
Marcelo Ortega Jr, was due to appear in the morning along with co-defendant Jolito Mania before Principal Magistrate Peter Law for the transfer of their case to the District Court.
The Filipino tourists were facing charges of attempted theft and breach of deportation order following their arrests earlier this year in an apparent pickpocketing sortie.
Officers in the courthouse tried to take Ortega’s fingerprints but he struggled, forcing a postponement of the hearing until after lunch break.
When the duo finally appeared in court, Ortega told the court, through the court-appointed defense counsel, that he wanted to complain against the officers’ forcible taking of his fingerprints.
But Law said he could only act on the offenses for which he and Mania were charged.
The proper venue for the defendant’s complaint would be the Complaints Against Police Office.
Law then proceeded transferring the case, along with relevant documents and exhibits, to the District Court.
Meanwhile, Law shortened the adjournment of a separate theft case against two other Filipino tourists, after the duty lawyer assigned to the defendants objected to the prosecution’s move to delay the hearing for six weeks.
The prosecutor said she needed more time to wait for results of the fingerprint analysis, further legal advice and CCTV footage of the crime.
Wilson Lacharon and Joseph Erwin Dacidilla were arrested by police on May 14 after they allegedly stole the money that a man had just withdrawn from a Bank of China ATM.
No further details of the incident were discussed in court.
The prosecutor said she objected to the grant of bail to Lacharon and Dacidilla because of the serious nature of their offense and that both had been issued deportation orders.
But the defense counsel said her clients did not want to wait a further six weeks for their next court appearance.
The prosecutor said fingerprint results would take that long.
She was also awaiting the bank’s reply to a request for CCTV footage relating to the crime.
Law backed the defense’s position and gave the prosecution just four weeks to obtain the fingerprint analysis and CCTV footage.
He set the next hearing to Jul 8.

Overstayed DH gets suspended sentence

A 39-year-old former domestic helper was handed a two-month jail sentence suspended for three years on June 8 after pleading guilty in a Shatin court to a charge of overstaying her visa in Hong Kong for nearly two years.
Armilyn B. Sogoni, who was in police custody, appeared before Magistrate Colin Wong and admitted her offense.
Sogoni was arrested by police last June 2 for overstaying her visa.
She came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper at the end of April 2014. Shortly after arriving, she was convicted for theft and was supposed to have returned home before June 3, 2014, but she stayed.
According to the duty lawyer who represented Sogoni, the Filipina had said she wanted to go home to her children because his husband had left her.
Wong warned her not to commit any offense during the three-year suspension period, otherwise she would serve the sentence in addition to whatever penalty she would get for the new offense. – Vir B. Lumicao

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Licensure examination for teachers to be held on Sept 25 (Sunday)
We are pleased to inform everyone that the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers in Hong Kong (BLEPT) has been approved per Commission Resolution No. 2016 - 988 dated June 9, 2016.
PRC through the guidance of POLO-HK advised all interested applicants to visit the PRC website at http://www.prc.gov.ph and start to apply through "online application system." http://prc.gov.ph/online/application/apply.aspx
PRC's formal announcement of other important details (basic requirements and payment options) shall follow shortly.