Hong Kong Eye, ang atraksiyon ng Central

Ni Cris B. Cayat

Kung mayroong "London Eye" sa London, mayroon ding “Hong Kong Eye” na nagbukas noong Disyembre 6, bilang pang-akit sa maraming turista at lokal na mamamayang magagawi sa Central. Ang ferris wheel, o tsubibo na opisyal na tinatawag na Hong Kong Observation Wheel, ay may taas na 60 metro at may 42 gondola. Isa sa mga ito ay pang-VIP at may sahig na salamin. Sa halagang $100 para sa mga may gulang na at $70 sa mga bata, makikita ng sasakay ang nakapalibot na kagandahan ng Hong Kong.

Ang ferris wheel ay iikot nang mabagal tatlong ulit sa loob ng 20 minuto. Sapat nang panahon ito upang makita ng mga nakasakay nang walang harang ang apat na sulok ng Hong Kong mula sa itaas.
Ang pinakamainam na oras ng pagsakay sa tsubibo ay takipsilim, kung kailan papalubog na ang araw at nagsisipagsindi ang libu-libong ilaw ng mga gusaling nakapaligid at tila mga bituing nagkikislapan at nagpapaligsahan ng ningning.

Ayon sa pag-aaral ng mga grupong nagtayo ng ferris wheel, inaasahang may 2,740 katao ang sasakay sa dito at makakaragdag nang malaki sa turismo ng Hong Kong. Ang lokasyon ng Hong Kong Eye ay mainam dahil nasa Central ito at madaraanan ng mga turistang papunta sa Tsim Sha Tsui o di kaya’y patungong Hong Kong Island.

Ang tsubibo, na napapalamutian ng LED (light emitting diodes) sa buong balangkas nito, ay unang napabalita na magkakaroon ng “soft launch” noong Setyembre upang maiparanas sa madla ang naturang atraksiyon, ayon sa Harbourfront Commission, Hong Kong Tourism Board, mga kinatawan ng mga distrito at ng pamahalaan ng Hong Kong.

Ang Swiss AEX, ang kumpanyang gumawa ng naturang tsubibo, ay may tatlong taong kontrata upang gawin ang bagong atraksyon. Sinimulan nito ang paggawa noong June 2013, at nag-soft launch pagkaraan ng mahigit isang taon.

Ang tsubibo ay nakatayo sa isang bakuran na may sukat na 9,620 metro kuwadrado sa harap ng Pier 9 at 10 sa bagong Star Ferry Pier o Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier.

Ang daungan ay nakasanayan nang tawaging “Star Ferry” at ito ay ikatlong lokasyon na ng nasabing pantalan; ang nauna ay sa kinatatayuan ngayon ng Mandarin Oriental at ang pangalawa ay sa tabi ng General Post Office. Inilipat ang daungan noong 2007 sa bagong Edinburgh Place.

Ang clock tower na inilipat sa bagong pantalan ay naging sentro ng pagtatalo ng mga conservationist at ng gobyeno ng Hong Kong dahil gusto noon ng pamahalaan na gibain ang tore. Nauwi ang pagtatalo sa martsa na nagbunga ng maganda dahil inilipat ang orihinal na tore sa bagong kinatitirikan nito sa Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier, sa halip na gibain na lamang.

Ang Hong Kong Eye ay siyang pantapat ng Hong Kong sa London Eye at sa Singapore Flyer na higit na matataas ngunit naiiba ang hubog ng mga gondola. Ang London Eye ay may taas na 135 metro at ang Singapore Flyer ay may 165 metro. Ang hubog ng mga gondola ng dalawa ay parang kapsula at makakapaglakad sa loob ang mga sakay nito.

Sa taas na 60 metro, wala sa kalahati ng higanteng tsubibo sa London at Singapore ang Hong Kong Eye, at ang mga mga pasahero nito ay mananatiling nakaupo.

Ang bawa’t gondola ay  makakapagsakay ng walo hanggang 10 katao, at may koneksyon sa wifi. Ang Hong Kong Eye ay nagbubukas mula ika-11 ng umaga hanggang ika-11 ng gabi.

Ayon kay Luz Peñaranda, isang Pilipinong nakasubok na sa Hong Kong Eye, banayad lang ang pag-ikot nito at hindi nakakahilo, kaya nagalak siya at kanyang mga kaibigan nang sakyan nila ito. Sumakay sila banding ikaanim ng hapon kaya napagmasdan nila ng mabuti ang kagandahan ng Hong Kong, kabilang ang maraming ilaw sa paligid na sari-sari ang kulay at kumukutitap dahil magpapasko.

Sa magkabilang tabi ng ferris wheel may kanya-kanyang pakulo ang malalaking kumpanya gaya ng  Carnaval na nag-aalok ng maraming larong masasalihan sa entrance fee na $90 na may kasama nang mga token na nagkakahalaga ng $70.

Ang Carnaval na ititangkilik ng AIA ay bukas mula Dis. 23 hanggang Peb. 22. Sa kabilang gilid ng ferris wheel ay may pakulo rin ang Hongkong Telecom kung saan ang lahat ng kliyente nito ay makakapasok nang walang bayad.

Ang kinatatayuan ng Hong Kong Eye ay bahagi ng malawak na reclamation site sa harap ng City Hall at Central Post Office. Mula nang binuksan ang liwasan, maraming Pinoy nagpupunta roon, tumatambay, namamasyal, o di kaya’y nagdaraos doon ng malalaking programa.

Halimbawa, noong Dis. 7 ay ginanap sa likuran ng General Post Office ang isang malaking konsiyerto ng mga sikat na mang-aawit na Pilipino, kabilang na si Arnel Pineda. Sa araw ding iyon, itinanghal ng Benguet Federation ang Adivay, isang malaking pagdiriwang na dinaluhan ng mga kilalang tao mula sa probinsiyang iyon.

Noong Nob. 2, ipinagdiwang ng CorAll HK ang ika-16 na taon nito sa likuran ng Post Office. Bukod sa di gaanong dinaraanan ng tao, mas malawak ang lugar para sa community dance na pat-tong, na nangangailangan ng sapat na espasyo para maraming taong makakasali.

Doon din malapit sa City Hall pumupuwesto ang Friends of Bethune at iba pang mga grupo na dahil malawak at hindi pa matao ang lugar. Habang kanya-kanyang praktis sila dito at doon, nasaksihan nila ang pagbangon ng balangkas ng higanteng tsubibo hanggang sa ito ay nakatawag-pansin sa lahat.

Kapag naglilitratuhan, magandang lumugar sa harap ng City Hall at nakatalikod sa Hong Kong Eye dahil kahit na ilang metro ang layo ng tsubibo ay makukuhanan pa rin ito katabi ang isa pang higante, ang International Financial Center 2.

At kung ang nais ay maglakad-lakad lamang, maaaring baybayin ang tabing-dagat mula sa Bauhinia Square sa Wanchai hanggang sa Sun Yat Sen Park sa Western District. Samantalahin na rin ang pagkakataon na tumigil sa may Central at sumakay sa matayog na Hong Kong Eye para makumpleto ang inyong pamamasyal..

Court frees man who harbored overstaying Pinay

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipino landscapist escaped jail on Aug. 30 despite pleading guilty to harboring an overstaying Filipina.

Ramil de los Reyes was meted a six-week jail term suspended for a year by High Court Judge Esther Toh after reviewing his case.

The suspended sentence meant he would not go to jail unless he commits another offense within the prescribed period of one year.

Earlier on Feb. 15, de los Reyes was sentenced by Shatin magistrate Andrew Ma to two months in jail for the offense of aiding and abetting a breach of immigration rules, and to a fine of  $1,000 for failing to register the birth of the Filipina’s baby.

The defendant got a two-week discount to the sentence two days later. Referring to the original sentence, Judge Toh said, “The magistrate decided correctly that this (aiding and abetting a breach of immigration rules) is a serious offense that calls for immediate custodial sentence”.

But she accepted defense counsel Andrew Leung’s argument that the magistrate did not give enough weight to the applicant’s claim that jailing him would put in jeopardy both the mother and the baby’s health.

She allowed De los Reyes to walk out free after announcing the suspended sentence.

The prosecution earlier objected to the defense counsel’s application for a non-custodial sentence, arguing for the deterrent purpose of a jail term for anyone abetting and aiding an immigration offense.
“His girlfriend came to Hong Kong on a limited status because she was a domestic helper. She had a relationship with the appellant and was in breach of her condition of stay. Fortunately, because she has a baby she’s out of jail,” the prosecution lawyer said.

Leung said his client would have surrendered the unnamed woman much earlier, but, as a father concerned about his child, he waited for the baby to grow until it would be more stable and stronger by the time the mother went to jail.

Leung said in fact it was Delos Reyes who persuaded and went with the Filipina to surrender to Immigration authorities when the baby was 18 months old.

Data Privacy Law

By Cynthia Tellez

At the Mission for Migrant Workers, one topic that we regularly discuss among staff is the Privacy Law. This is conducted to remind ourselves that inasmuch as we are getting information in relation to problems of migrant workers when they seek assistance from our office, we should be versed on the said ordinance to protect both the client and our office.

But the Data Privacy Law does not only apply to offices that get information from their clients to render services. This also pertains to individuals, including migrant workers.

So in this Know Your Rights article, we wish to at least assist migrants in knowing the rules relating to privacy especially now that almost everybody is using social media, and they are constantly asked to provide information to loan agencies including addresses of their employer or guarantor, etc.
This article hopes to provide a certain guide so we do not find ourselves in a difficult situation.
What are being protected in the Data Privacy Law?

All information that can identify a person or any form that gives access to information is what the said law is concerned about. These are personal data protected by the Ordinance including names, phone numbers, addresses, identity card numbers, photos, medical records and employment records.

To be concrete, let us deal with some examples:

1) Migrants who give out the address and phone number of their employers to lending companies without their employer’s permission;

2) Using social media like Twitter, Facebook, and similar platforms, and posting pictures, address or HKID of another person without permission

3) Listing a person’s name as guarantor in a loan transaction without the express consent of that person, even if he or she is a friend or a relative.

These are but some examples of acts that violate the Data Privacy Law. These acts violate the rights of the concerned persons who can file a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner as a result. They may even demand damages against the person that violated their privacy.

The Ordinance gives what is called as the six data protection principles (DPP) to users of data or information taken. The Ordinance said that these constitute the core of the whole law.

DPP1 - Data Collection Principle:
1) Personal data must be collected in a lawful and fair way, for a purpose directly related to a function activity of the data user.
2) Data subjects must be notified of the purpose and the classes of persons to whom the data may be transferred.
3) Data collected should be necessary but not excessive.

DPP2- Accuracy & Retention Principle:
Practicable steps shall be taken to ensure personal data is accurate and not kept longer than is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it is used.

DPP3 - Data Use Principle
Personal data must be used for the purpose for which the data is collected or for a directly related purpose, unless voluntary and explicit consent with a new purpose is obtained from the data subject.

DPP4 - Data Security Principle
A data user needs to take practical steps to safeguard personal data from unauthorized or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss or use.

DPP5 - Openness Principle
A data user must take practicable steps to make personal data policies and practices known to the public regarding the types of personal data it holds and how the data is used.

DPP6 - Data Access & Correction Principle
A data subject must be given access to his/her personal data and allowed to make corrections if it is inaccurate.

In other words, based on some of the examples that we mentioned above, the six core principles say that:
1) We should get the approval of our employer before giving the address, phone number, names of our employer or any other information, to any lending companies.
2) A consent should be given by the person who will act as guarantor in loan application. Without the consent, the person affected may file complaints to the Commissioner of the Privacy Ordinance.
3) The information/data that we took legally, meaning with permit from the people concerned, must be used only for a specific purpose and NOT to other purposes without the permission again of the concerned person(s).

4) The data user must protect all the information taken and not reveal it irresponsibly to the public or other people who are outside of the purpose for which the data was collected. So, avoid free-wheeling distribution of data that may have a bad effect on somebody.

5) Of course it is okay if it is a birthday party or outing at the beach or any group gathering and the pictures taken were uploaded in social media. But still, any person can ask the one who uploaded it to remove (if possible) or cover her/his face if they want to. This is part of respecting whatever their reason is.

So let us be conscious of our actions. Let us remember that ignorance of law is not an excuse. Let us be careful of our actions so as not to put us in a bad situation.

This is actually the main reason on why we at the Mission always inform clients that all information/data in the case file will remain only in the office.

As part of always being conscious of the said Ordinance, we also would like to take this opportunity to announce that the Mission will institute certain rules to protect our clients and also to protect the Mission while it is carrying out its mandate in serving the migrant workers.

Every client of the Mission will be asked to sign a sort of permission in getting information whenever they ask the Mission’s assistance in relation to their problems or cases. This is to protect both of us.


---

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.

Labor chiefs to meet on window cleaning, illegal recruitment

By Vir B. Lumicao

Bello seeks ban on window clearning

Philippine labor secretary Silvestre Bello III is due to meet his Hong Kong counterpart, Matthew Cheung, on Friday, Sept. 23, to discuss a range of issues affecting Filipino domestic workers, including taking out window cleaning from the list of domestic work.

Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre said Secretary Bello  will arrive at 10 am on Friday, and after a short break, will go into the meeting with Cheung,

They are expected to talk about issues affecting the 1185,000 Filipino domestic workers, particularly a proposal to exclude cleaning windows from their daily chores.

The work puts lives at risk

The move came in the wake of a series of incidents involving domestic workers falling from high-rise buildings while cleaning windows.

It was one of the issues brought up by United Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong during a recent rally held to call for higher pay and better work security.

Ad for the fake jobs

Also on the agenda is an appeal for help by some 500 Filipino migrant workers who were victimized in a multi-million dollar recruitment fraud for supposed jobs in Britain and Canada.

The claimants are asking for help from both governments to consolidate their cases so they can get their money back quickly, and for the police to investigate recruiter Ester Ylagan for alleged fraud.

Labatt de la Torre said Cheung had initially proposed a Monday meeting, but Bello asked if they could meet earlier.

“It’s good Secretary Cheung agreed to move the meeting forward,” de la Torre said.

Secretary Bello is flying back to Manila on Sunday night.

Also on Bello’s agenda is a visit to the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge on Saturday, and a meeting with Filipino community leaders at the University of Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon, which is being coordinated by Unifil.

During the consultation, Unifil plans to present the long-standing demands of Filipino workers, including the strict implementation of the government’s no placement fee policy, scrapping of many of the fees imposed on OFWs, and a clarification of the recent resolution abolishing the overseas employment certificate.

Secretary Bello will be accompanied by incoming OWWA Administrator Rebecca Calzado and a couple of new appointees, but without POEA Administrator Hans Cacdac.

     

Dayuhang katulong at ang hustisya

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Maraming katanungan ang naglalaro sa isip namin ukol sa tila magkaibang pagturing ng mga tagausig sa mga kaso kung saan ang mga biktima ay mga dayuhang kasambahay, at yaong mga kasong sila naman ang diumano’y nambiktima.

Ang isang halimbawa ay ang magkaibang trato ng pulisya sa reklamong panloloko ng isang ahensiya ng trabaho sa ilang dosena o ilandaang aplikanteng katulong, at ang agarang pagdakip sa isang katulong na napagbintangang nagnakaw sa kanyang amo.

Isa pang halimbawa ay ang agarang pagdakip at pagkulong nang walang piyansa sa isang kasambahay na nahuling tumutulong sa tindahan ng kanyang amo, at ang agaran ding pagpapahintulot ng piyansa upang makalaya kaagad ang kanyang amo.

Gayundin, kapag naisampa na sa husgado ang isang kaso ay tila higit na pinakikinggan ng mga huwes ang nang-agrabyadong amo kaysa sa nabiktimang katulong. Kung hindi rin lang malakas ang ebidensiya ng katulong laban sa nambiktima sa kanya ay tiyak na ang kanyang pagkatalo.
Ngunit kung ang nasampahan ng kaso ay isang katulong, mas malamang na makulong ito kaysa sa mapawalang-sala.

Para sa amin, ayos lang kung sa kasong pagnanakaw ay nakakuha ang mga pulis ng matibay na ebidensiya tulad ng CCTV footage ng pagpasok ni Ate at paglabas sa kuwarto ng amo habang wala ang huli, o mga resibo sa mga isinanlang alahas na ninakaw sa amo.

Ngunit kung ang katibayang pinagbatayan ng demanda ay kaduda-duda at halatang gawa-gawa ng amo, doon kami nababahala, lalo pa kung ang katulong ay hindi matatas o hindi makapagpaliwanag nang mabuti. Mas malamang na ikukulong siya kahit walang sala.

Ang pag-usad ng isang kaso mula sa oras na natuklasan ang isang paglabag hanggang sa makarating ito sa paghahatol ay tila mabilis kapag ang nasasakdal ay isang katulong.

Ngunit kapag ang isang katulong ang nagsampa ng kaso, tila natatagalan ang pag-usad ng nito sa korte, at may mga pagkakataon pa ngang matagal nang nakauwi ang katulong bago ito dinggin.
Naalaala tuloy namin ang magkakahiwalay na kaso ng pagmamalabis umano ng mga amo noong nakaraang dalawang taon sa tatlong katulong – ang mga Indonesian na sina Erwiana Salustiyaningsih at Anis Andriyani, at ang Pilipinang si Rowena Uychiat.

Nakatawag-pansin ng media mula sa iba’t ibang sulok ng mundo ang kaso ni Erwiana dahil hindi inakala ng madla na sa isang napakayaman at napakasibilisadong lungsod ng Hong Kong ay naganap ang pagpapahirap ng isang amo sa kanyang kasambahay sa loob ng 11 buwan na kamuntik nang ikamatay ng katulong.

Kung hindi sa atensiyon ng media ay marahil hindi nalapatan ng hustisya ang pahirap na dinanas niya sa among taga-Hong Kong. Kabaliktaran ang nangyari kay Andriyani, na natalo naman sa sakdal na panunugat na inihain laban sa amo.

Ang hatol ng huwes: hindi nalutas ang maraming misteryo sa kaso kaya pinawalang-sala niya ang amo sa bintang na paggilit sa kaliwang talasinsingan ng katulong, na halos maputol ito. Binigyang-halaga niya ang palagay ng abogado na sinadyang hiniwain ng katulong ang kanyang daliri upang pauwiin siya ng amo, o dahil sa isang ritwal ng kanyang tribo.

Ukol sa kaso ni Uychiat, sumulat ang pulisya sa katulong noong 2015 at sinabing ibinabasura nila ang kanyang kaso laban sa among nagkulong, nagpahirap at di nagpasahod sa kanya nang walong buwan noong 2014 dahil hindi umano siya nagbigay ng sapat na ebidensiya sa loob ng takdang panahon.

Ngayon ay makatuon na naman ang paningin ng komunidad sa hukuman dito dahil sa mga kasong isinasampa ng daan-daang mga katulong laban kay Ester Ylagan, ang may-ari ng Emry’s Employment Agency at Mike’s Secretarial Service. Iyon ay dahil sa mga pekeng trabaho sa Britain at Canada na inalok ni Ylagan sa kanila at binayaran nila ng tig-$10,000 hanggang $15,000.

Kung bakit sa Small Claims Tribunal itinuro ng pulisya ang mga katulong sa halip na imbestigahan ang reklamo nila laban kay Ylagan ay isang nakakapagpasulak-dugong katanungan sa sistema ng hustisya sa Hong Kong. Parang nakukumbinsi tuloy kami na iba ang sukatan ng hustisya para sa mga dayuhang katulong, isang tanda ng pagwawalang-bahala sa kanilang kalagayan.

Fate stays in Bracket A

By Emz Frial

The all-Filipina softball team Fate, survived the threat of being dropped from bracket A of the Hong Kong Softball Association’s tournament by scoring a resounding win over local rivals Phoenix, 14-4, on Aug 24 at the Tin Kwong Road field.

Members of the all-Filipina softball team Fate in post-game celebration.

The win came as the tournament’s third season was about to end. The win over Phoenix was Fate’s last chance of holding on to their Group A berth.
The game started with a homerun by batter Ynez Badajos of away team, Fate. The former varsity player and Philippine national team member struck the ball to the left outfield, allowing her to sail continuously to the home base unhampered.
Ma. Eva Mendez then added another home.
When Phoenix took over the base, Chan Mei Mei made a home, ending the inning on a score of 2-1 in favor of Fate.
In the second inning, a throwing error by local pitcher Qu Zhe allowed Editha Hidalgo to take a free walk to first base.
Badajos then slammed another long outfield ball to the left, which gave her a chance to dash to third base, while Hidalgo hit home base.
Don Gaborno then batted, and ran to first base. Next to bat was Mendez, who slammed the ball to the left outfield, allowing her to run up to second base. The two other base runners, Badajos and Gaborno, managed to reach home base without being stopped.
Later, Mendez ran up to home base when Lyka Algonez scored another hit, which allowed her to reach second base. But she got stuck there when the next batter, Sherlyn Gamata, got caught.
Taking the bat for Phoenix, Chan Pui Sho managed to smash the ball and run to second base.
Later, she sailed to home base when Pang Hoi Man hit a long outfield ball. Pang got as far as third base, but was caught out on home base by Algonez who quickly tagged her before the local could step on the plate.
One more home was added to the locals’s score by Tsui Wing Shuen, before the inning ended at 6-3, still in Fate’s favor.
In the third inning, Romela Osabel added another point to Fate’s score.
The Filipinas tightened their defense from then on, but Phoenix did likewise.
This resulted in both sides failing to add to their scores in the fourth inning, but in the fifth, Osabel managed to break away to score a run for Fate.
This was countered by Tsang Lai Shan who notched another point for Phoenix in the sixth, which ended at 8-4, with Fate still in the lead.
The final inning saw Fate seal victory with a a cavalcade of six runs, courtesy of; Badajos, Myra Japitana, Gaborno, Eunice Locop, Osabel and Cherry Octaviano.
Meanwhile, Fate scored another victory when its B team beat local rivals True Light, 13-3, on Sept. 4, at the Shek Kip Mei field.
In the first inning, Fate claimed three homes via Katherine Gerpacio, Ma. Eva Mendez and Don Gaborno.
True Light bounced back a bit in the second inning, with a home from Lam Hoi Tung.
But Fate regained momentum in the third inning, with a score each from Gerpacio, Mendez, Gaborno and Rose Espano.
The locals retaliated with two homes by Tam Hiu Nam and Ching Wah, to end the inning at 7-3.
But Fate could not be denied their victory. The team successfully scored three more runs from Ynez Badajos, Gerpacio, Mendez, Gaborno, Ma. Luz Mandia and Maribel Sitchon, to end the game at 13-3.
The twin victories left Fate happy and thankful to all its players and supporters. Team captain Gaborno thanked all players for their cooperation and determination to win their games, despite the odds, as well as their supporters who always come by to cheer them on, win or lose.

OFWs list down priorities in fin-ed session

By Emz Gaborno

The list has hardly changed over the years.

Asked to list down their priorities as overseas Filipino workers, a group of 17 participants in a financial education program conducted by Enrich on Sept. 4 replied in no particular order: family support, children’s education, house purchase, and preparation for retirement. An unusual addition was “to escape from an abusive husband”.

The seminar participants.

The exercise is part of the regular session conducted for migrant workers to help them better assess what they learned from the seminar.

In this particular gathering held at the UBS offices in IFC, the workers were guided through the course by Enrich program manager Tynna Mendoza.

Lecturer Ethel del Fierro taught them the “Money Wise Migrants” part of the session, which is meant to teach participants how to budget and spend money wisely.

The first thing that migrants must understand, said del Fierro, is that they have a choice, meaning they could choose between giving what their family wants, and how much.

The second part involves taking control, meaning, reining in a desire to spend everything that has been earned. The participants were told that they must take control of their finances or end up with nothing to their names, despite working for many years abroad.

The third direction is to “track your expenses”. It is important for one to have a list of expenses, so they know how much money they would be spending within a particular period, and how much would be left.

The fourth instruction is to prioritise, meaning to know which expense is very important, and which is the least importance. This will help them to set aside unnecessary expenses to avoid debt.
Finally, an OFW must learn to say “No” to family members asking for money, unless it’s for an emergency.

The participants were given the acronym SMART to remember the reasons why setting a goal is important. The letters stand for:

S- pecific - (have an exact goal ).
M- easurable- ( you need to have a target time for your goal ).
A- chievable- ( aim for a goal that you can reach ).
R- ealistic- ( must be real, not impossible to attain ).
T- ime bound - ( make sure you can reach your goal on your target time ).

The participants were told that knowing all of these lessons would help them change their attitude towards life, especially those that help them reach their goal, how to spend money wisely, and budget their resources.

The migrants left the event happy and enlightened.

"It is helpful, useful and challenging - challenging dahil ma cha-challenge kang mag-ipon, at mag-ipon sa ibat ibang paraan”, participant Sherlyn Gamata told The SUN in an online interview.
"For me, the study was helpful and encouraging. For us to fulfill our goals in life, that’s so aspiring, said Chielo Sale, another participant.

Aside from the fin-ed sessions, Enrich also offers one-on-one lectures about Mentoring, Business, Investment, Money and Family , Speak Up, FHD ( Financial Health Disk ), Outreach, Return and Reintegration

For inquiries visit their website at www.enrichhk.org.

Ylagan no-show as record number of claims heard in court

By Daisy CL Mandap

The Small Claims Tribunal is now at West Kowloon Courts

A record number of Filipino domestic workers showed up at the Small Claims Tribunal on Monday, Sept. 19, for the hearing of their claims for refund against recruiter Ester P. Ylagan, who allegedly promised them non-existent jobs in Britain and Canada.

However, Ylagan was not around to defend herself and her solely-owned company, Mike’s Secretarial Services, against claims totaling no less than $300,000. Even a former staff member who appeared for earlier court hearings was nowhere in sight.

However, in a defence statement she sent to court on Sept. 11 in reply to the case lodged against her by the first claimant Maritess R. Moreno, Ylagan said she would “vigorously defend” all claims arising from her recruitment for the overseas jobs.

A total of 33 claimants were told to show up for the hearings, which were held for the first time at the West Kowloon Law Courts in Shamshuipo. The workers were claiming between $10,000 and $15,000 each from Ylagan, who collected the money for a document they supposedly needed to secure the jobs.

The workers, believed to number around 500, said they were promised a deployment by June this year, but Ylagan later moved this to October. When the applicants resisted and demanded a refund, Ylagan closed down her shops in Worldwide Plaza in Central and stopped replying to them via chat or email.

Most of the claimants showed up in person, while a few were allowed to be represented by volunteers of the Mission for Migrant Workers. Officers and staff at the Philippine Consulate led by Vice Consul Alex Vallespin also came by to show support for the workers.

But to everyone’s disappointment, especially the helpers who had to beg their employers to be allowed the morning off to attend court, no hearing took place. Instead, they were told to amend their claim forms to include a new address for Ylagan, as the court notices they reportedly sent to her registered address in Aberdeen were all returned.

The news came as a surprise to the workers, as the Aberdeen address was the same one used by previous claimants in pursuing a claim against Ylagan. The notices sent out to inform her about the default judgments made in favor of least 15 workers were also sent to the same residential flat registered jointly in the names of the defendant and her husband, Ricardo Ylagan.

Luckily for them, Ylagan furnished a new address in Kwun Tong in her defence against Moreno’s claim, so the claimants used this as a second address to ensure that the defendant receives the notices for their next hearing dates.

The claimants were told that if Ylagan again fails to show up for the next hearings scheduled early next month, a default judgment could be entered in their favor.

In her defence statement, Ylagan said Moreno failed to provide “sufficient evidence of her attending briefings, applications, and payments”. The statement added, “There is not a single document to prove her claim”.

Ylagan also claimed that the “services provided by MMS (Mike’s) in applying for documents in behalf of the applicants are not refundable” and that the company allegedly did not guarantee that the applicants would be hired, or that visas would be granted them by either the British or Canadian immigration.

This was contrary to what all the claimants say, that Ylagan had guaranteed their deployment to the two countries by June, and later, October this year. A number of those who managed to win their claims showed the court text messages where defendant repeatedly told them to be positive and wait for their delayed deployment.

Ylagan also said that at the Oct 14 hearing, she would apply for a consolidation of all similar claims, so that they could all be heard at the District Court.

Bethune House celebrates 30th

Participants and donors pose in front of the coin-filled cans collected to help finance the operations of Bethune House.

By Gina N. Ordona

Praises overflowed as Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge marked its 30th year of giving shelter to distressed workers at Chater road in Central on Sept. 11.

One of Bethune’s clients Eni Lestari shared her reflection about the shelter and how it helped her from being distressed to an empowered migrant.

Lestari sought the help of Bethune when she ran away from her first employer back in 2000. Sixteen years later, she is due to represent migrant workers around the world before the United Nation summit of Sept. 19.

“I was born as an empowered migrant in Bethune house. I was born as an activist migrant in Bethune House. In Bethune House, I found anything I need to be more human, to be treated like worker, to be able to stand on my own,” she said during her speech.

Lestari testified that Bethune does not only provide food and shelter to its clients but it also provide them space explore their creativity and potentials.

She encouraged everyone from Hong Kong residents and expatriates to continue supporting Bethune House.

“Without your support, people like us who are very disempowered and powerless have nowhere to go,” she said.

Bethune House ambassador and The SUN editor Daisy Mandap agreed with Lestari saying that Bethune has survived this long because of the kindness of a lot of people not only within the Filipino community but the whole of HK.

She said Bethune does not only give shelter migrant women in distress but it also helps them pursue cases, offers counseling services to those who have problem with their employment and families back home.

She mentioned one incident when she went with Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio to rescue a rape victim in the middle of the night.

“It is very rare for people to go all the way to help migrant in distress, and we have always saluted Bethune House for doing just that, she said.

In response, Antonio thanked individuals and groups that have been supporting the shelter, adding that because of their help, Bethune House has survived even without government funding.

In particular, she cited migrant workers’ groups that have been supporting the five-year-old Coins for Bethune House project, which aims not only to raise funds for the shelter, but also to promote awareness of its services.

“Gusto ko pong ipakita na kahit mga migrant workers in HK ay gumagawa ng paraan para matulungan tayo na maipagpatuloy ang serbisyo ng Bethune,” Antonio said, as she called on stage the representatives of participating organizations, along with the submitted cans filled with coins.

She also said that much as she was happy that Bethune House had reached a milestone, her wish was that there would be no more need for it to exist within the next decade.

“Sana po by that time ay sarado na ang Bethune House. By that time ay wala na tayo dito sa Hong Kong dahil ang ibig hong sabihin ay puwedeng option na lang ang pagtatrabaho dito,” Antonio said.  
The celebration was made livelier by different dance performances, and capped by live band music featuring William Elvin and the Circus Tour.

Cans filled with coins will be opened and counted at Fanny Li Hall at St. John’s Cathedral on Sept. 18 from 2 pm onwards.

CARD HK holds seminar for scam victims

CARD OFW’s Marites Mapa outlines the points to be taken up during the seminar.

By Daisy CL Mandap

The only way to avoid being victimized in a scam is to value your hard-earned money more.
With this in mind, an unusual financial education seminar was conducted by CARD OFW Hong Kong, in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and The SUN on Sept. 4, which targeted those who had fallen prey to a scam.

A follow-up seminar was held by CARD HK at the Consulate the next Sunday, Sept. 11.
Most of the participants had lost between $5,000-$20,000 in a jobs scam to Britain and Canada, which were offered to them by veteran recruiter Ester P. Ylagan.

The applicants sought help from Polo and the Hong Kong authorities in getting their money back, and for Ylagan to be sanctioned.

In his opening remarks, Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre lauded the initiative, saying he had been swamped with pleas for help from the victims.

He suggested that apart from a financial education seminar, a counseling session could be arranged for the applicants, many of whom are despairing because they only borrowed the money they paid Ylagan from financing companies, which charge hefty interest.

A participant, Axle, said she was grateful for the seminar because she was taught how to make the right decisions in handling money, including getting into a business.

“Kapag gustong mag-business, kailangang pag-aralan mabuti ang advantages at disadvantages nito,” Axle said. “Sa pagba-budget naman, kailangang unahin yung mga needs kaysa sa wants”.

Most importantly, she said it is very important to have a goal while working in Hong Kong. “Dapat nakasulat siya dahil may posibilidad na makalimutan”.

She said the goal-setting is meant to help one prioritize her activities and not to lose sight of what she values most in life.

The seminar was conducted fully by Filipino migrant workers who underwent rigorous training from CARD-MRI, one of the biggest micro-enterprise organizations in the Philippines.
CARD HK is a foundation chaired by journalist and entrepreneur Rex Aguado.
   

Tunay na kulay

Mag-iisang taon at kalahati nang nagtatrabaho si Rosa sa kanyang among Koreana, pero halos hilahin na niya ang mga araw para matapos na ang kanyang kontrata dito.

Noong una ay maayos naman ang kanyang kalagayan sa amo dahil may kasama siyang kapwa Pinay sa bahay at magaan naman ang kanilang trabaho. Hindi rin sila nagkaroon ng ano mang problema ng kanyang kasama.

Kalaunan ay tila dumarami na ang mga utos at pinagagawa sa kanila ng kanilang amo. Nagiging masungit na rin ito ay maramot sa pagkain. Kung minsan ay sila na ang bumibili ng kanilang ulam dahil tira-tirahang ulam lang ang kanilang kinakain.

Mag-asawang may apat na anak ang kanilang pinagsisilbihan at may alaga din silang aso. Minsan ay dumating ang mga magulang ng kanyang amo mula sa Korea at buong akala ni Rosa ay nagbabakasyon lang ang mga ito. Ngunit nang dumaan ang maraming buwan ay napagtanto ni Rosa na doon na rin titira ang dalawang matanda. Sa ngayon ay walong tao na ang kanilang pinagluluto at pinagsisilbihan.

Bukod sa walang pahinga maghapon sa trabahong bahay, halos makuba si Rosa at ang kasama sa dami ng pinamimili sa palengke dahil kada tatlong araw sila namamalengke, at kadalasan ay maraming mabibigat na gulay at prutas silang dala. Nakakadagdag din sa kanilang paghihirap ang mataas na daan paakyat sa bahay ng amo sa Bonham Road mula sa palengke ng Sai Ying Pun.

Ang mas nakakainis ayon kay Rosa ay pinaghihinalaan pa siyang nagpa-part time ng kanyang amo dahil umano napakatagal nitong bumalik mula sa pamamalengke. Ilang ulit na ring sinabi ni Rosa sa kanyang amo na malayo ang nilalakad niya pataas at mabigat ang hila niyang trolley pauwi, ngunit sigaw lang ang kanyang napapala sa among masungit.

Madalas sa kanilang pag-uusap ng kanyang kasama ay nababanggit nila na lumabas na ang tunay na masamang ugali ng kanilang amo. Bukod sa trabahong bahay, inuutusan din ang kasamahan niyang Pinay na si Nona na magdeliver ng mga paninda ng kanilang mga amo. Alam nilang bawal ang inuutos ng kanilang amo ngunit hindi sila makapagreklamo dahil tiyak na magagalit lang sa kanila ang bruhang amo at baka mapag-initan na naman sila.

Ang inaalala ni Rosa, matatapos na ang kontrata ni Nona sa susunod na buwan at hindi niya alam kung paano niya makakaya ang lahat ng trabaho sa bahay kapag mag-isa na lang siya. Tila walang balak na kumuha ng bagong katulong ang kanyang amo pag-alis ni Nona.

Nag-iisip ngayon si Rosa na huwag nang tapusin ang kanyang kontrata dahil parang di na kaya ng kanyang katawan ang hirap ng trabaho. Ika nga ni Rosa, bahala na kung mahirapan siyang humanap ng amo kapag nag-break contract siya kesa naman sa mamatay siya sa hirap sa malupit na amo. –Jo Campos

Another Filipina held after aborting baby in shop toilet

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic helper suspected of aborting her baby in a grocery shop in Taipo on Sunday is in police custody waiting to be charged, the Police Public Relations Bureau said.

A PPRB officer said the Filipina he referred to as “Mae” is believed to have induced the abortion by taking abortion pills.

Fu Shin Street in Tai Po

The incident happened in a shop at 43 Fu Shin Street in Taipo at about 10.35 on Sunday morning, the officer told The SUN.

The case comes just two months after another Filipina domestic helper was jailed for 14 months for aborting her eight-month-old baby and dumping it in a rubbish bin in North Point.

The PPRB spokesperson said a 59 year-old female shop staff had called to ask for assistance, saying the Filipina was not feeling well. Officers who arrived at the scene found an embryo or foetus in the toilet.

“After initial investigation, the woman was suspected to have given birth to the embryo and the police seized some medicine suspected to be abortion pills,” the PPRB officer said.

She said Mae was arrested “for self-administering and trying to procure abortion”.

The case was being followed up by the District Investigation Team of Taipo, the duty officer said.  

Reports on local news portals said Mae and the fetus, which was estimated by investigators to be 19 weeks old, were found by the store staff who responded after hearing screams from inside the toilet.

The Filipina was taken to the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital.

The maid’s employer was already contacted by police, according to the reports.

Many pregnant domestic helpers resort to abortion for fear of losing their jobs. Hong Kong labor laws protect them from illegal job termination, but despite this, there have been several cases of maids being fired after their employers learned about their situation.

A local NGO, PathFinders, has been helping pregnant foreign maids who are in a desperate situation because of their pregnancy.

The group offers a full range of assistance, from legal protection for the mother and the child, to medical aid, registration of birth, and repatriation of the mother and her baby.

Female foreign workers with similar problems as Mae should call the PathFinders hotline, +852 5190 4886, for assistance from 9am to 9pm.  

Ok naman pala si Ma’am

Takot na takot magpaalam si Emy sa kanyang amo para sa pagdinig ng kanyang kaso. Na-scam kasi siya ng malaking halaga, at tanging ang paghahabla lang ang nakikita niyang paraan para mabawi ang kanyang pera. E ang kanyang ma’am naman ay ubod ng dada kahit mabait, kaya iwas lagi siya sa maaari nitong sabihin.

Bisperas ng pagdinig ng kanyang kaso nang magkaroon ng lakas ng loob magpaalam si Emy sa amo. Agad na nagalit ang kanyang amo, pero hindi dahil may kaso si Emy, kundi bakit hindi daw sinabi sa kanya ang tungkol dito?

Galit na galit ang amo sa ginawang panloloko sa kanyang katulong, at gusto nitong harapin ang mismong taong  may gawa nito. Wala nang nagawa si Emy nang sabihin ng amo na sabay silang magpupunta sa korte kinabukasan.

 Sa takdang oras ng pagdinig ay todo ang kaba ni Emy hindi lang dahil iyon ang unang pagkakataon na haharap siya sa korte sa tanang buhay niya, kundi dahil nakatanghod sa kanya ang mataray na amo.

Nakipag-usap ang amo sa mga tao sa paligid, at nang matantiya na hindi naman dehado ang kanyang kasambahay ay nagsabing aalis na ito para magtrabaho. Mabuti na lang at nanalo si Emy sa kaso, kaya agad-agad niya itong itinawag sa amo. Natuwa naman para sa kanya ang amo, at sinabing kailangan nilang magdiwang ng kanyang mga kasamahan sa kanilang panalo.

Si Emy ay nasa unang kontrata pa lang sa among hiwalay sa asawa at nakatira sa Fortress Hill. – DCLM

Lav Diaz film, Best Picture sa 73rd Venice Filmfest

Nanalo ng Golden Lion prize para sa Best Picture ang pelikulang  “Ang Babaeng Humayo” (The Woman Who Left) ang batikang director na si Lav Diaz sa katatapos na 73rd Venice Film Festival.
Ang black and white na pelikula na halos apat na oras (228 minuto) ang haba na produced ng Sine Olivia at Cinema Originals, ay tinampukan ni Charo Santos sa kanyang muling pagbabalik sa pag-arte, matapos ang halos dalawang dekada. Malakas din ang naging laban niya bilang best actress, pero tinalo siya ng Hollywood actress na si Emma Stone.

Ang nanalong lahok ng Pilipinas ay tinampukan din nina John Lloyd Cruz, Michael de Mesa, Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Marj Lorico, Mayen Estanero, Romelyn Sale, Lao Rodriguez, Jean Judith Javier, Mae Paner at Kakai Bautista.

Ang pelikula ay inspired ng maikling kuwentong isinulat ng Russian author na si Leo Tolstoy, na tungkol sa isang lalaking nakulong sa salang pagpatay, na hindi naman niya ginawa. Ang kabuuan ng pelikula ay kinunan sa Calapan, Mindoro, kung saan lumaki si Charo.

Umani ng papuri at palakpak ang pelikula nang ipalabas ito sa festival noong September 9. Bago ipamahagi ang mga major awards, nauna nang hinirang na Best Foreign Film ang “Ang Babaeng Humayo” sa Sorriso Diverso Venezia 2016 awards.

Ang British film director na si Sam Mendes ang namuno sa mga hurado na pumili ng mga nanalo ibat ibang kategorya mula sa  20 pelikulang kalahok sa main competition, kabilang ang mga pelikulang pinangunahan nina Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Amy Adams at Alicia Vikaander at Emma Stone. Ilan sa mga sikat na mga artistang dumalo ay sina Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt at Denzel Washington.  

Ang mga nanalo:  
Golden Lion: Lav Diaz, "The Woman Who Left"; Philippines;
Silver Lion director (tie): Andre Konchalovsky, "Paradise"; Russia, Germany; and Amat Escalante, "The Untamed"; Mexico
Jury grand prize: "Nocturnal Animals," Tom Ford;
U.S; Special Jury Prize: "The Bad Batch," Ana Lily Amirpour; U.S.;
Best Actor: Oscar Martinez, "The Distinguished Citizen"; Argentina, Spain;
Best Actress: Emma Stone, "La La Land"; U.S.;
Best Screenplay: Noah Oppenheim, "Jackie"; U.S.;
Marcello Mastroianni Prize for Young Performer: Paula Beer, "Frantz"; France.;
Luigi De Laurentiis Lion of the Future: "The Last of Us," Aladdine Slim; Tunisia.

ISABELLE AT ADRIEN, IKINASAL NA
Ikinasal na si Isabelle Diaz kay Adrien Semblat, isang French national na anim na taon na niyang karelasyon, noong Sept. 10 sa St. Francis Church sa Tuscany, Italy.
Ilan sa mga dumalo sa kasal at reception na ginanap sa Castello di Gorgonza, ay ang ina ni Isabelle na si Gloria Diaz, mga kapatid na sina Ava at Rafael, pinsang si Georgina Wilson at mga kaibigang sina Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff, Liz Uy, Erwan Heussaff, Jasmine Curtis Smith, Jeff Ortega, Rajo Laurel, Tim Yap, at Sen. Bongbong Marcos (matalik na kaibigan ng ama niyang si Bong Daza, na namatay noong July 14) na naghatid sa kanya sa altar.
Ang simple pero eleganteng wedding gown ni Isabelle ay gawa ng sikat na American fashion designer na si Vera Wang, samantalang navy blue suit ang suot ng kanyang dashing groom.
Isang buwan bago ikinasal, isinama ni Isabelle ang kanyang pamilya at ilang kaibigan sa Bali, Indonesia para sa kanyang bachelorette party. Kabilang sa mga sumama sa grupo  sina Raymond Gutierrez, Bea Soriano Dee, Carla Humphries, Nicole Anderson,  Solenn at ilan pang mga kaibigan.

KRIS, NAGPAALAM NA SA ABS CBN 
Hindi maitago na mabigat ang loob ni Kris Aquino na lisanin ang ABS CBN, dahil marahil sa pananaw niya na isa siya sa mga naging haligi nito sa loob 20 taon niyang  pagta-trabaho dito. Sa kanyang sunud-sunod na post sa Instagram, ibinahagi niya ang kanyang sentimyento na naging dahilan upang lumipat siya sa APT Entertainment. Ang isang bahagi ng kanyang post: “I want to tell you our truth & I pray you'll understand... 20 years ago, I went back to ABS-CBN after a year w/ GMA (Star Talk & a Viva produced afternoon talk show). It started w/ “Today w/ Kris Aquino” & ended w/ “Kris TV”. We had a memorable, excellent run. ABS saw me through my worst & my best. I had the chance to be part of career defining shows like TWKA, The Buzz, Game KNB, Deal or No Deal, PGT etc & had iconic movies like Feng Shui & Sukob. We were set to renew our contract February 2016, it was a generous, less demanding agreement but at that time there was a threat to my life we needed to take seriously, I had to regain my health, and I needed time for my family & me. We didn't sign then, I went to Hawaii, came back to campaign, then left again. Our agreement was we'd talk when I got back. That is the risk of taking time for yourself- when you come back there's no guarantee that a space will be held for you. We spoke in July but there was no definite show & no assured time frame of my return on air. I perfectly understood- as much as I wanted to believe I was a pillar of the network, everybody is dispensable. And I say that with no bitterness- just HONESTY. So to all of you saying please don't leave- it wasn't a choice that was just mine to make. I take my share of the responsibility. And I say that w/ so much gratitude in my heart."

Nauna dito, ipinahiwatig na niya na tiyak na ang muling pagbabalik niya sa TV para sa programang gagawin niya para sa APT Entertainment, na mapapanood sa GMA Network. Binanggit niya na mangingibang bansa muna silang mag-iina bago siya mag-resume ng taping sa Sept. 22 upang sulitin ang oras na makasama niya sina Bimby at Josh, dahil magiging abala siya sa trabaho hanggang Disyembre.

Wala pang announcement kung kailan ipapalabas ang show ni Kris at kung anong klaseng show ito, pero may nagsasabing hindi ito isang talk show, at hindi rin ito katulad ng dati niyang show na “Kris”.

Matatandaang hindi nagkasundo sina Kris at ang dati niyang network na ABS CBN nang huling mag-usap sila. Gusto ni Kris ng mas mahabang kontrata upang magkaroon ng seguridad ang kanyang trabaho, pero dalawang taon  lang ang offer sa kanya ng Kapamilya network.

Hinihintay ng marami kung muling magkakabati at manumbalik ang pagkakaibigan nina Kris at Ai Ai delas Alas, na nauna nang bumalik sa GMA Network, ngayong  pareho  na silang Kapuso.

SI ANGEL PA RIN ANG DARNA
Kinumpirma ni Malou Santos, Star Cinema head, na si Angel Locsin pa rin ang gaganap na Darna. Ito ay sa kabila ng paglutang ng iba-t ibang pangalan ng mga artista, at ang iba ay talagang naglabas pa ng mga litarato na nakasuot ng Darna costume. Nagpahayag kasi si Angel, ilang buwan ang nakakaran, na kailangan niyang i-give-up ang role niya na matagal na niyang pinaghahandaan, dahil nagkaroon siya ng disc bulge sa kanyang spine.

Dalawang beses siyang bumalik sa Singapore para ipa-opera ito, at ngayon ay tila magaling na siya. Noong nakaraang buwan ay nag-post pa siya ng litrato na naka-Darna-pose, kaya nabuhayan ng loob ang kanyang mga fans na talagang nakikipaglaban na huwag ibigay sa iba ang role, dahil sa kanya lang daw ito nababagay.

Kamakailan ay napasali ang pangalan ni Angel sa MTV Australia’s sexiest list, kaya laking tuwa ng kanyang mga fans, dahil tinalo man siya ni Jessy Mendiola sa FHM’s sexiest list, nakabawi naman siya dahil pawang mga international celebrities ang mga nakasama niya sa listahan. Si Jessy ang napapabalitang girlfriend ngayon ni Luis Manzano, matapos silang mag-break ni Angel.
May bagong pelikulang gagawin si Angel na katambal sina Zanjoe Marudo at Sam Milby na maaaring ipalabas bago matapos ang taong ito.

KAPATID NG AKTRES, PINATAY
Malagim ang sinapit ni Aurora Moynihan, 45, kapatid ng aktres na si Maritoni Fernandez nang pagbabarilin ito at mapatay ng mga hindi pa kilalang mga salarin na nakasakay  sa  isang van, noong madaling araw ng Sept 10. Iniwan ang biktima sa tabi ng kalsada sa isang lugar sa Quezon City, na may cardboard na may  nakalagay na “ Drug pusher ng mga celebrities, kasunod na kayo”. May nakuha ang mga awtoridad na mga basyo ng bala, apat na plastic sachet ng shabu at drug paraphernalia sa lugar ng pinangyarihan.  .

Ayon kay QCPD Sr. Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, wala daw sa listahan ng QCPD drugs watchlist si Moynihan, at hindi rin ito nakatira sa Quezon City, kundi sa Makati City.

Noong Biyernes din ay nahuli sa isang diumano ay buy-bust operation si Philip Salonga,  half brother ng singer/actress na si Lea Salonga. Siya umano ay isa sa mga distributors ng ecstasy at ibang party drugs, at pati ang dalawa pa nitong kasama.

Dahil sa usap-usapan na ilalabas na rin ang listahan ng mga celebrities na sangkot sa droga, kasunod ng mga naunang inilabas na listahan ng mga  pangalan ng mga pulitiko, pulis at ibang personalidad, minabuti na ng ilang mga artista na sumailalaim sa drug test.

Kabilang sa mga nagpa-test para patunayang hindi sila drug user ay ang 40 artista ng Star Magic, kabilang sina Enrique Gil, Jake Cuenca, Patrick Garcia at Diego Loyzaga, Viva artists na sina Anne Curtis, James Reid, Solenn Heusaff at Claudine Barretto. Boluntaryo ring nagpa drug test si Luis Manzano. Lahat sila ay negatibo sa paggamit ng droga.

Labatt sued over Emry’s suspension

Labatt de la Torre

An irate Hong Kong employer who wants to get her money back from Emry’s for its failure to complete the processing of her domestic worker’s employment papers has sued not just the agency’s owners, but also Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.

Labatt de la Torre himself disclosed this to The SUN, saying the date of the hearing has been set down sometime next month.

As a Philippine government official, de la Torre can invoke diplomatic immunity in a claim arising from his performance of an official duty, but he said he is still conferring with Consul General Bernardita Catalla on how best to respond to the claim.

De la Torre said he was aware that Emry’s former registered owner Ester Ylagan had sent letters to the agency’s employer-clients, blaming him for her company’s inability to complete the processing of the work contracts.

De la Torre suspended Emry’s accreditation with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on June 20, after receiving complaints from a number of Filipino migrant workers who had been recruited by Ylagan for jobs in Britain and Canada.

He summoned Ylagan to his office to explain the third-country deployment, saying it was against the rules of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which regulates the recruitment industry.

Ylagan responded by asking for the exact law that she supposedly violated.

Not being satisfied with her response, and hearing of more complaints from Filipinos about Ylagan’s third-country recruitment, De la Torre again summoned the agency owner to his office on July 1.
When Ylagan failed to appear, the labor attaché recommended to POEA that Emry’s accreditation be cancelled.

Emry’s eventually closed both its offices in Central and Wanchai, leaving possibly hundreds of employers in the dark about what to do with contracts they had already entrusted to the agency for processing.

Another Hong Kong-registered employment agency operated by Ylagan, Mike’s Secretarial Services, closed down at about the same time.

Sometime after this, or on July 17, Ylagan applied to have her son, Ridge Michael, replace her as co-owner of Emry’s. The other co-owner is her husband, Rick Ylagan.

The math of toughing it out in HK

Some of the cheques used for the transaction.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Does it pay for a domestic worker to spend Php192,000 in placement, training and other fees to come to work in Hong Kong, get fired, and earn around Php700,000 over five years net of the charges?

Not so, according to a financial analysis The SUN has made based on the case of “X”, who arrived here in 2012, got axed after three months, found a second employer and was dismissed before she would begin work, then found a third one, who fired her after three years and six months.

Numerically, the worker’s net earnings look good, but they do not reflect lean days that certainly prevented her from remitting even just a bit of that income to her family.

X went to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on Sept 5 to report a Makati-based recruitment agency that, she said, charged her a total of Php89,738 in placement fees, including a whopping Php60,000 for “visa etc”.

On top of that, X had to repay a Php102,278 owed from a finance company in Manila and a $10,500 placement fee she reportedly paid  a Hong Kong employment agency by installment.

Estimating the maid’s earnings over the five years from August 2012 until Aug 31 at a generous assumption of $4,000 per month, she would have grossed $168,000. Then taking an exchange rate of Php5 to a Hong Kong dollar, we converted the gross income to Php840,000.

Less all the fees and charges, X would have made Php311 a day, just 67% of what she would have earned in Manila based on a daily minimum wage of Php466 as of September 2013, or 64% of the current Php488 minimum wage in the National Capital Region.

List of expenses to get a
DH job in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong dollars, X’s daily earnings amounted to just $62.19 per day barely enough for two lunchbox meals. We have not factored expenses on her other daily needs into our assumptions otherwise little or nothing would be left for her food.

That shows how desperate the situation of X has been since she came to Hong Kong, as she would have been better off staying put in her job in her homeland, where she had an impressive employment history in the service industry.

That could very well be the situation also of many other OFWs who bite the bullet just to secure a job in Hong Kong, little realizing that all their earnings were practically going to greedy recruiters, instead of providing a more decent life for their families back home.

Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre was sympathetic to the maid, but was disappointed to find out that the illegal charges were made more than three years ago, already way past the prescription period for filing claims against employment agencies that have overcharged job seekers.

Nevertheless, Labatt dela Torre decided to endorse X’s claim to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, hoping the industry watchdog could still bend some rules to accommodate her.

What's on where

Photography 101 (Beginner’s Workshop)
A 3-hour course with Master Carl Valenzuela. Sept 18, 9:30am-12:30pm. Kennedy Town Community Complex. Fee: $100. Participants will learn about DSLR cameras, ( ISO, aperture, shutter speed ) background, perspective, framing, layering, lighting and ambient). Contact: Frederick Suarez, 69711992

South Island Art Day 2016
Sept 24, 12nn-8pm. Hosted by: South Island Cultural District. 18 galleries and art studios will open their doors to the public and host exhibition openings and art shows. Details: Check the FB Page South Island Art Day 2016

Halo-Halo Filipino Contemporary Artists Exhibit
Sept 23-24. Venue: The Hive Studios, 8th Floor, Cheung Hing Industrial Building, 12P Smithfield, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. 23 Sept: 10am-4pm (general viewing), 7pm-10pm (Cocktails and VIP Viewing),    10pm-12mn (Raffle and general viewing). 24 Sept:  10am-8pm (general viewing). Contacts: M:+852 93242381. E: info@halohalo.visualspate.com. W: halohalo.visualspate.com. FB: facebook.com/halohalohk2016. (Entrance is free but raffle tickets are being sold for a chance to win one of the special artworks by the artists.

A Palette of Flavors
Colours by renowned Filipino chef, Sau del Rosario. Sept 22-24, Le Meridien, Cyberport. For details and reservation: 2980 7417

17th anniversary and 5th graduation ceremony 
Oct. 2, 11am-4pm, Fulum Palace, North Point. Organized by: Diwa't Kabayan Benlife Society. Contact person Naty Manalo at 9825-6582/9146-4178

HKMU Concert
Oct. 5, 7:30pm, Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Tickets are on sale at $150-$320. Contact: Ella Lo 9771 3655. A benefit concert for HKMU projects

Free Forum for Nurses
Oct. 9, Bayanihan Centre, Kennedy Town
Speakers from Australia and New Zealand, and agencies deploying to Germany and Qatar are coming to orient registered nurses about the working conditions in those markets. For full details, visit the FB page, Philippine Nurses in Hong Kong. Like it, and message your full name and mobile number.

2016 Free Breast Cancer Screening and Mammogram
Oct. 9: 10am-1pm Breast cancer screening; 2:30 pm – 3:30pm forum. Venue: PCG Conference Room. Organized by: Philippine Consulate General and HK Breast Cancer Foundation. To register, call Lorna at 2823 8512 or Joel at 2823 8513. Limited slots available

FMWU's 18th Anniversary Celebration
Oct. 9, whole day. Chater Road, Central. Featured Activity: Poetry Reading and Writing Contest with the theme: “Unite and Struggle for Livable Wages and Regulation of Working Hours”. Organizer: Filipino Migrant Workers Union. Contact: Feliza -9104-1411, Iyang- 5119-93643 and Nida-9107-9516

2016 Migrants’ Health Matters
Oct 23, 12 noon – 6 pm. . Venue: Kik Yeung Football Pitch, Kik Yeung Road, Yuen Long, Hong Kong. PathFinders is teaming up with Christian Action to host Community Health Day for Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. Participating groups: Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, Equal Opportunities Commission and other migrant organizations that will set up health and community services information booths to distribute health-related materials and answer questions. Free admission.

Healthy Habits Selfie Competition
(Part of the 2016 Migrants’ Heatlh Matters). Aim is to promote health awareness among migrant workers. To join, simply upload your healthy habit selfie on the following Facebook pages: Christian Action Centre for Domestic Migrant Workers or PathFinders. Invite your friends to LIKE your photo and win a prize!

UAAP Rambulan 2016
Nov 26, 11am. Repulse Bay Beach. All alumni of UP, Ateneo, La Salle and UST are invited to join day-long games all in the spirit of fun and camaraderie.  For details, check out the FB invite page, Rambulan

Learn Cantonese for Daily Living
Every Sunday, Sept. 18 – Nov.13, 9am-12nn
PCG Gallery
Exclusively for OFWs.
Register with your employment contract, HKID and 3.5x4.5cm photo at PCG Sentro Rizal, 2-5pm, any day except Friday or Saturday.
For inquiries, email cultural_hk@yahoo.com
Co-organized by: The Philippine Consulate General and International Social Service Hong Kong

Attention: Filipina Registered Nurses
Are you a Registered Nurse working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong who cares for elderly and/or patients with dementia?
If so, please send a private message to the FB page, Philippine Nurses in Hong Kong, giving the following details:
1. Complete Name
2. E-mail Address
3. Patient Category: (Elderly and/or with Dementia)
4. Mobile Number

LET in September
The Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT, formerly LET) will be held in Hong Kong on Sept, 25, Sunday.
The deadline for the application for both repeaters (July 22) and new applicants (July 29) has not passed.
For more information on the Teachers Board, please visit the FB page of the National Organization of Professional Teachers (NOPT) – HK Chapter, like it and send a private message.

Caritas Lessons
Sunday Basic Cantonese
(Sponsored by Home Affairs Department of the Goverment of the HKSAR)
Sept 4-Dec 18, 2016 (total: 16 Sundays)
10:00am – 1pm (total: 50 hours)
Target : ethnic minorities with HKID
Fee: $100 each, including materials, half fee for CSSA recipients
Venue : Caritas Fortress Hill Centre, G/F, No.28A, Fortress Hill Road, Hong Kong

Saturday Beads Making Class  
Sept 3- Oct 15 (6 Saturdays)
2:00pm – 5:00 pm (18 hours total)
Target : foreign domestic helpers
Fee: $100/ head including materials
Venue : Caritas Fortress Hill Centre, G/F. , No.28A, Fortress Hill Road, Hong Kong

Beads making class (apple, basket, flowers, fish & hello kitty)
Sept 24 – Nov 5 (6x Saturdays)
2:00pm-5:00pm (Total 18 hours)
Target: foreign domestic helpers
Fee: $100/ head including materials
Venue: Caritas Fortress Hill Centre, G/F. , No.28A, Fortress Hill Road, Hong Kong.

For queries, call Sisca on 2147-5988.

No more paper OEC, but some need to pay $20 to register

Rows of unoccupied chairs at POLO indicate that only a handful of workers now apply for paper OEC for their impending Philippine vacation, having been replaced with BMOnline.

By Daisy CL Mandap

From today, Sept. 15, the ‘paper’ overseas employment certificate (OEC) that all overseas Filipino workers returning to their jobs abroad must have will no longer be issued.

However, those who have yet to sign up with the Balik Manggagawa Online (BMO) service will still be asked to pay a fee of $20, and given a printout of their successful registration, which they need to present at Philippine airports prior to departure.

But once registered, they need not go through the same process unless they change employers.
This clarification was made by Deputy Labor Attache Henry Tianero to The SUN, when asked how Resolution No. 12 which the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration passed on Aug. 4 and is due to take effect today, is to be implemented.

Tianero said that pending the issuance of implementing guidelines for the Resolution, only those who had previously obtained an OEC after registering with BMO and are returning to the same employer, will be exempted from securing the certificate.

But the returning workers are still being advised to bring along their employment contract, which they should present to immigration officers along with their passport and work visa, to prove their status.

The rules have also changed for those who switch to another employer after finishing their contracts.
According to Tianero, this category of workers will have to make an appointment to change their job particulars at the POEA office of their choice in the Philippines.

But to make it easier on them, POLO will help the workers open an account with BMO while in Hong Kong, so they can easily log back in when they get to the POEA office.

“Once registered, their information will remain in the POEA data base and they need only to log in again to retrieve and change it,” said Tianero.

But for those who break their contracts, Tianero said they will have to go through the whole process of listing up with POEA again as if they are getting out of the country for the first time.

While a big majority of OFWs in Hong Kong are still not registered online, Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre expects the usual overcrowding at Polo during the peak vacation periods to thin out soon.
“I’d say that eventually, about 90 percent of our workers will no longer have to queue up before going home for a vacation,” Labatt said.

In the meantime, he is urging all workers to take advantage of the lean days to sign up with BMO, or update their records.

He said all computers in his office have been made accessible to OFWs for this purpose, so all they have to do is to choose a day when there are not a lot of other workers around, all wanting to do the same thing.

From August 21, he also ordered Polo to open six days a week, excluding Fridays, to assist those registering for the first time.

POEA administrator Hans Cacdac earlier stressed in an email reply to The SUN’s queries that prior online registration is necessary before a returning worker can be cleared for departure.
“To be exempted, one must be in the POEA database. One can’t just present oneself to LAC and expect clearance,” he said.

Cacdac is expected to make a progress report to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III one month after the implementation of the OEC exemption.

According to the POEA Board, the new measure is being put in place in accordance with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s directive to streamline processes in the deployment of OFWs.
It was also in response to a clamor from OFWs for an easier way to process their work-related documents.

Kumaripas ng takbo

Urong-sulong si Ana sa pagdalo sa araw ng pagdinig ng kanyang kaso. Napapaniwala kasi siya ng isang mabulaklak na dilang recruiter na mabibigyan siya agad ng trabaho sa Canada, kapalit ng halagang $15,000 kaya hindi siya nag-atubiling humingi ng tulong sa isang tiya na matagal nang nagyayaya sa kanya na lumipat doon.

Huli na nang malaman niyang wala talagang naghihintay na trabaho sa kanya sa Canada, at ang recruiter na kumumbinsi sa kanya at tumanggap ng kanyang pera ay nagtatago na. Gustong-gusto man niyang pumunta sa pagdinig ng kaso ay hindi niya makuhang magpaalam sa kanyang amo. Sa bandang huli ay nasabi din niya na may kukunin lang siyang gamot mula sa isang kababayan.

Napapayag naman ang kanyang masungit na amo sa kundisyon na ihahatid muna niya ang kanyang alaga sa eskwela. Ang siste e alas nuwebe ang takdang pagdinig, nguni’t bandang alas otso y medya na nang maihatid niya ang bata. Pasakay pa lang siya ng MTR mula sa Kwun Tong nang sabihan siya ng isang kasama na huwag siyang magpapahuli at baka ibasura ang kanyang kaso.

Sa sinabing iyon ay tarantang kumaripas na ng takbo si Ana. Halos liparin niya ang korte mula sa istasyon ng MTR sa Wanchai dahil ayaw niyang mabalewala ang lahat ng pinaghirapan niya ng ilang araw, at para din mabawi ang malaking halaga na inutang pa niya sa kanyang tiya.

Natanggal na’t lahat ang strap ng kanyang sandals, at di iilang tao ang nasagi niya sa daan, nguni’t hindi pa rin siya tumigil. Pagdating niya sa korte na putlang putla at gulo-gulo ang buhok ay nadatnan niya ang isang kaibigan na swerteng nabigyan ng basbas ng korte na tumayo bilang kinatawan niya.

Sinenyasan siyang huwag na munang magsalita at baka mapagalitan silang lahat dahil nahuli siya nang dating. Ngunit maigi na lang din na nandoon siya dahil nakatulong siya sa pagpapakopya ng dokumento, at narinig niya ang matamis na utos ng hukom na ibalik ng palalong rekruter ang kanyang pera.

Si Ana, 29, ay dating nagtrabaho sa Kuwait at mahigit isang taon pa lang sa kanyang amo sa Hong Kong. --- DCLM