Mareklamo kasi, kaya nasisante

Mag-iisang buwan pa lamang si Leila sa kanyang amo nang  hilingin niya na bigyan din siya ng prutas araw-araw. Dahilan niya ay kailangan niya ito para sa vitamin C na makakatulong para maging malusog siya lagi at malakas ang resistensiya sa sakit.

Laking gulat niya nang bigla siyang sisantehin kinabukasan, at pababain noon din. Nagbalik-tanaw siya sa kung ano ang posibleng dahilan bukod sa paghingi niya ng prutas, at naalala niya na nagreklamo na din siya minsan na nahihilo siya tuwing pumupunta sila ng alaga niyang baby sa bahay ng lola nito.

Mula daw noong magreklamo siya ay yung matanda na ang pumumunta sa kanila, at marahil ay nadagdagan ang inis ng amo nang humiling siya ng prutas araw-araw.

Nagsisisi man ay wala siyang nagawa kundi tanggapin ang kanyang isang buwang sahod at parehong halaga kapalit ng isang buwang pasabi, kasama ang plane ticket pauwi.

Sa ngayon ay nagbabakasali siyang makakita ng ibang amo, at kapag may kumuha daw sa kanya ay hindi na siya magrereklamo. Naisip niya tuloy ang payo ng kanyang agency na huwag magrereklamo kung bago pa lamang dahil baka iyon ang maging dahilan ng pagkawala ng trabaho.

Si Leila ay tubong Bisaya at may pamilyang iniwan sa Pilipinas. – Marites Palma

Militants call anew for OEC scrapping

By Daisy CL Mandap

A militant Filipino migrants group is to call for the total scrapping of the overseas employment certificate in a protest set to be held outside Admiralty Centre (where the Philippine Overseas Labor Office is located) on Sunday, Dec. 18.

In a statement issued ahead of the rally held to coincide with International Migrants Day, United Filipinos -Migrante Hong Kong decried the Philippine Overseas Employment Administ-ration’s (POEA) decision to issue exemptions to the OEC, instead of abolishing it altogether.

Because of this, workers set to return home for the holidays have had to again endure several hours of queuing to get into Polo just to get help in creating accounts through which the exemption slips are issued.

Unifil-Migrante chairperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez said in a statement: “Our demand was very clear – to abolish the OEC once and for all. We never asked for exemption. If only the POEA  listened to us, we would not have to suffer this crisis again.”

She noted that after meeting with them in October, Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre decided to issue temporary exemption slips to speed up the queues ahead of the anticipated Christmas holiday rush.

“But even this (the issuance of exemption slips) has already been suspended by POEA,” said Pelaez.

Migrante also decried the acts of certain individuals or groups of making money off applicants who are required to set up email accounts and go online to sign up with the OEC registration site, BMOnline.

“Naglipana ang mga buwaya na nambibiktima sa mga nakapila sa POLO para kumuha ng OEC. Naniningil sila ng $70-$100 para sa pag-setup ng e-mail address at BMonline registration. Nagbebenta din sila ng forms,” said Migrante’s statement.

Other reports that reached The SUN indicated the main culprit as the operator of a first floor shop in Admiralty Centre.

“(Pero) kung wala lang sana ang kilo-kilometrong pila... kung ginawa lang sana ng POEA ang gusto nating mangyari noon - ABOLISH THE OEC - hindi na sana mape-perwisyo at makokotongan ang ating mga kababayang uuwi ngayong kapaskuhan,” said the statement.

The scrapping of the OEC, which is supposed to prove the tax-exempt status of an OFW, has long been demanded by Filipinos in Hong Kong. Without the certificate, OFWs returning to their job sites are not allowed to fly out of the Philippines.

The OEC costs $20 each time, but it is the long hours of waiting to get it issued by Polo that has long been a concern in Hong Kong, where there are about 187,000 OFWs who need it to return to their work place.

In response to the call, the POEA through then administrator Hans Cacdac ordered in September that OECs will no longer be required of workers returning to the same employers at the same job site. However, they were required to register online to get an exemption certificate – and still queue up to get Polo to verify the data that they entered.

OFW found dead in suspected suicide

The Filipina died in one of the units in Peak Providence  in Tai Po. (Photo credit: Google Maps)

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 53-year-old Filipina was found dead on Dec 9 in a flat in Taipo, New Territories, apparently killing herself by burning charcoal, police said.

The victim, surnamed Tabor, was reportedly found unconscious by residents of the unit in Peak Providence  at 5 Fo Chun Road at around 3pm on that day.

Friends and other Filipina domestic workers in Taipo expressed shock on Facebook on hearing about Tabor’s death.

The victim, said to be from Bicol, was reportedly separated from her husband and had no child.
Many of her friends posted about seeing her walking her employers’ dog in the neighborhood. They said they had no idea why she would take her life.

A spokesperson from the Police Public Relations Bureau said a suicide note was found in the room where Tabor was found. She was declared dead at the scene, and her case was
classified as “dead body found”.

Her death brought to 14 the number of deaths involving Filipinos in Hong Kong that were reported to the Consulate from Nov 1 to Dec 9 this year, Vice Consul Alex Vallespin told The SUN.
Of this number, nine were OFWs, four were residents and one was a tourist.

Vallespin said that 12 of the deaths were due to natural causes, one a jobsite accident, and Tabor’s a suspected suicide.

Vallespin said those who died of natural causes suffered from various illnesses such as heart disease, pneumonia, liver problem, leukemia, kidney failure, and breast cancer, among other diseases.
In the case of the jobsite accident, the fatality was a 57-year-old construction worker  who fell to his death while repairing a tower crane at a Castle Peak work site on Nov 28.

Police said the victim was taken unconscious to Tuen Mun Hospital, where he was certified dead.
The case was classified as industrial accident.

POLO tells OFWs: Register online for OEC exemption

A crowd of about OEC exemption applicants, one bringing along her infant ward in a pram, wait for their turn at the POLO annex in Admiralty Centre Tower 1. On Sunday, Dec 4, there were about 600 applicants.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Overseas Filipino workers going home for Christmas will now have to register online to get exemption from the overseas employment certificate or OEC.

Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre told The SUN that at least two airports in the Philippines are no longer accepting the temporary exemption slips that he ordered to be issued to fast-track the process for the thousands of OFWs set to go home over Christmas.

He anticipates that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration itself will stop allowing those with the temporary slips to go through airports unhindered.

“Natatakot kami baka idi-disable na ng POEA, kasi kapag nagbigay kami, baka hindi io-honor doon, mabuti i-BM Online na lang lahat,” Labatt De la Torre said.

He said immigration officers in at least two airports outside Metro Manila have begun refusing to honor the temporary slip – fist, Clark International Airport in Pampanga last month, and Mactan International Airport in Cebu last week.

The hiccup prompted Labatt De la Torre to ask the POEA to intervene.

“Bakit sa ibang lugar sa Pilipinas puwede tapos sa Cebu hindi puwede?” Labatt said.
But without any official word from POEA, he decided not to take the risk of seeing OFWS stranded back in the Philippines because they don’t have the officially recognized pass.

Thus, as of the start of the month, his office began processing OEC exemption only for applicants with online appointments.

First-time online registrants will also have to pay the $20 OEC processing fee in order to get their registration validated, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office said.

The labor attaché said the quota for the appointment system was 400, but, about 200 applicants unregistered online also came. Thus, two queues were formed: one for those already registered, and those applying to be registered.

People with the temporary paper slips were directed to go to the POLO office on the 16th floor to get help in registering online from volunteers.

At the 8pm close of the POLO on Dec. 4, all the 600 had already been registered online and given their OEC exemptions.

“Kaya naman pala,” Labatt de la Torre told The SUN.

He said he would rather be criticized for the long queues of workers waiting for their turn to be helped with the online registration, than having to rescue anybody long-distance if the POEA suddenly scrapped the temporary exemption slips.

He said for now he would issue the temporary slips only in extreme cases, such as for OFWs who had to go home urgently for three days only without any opportunity to go online there, or for old people.

Lab siya ni Tatang

Magmula nang mag retiro si Tatang na bossing ni Gingging ay naging masikip na ang mundo nilang dalawa. Kung dati kasi ay libre si Gingging na gawin ang gusto halos maghapon ay hindi na ngayon dahil nasa bahay na lagi si Tatang na isang diborsyado.

Lalo pang nadagdagan ang problema niya dahil kumuha ng mas maliit na bahay si Tatang, at isinamang lumipat ang girlfriend niyang Intsik na hindi gaanong kasundo ng Pinay.

Naging malungkutin din si Gingging dahil wala na sa malapit ang mga naging matalik niyang kaibigan sa dati nilang tirahan. Wala na siyang kakuwentuhan o kakulitan sa mga panahong libre sila lahat sa mga gawaing bahay. Bukod dito, ang dating maluwang at kumpleto sa gamit na kuwarto niya ay napalitan ng isang maliit na lungga na halos kama na lang niya ang maaaring magkasya, at walang bintana.

Dahil sa biglaang pagpapalit ng kanyang sitwasyon ay naisip ni Gingging na umuwi na lang sa Pilipinas. Tutal ay matagal na naman siyang hinihikayat ng mga kapatid at pamangkin na mag for good na dahil wala na siyang kailangan pang gastusan.

Nakatulong siya sa pag-aaral ng karamihan sa mga ito, at gusto nilang suklian ang pagpapakasakit na ginawa niya para sa kanila. Nagtayo na din ang mga kaanak niya ng isang negosyo na maaari niyang tulungang patakbuhin sa kanyang pag-uwi.

Kaya kahit may posibilidad na hindi siya makatanggap ng long service sa 20 taon na pinagsilbihan niya si Tatang dahil siya ang umayaw sa trabaho ay ok na kay Gingging. Uuwi na siya talaga, at wala nang makakapagbago sa kanyang desisyon.

Isang buwan bago ang balak niyang umuwi na sa Maynila para doon na mag Pasko ay kinausap na ni Gingging ang amo para magpaalam. Nagulat si Tatang dahil hindi pa naman matatapos ang kanilang kontrata.

Gayunpaman ay hindi ito nagreklamo, bagkus ay humingi pa ng tawad sa hindi nila pagkakaunawaan sa mga nagdaang buwan. Nagpasalamat din ito sa naging tapat na paglilingkod ni Gingging, lalo na noong ito ay nagkasakit nang malubha, at halos hindi na makagalaw mag-isa. Sa bandang huli ay sinabi nitong ibibigay niya kay Gingging ang nararapat para sa dalawang dekada nitong pagsisilbi sa kanya.

Tuwang-tuwa naman ang Pinay dahil hindi lang medyo malaki ang ibinigay na halaga sa kanya, kundi dahil na din maghihiwalay sila nang maayos ng among itinuring na niyang kaibigan dahil sa kabaitang ipinakita nito sa kanya. Si Gingging ay mahigit 50 anyos, dalaga, at taga Cainta. - DCLM

Sikap celebrates 32nd year

The yearly lunch-get-together marks Sikap’s anniversary celebration.

Sikap Association, one of the oldest Filipino community organizations in Hong Kong with possibly the biggest group of male drivers as members, celebrated its 32nd founding anniversary with a buffet lunch at The Harbourside in Wanchai on Nov 27.

Many members brought along their family members, turning the lunch get-together into one big, happy celebration, with about 100 people in attendance.

Afterwards, most members led by their longtime president, Rey Vital, crossed to a nearby park for a group photo.

The lunch get-together also served as farewell for one of its longtime members, Jo Campos (also a regular contributor of The SUN), who is due to return home to the Philippines for good on Dec. 18.
Sikap ( for Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino) Association was founded in 1984 by a group of sports-minded OFWs whose objective was to organize sports events and tournaments. Through the years, Sikap Association has evolved into a tennis-oriented group, with focus on organizing friendly tournaments and clinics for those who wish to learn the sport or hone their skill in the sport. The games also serve to promote camaraderie and good health among members and friends. - DCLM

Eggstremers: Motley birds of the mountains

By Vir B. Lumicao

Perched on a promontory, an Eggstremer
gazes at the horizon for more peaks to climb. 

‘Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.’ –Edward Abbey

This group of Filipina hikers is small and informal, and started climbing Hong Kong’s mountains as one only in July, but it is already leaving a mark in its conquest of the territory’s peaks.

From a mere desire to reach heights for the sense of freedom the outdoor activity provides, members of “Eggstremers Pinoy Hikers” have broadened their horizon by hiking for a cause in whatever way they can.

In late October, Hong Kong netizens were abuzz when a local hiker photographed a group of Filipinas collecting and carrying rubbish strewn by other hikers on the trails and slopes of Ma On Shan. At the time five other group of Filipina hikers were doing the same “small act” and earned praises from Hongkongers who felt ashamed it had to take foreigners to clean up their backyard.
One of the groups was Eggstremers, which joined the cleanup organized by Prof Rob Hayes of the South China University in Guangzhou.

Environmental cleanup is just one of Eggstremers’ advocacies. The group has also lately started a small-scale project that involves donating school supplies and food for primary pupils in impoverished villages in the Philippines.

“We did that last Sunday (Nov 20), the donations for Barbaza, Antique,” Bhyrd, a leading member of the group, told The SUN in a group-chat interview on Facebook on Nov 22. The donations consisted of chairs and foodstuff for elementary pupils in Barbaza.

Pausing at the foot of the Double Dragon
waterfall before climbing upstream.

On Dec 2-4, the group will stage its second school supplies donation project, this time in Alimodian, Iloilo. “Our group pledged school supplies for the students,” said Bhyrd, a communications technician from Alimodian.

Gina, an Ilocana from Pangasinan, said the group will continue donating to needy schools as long as the organizers of the events are trustworthy.

Bhyrd, Rissa, Abbi, Gina, Macky, Joy Ann, and Si acted as marshals in a triathlon event in Discovery Bay at the invitation of Liza Avelino, a compatriot and fellow helper who made news last year with her solo assault on a sister peak of Mount Everest in Nepal.

But they were there to join a hike to help raise Php5 million to pay for a liver transplant on Zane Franco Ramos, a 15-month-old boy from Trece Martires, Cavite, who is suffering from acute biliary atresia. The disease is a life-threatening condition in babies in which the bile ducts do not have normal openings, causing liver swelling.

The eight hikers, however, are not distracted from climbing heights by their desire to help other people or to collect litter that mindless trekkers leave on Hong Kong slopes.

The team savors triumph at the
hexagonal rock formations in Long Ke. 

Since they formed the group in July this year, they have hiked several of the territory’s 130 highest peaks, such as Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s tallest mountain; Lantau Peak, its second highest; Green Dragon, Double Dragon, Tiger Roar, Mount Stenhouse, North Heaven Gate, South Heaven Gate, West Dog Teeth, Dragon’s Back and Mount Parker.

What distinguishes these adventure-seekers from other hikers is they avoid the beaten trail and, instead, crawl up rocky gullies and streams, hug rock faces and trudge through thick vegetation to “add to the challenge”.

Each Eggstremer has a bird name or fowl feature – Bhyrd is called Batik (speckled, as a quail egg), Abbi is known as Pugo (quail), Rissa is Kulago (Waray for a night bird), Macky is Lawin (hawk), Maylen is Maya, Gina is Agila (eagle), Joy Ann is Itik (duck).

Abbi explained, “Kasi when you think of a bird or something na lumilipad, there’s freedom.”
Why do they call themselves Eggstremers? “It comes from a joke, we say we think like an egg (can an egg really think?) But, seriously, we picture eggs in our minds as circular or oval-shaped, infinite, no end, no count, no boundaries, no limits, no boss, no leader, no member. We are friends, we are sisters, we are family,” Abbi said philosophically.

A pose with International mountaineer and fellow
OFW Liza Avelino at on the MacLehose Trail in Sai Kung. 

The group stands out because the members are “being true to ourselves, no pretensions, what you see is what you get”, the single mom from Lucena added.

The Eggstremers come from motley backgrounds. Bhyrd was a communications technician who was a domestic helper here from 1997 to 2002, then worked in a Taiwan electronics factory for nine years, before returning here in 2013.

Macky was a chef in Manila, while Joy Ann was an English teacher for Korean and Japanese in Baguio City for three years, a nurse for two years, and a kindergarten teacher in Indonesia for a year before coming to Hong Kong 13 months ago.

Si worked as a cashier in a Manila office, office assistant in a Japanese firm in Cavite, technical staff, encoder, production staff at trwo electronics companies before coming to Hong Kong. Rissa worked in Syria and Kuwait for almost five years previously.

Macky said what binds the group is love for adventure. “Nagkakasundu-sundo kami sa adventures, no dull moment basta nasa trai, maligaw man ang katwiran ay kasama iyan sa hike… at hindi susuko kahit mahirap ang akyatin,” she said.

Hiking has become a habit for Eggstremers such that its members say they don’t feel well and find the day boring if they don’t climb a mountain on their holiday. They all feel the stress go away and their bodies energized as they go romancing Hong Kong’s mountains.

DWEP: Katuparan ng pangako

Ang University of HK ang nakaugaliang lugar ng pagtitipon.

Ni Marites Palma

Dalawang taon na ang nakalipas magmula nang magbitiw ng pangako si Dr. Michael Manio magkakaroon ng konkretong tulong pangkalusugan para sa mga OFWs ang  Hong Kong University, kung saan siya ay isang medical researcher at propesor.

Ang pangako na binigkas niya sa selebrasyon ng ika-limang taong anibersaryo ng Isabela Federation noong Okt 2, 2014 ay isasagawa daw niya sa pakikipagtulungan sa mga migranteng manggagawa ng Pilipinas.

Ilang buwan pagkatapos nito, o noong Peb. 15, 2015, ay pormal nang inilunsad ang  HKU ang kanilang “Domestic Workers Empowerment Program in Hong Kong” (DWEP). Sa araw na ito, Linggo, unang binuksan ng HKU ang pintuan nito para sa maraming manggagawang Pilipino. Nilibot sila sa buong campus para matunghayan ang makabagong kagamitan ng unibersidad, at masanay sila sa paglilibot sa iba-ibang gusali doon.

Kasama ni “Doc Mike” ang ilang mga estudyante ng HKU sa pagsalubong sa mga manggagawa at ipaliwanag ang mithiin ng kanilang proyekto. Unang una na rito ang hangarin na mabigyan ng disenteng lugar na mapupuntahan ng mga manggagawa tuwing araw ng kanilang pahinga. Ayon sa mga volunteer, nakita daw kasi nila ang maraming manggagawa na sa gilid ng kalsada nagkakainan at nagkukuwentuhan tuwing sila ay nakapahinga sa araw ng Linggo. Habag ang naramdaman nila diumano, dahil sa nakitang sitwasyon nng mga manggagawa, na hindi natitinag sa kanilang puwesto, mainit man o malamig ang panahon. Kung minsan, kahit pa humahagupit ang malakas na ulan.

Sa pamamagitan ng kanilang ugnayan ay nalaman ng mga taga HKU ang mga hinaing ng mga manggagawa tungkol sa kanilang kalusugan, at problema sa pamilya at kapwa migrante. Napag-alaman din na sa kabila ng kanilang matinding pinagdadaanan ay nagagawa pa rin nilang manilbihan nang maayos at matapat bilang tagapag-alaga ng mga anak at matatandang miyembro ng pamilya ng mga taga Hong Kong. Ito ang siyang nagbigay-daan para makapagtrabaho ang maraming kababaihan dito at, makatulong para sa patuloy na pag-usad ng lokal na ekonomiya.

Ayon kay Doc Manio, itinatag ang  proyektong ito para sa mga mangagagawa bunsod ng hangaring mabigyan sila ng lakas ng loob at positibong pananaw sa buhay, mapanatili ang kanilang masiglang pangangatawan at kaligtasan, at maging masaya at  kapaki-pakinabang ang kanilang pagtira sa Hong Kong.

May outing din upang makita ang magagandang
tanawin ng Hong Kong.

Kaakibat nito ang hangarin naman ng mga estudyante na maunawaan ang kultura ng mga migranteng manggagawa, at ang pinakamahalaga, ang mabuo ang magandang ugnayan at samahan sa pagitan ng mga manggagawa at kanilang mga pinagsisilbihang pamilya.

Sa ngayon ang DWEP ay may 4,073 nang miyembro, na kasama sa kanilang Facebook page.  Nakapagtapos na ng pagsasanay ang unang grupo ng mga miyembro ng DWEP, at kasalukuyang nag-aaral ang mga miyembro ng batch 2.

Ayon kay Colleen Navarro na siyang secretarya ng batch 2, ang pagkakaroon ng mga opisyal sa kanilang grupo ang naging dahilan kung bakit naging mas malapit ang sa isa’t isa ang kanilang mga miyembro. Dahil daw sa DWEP ay marami ang nailayo sa hindi kaaya-ayang pampalipas ng oras katulad ng sugal o pagsali-sali sa mga patimpalak kagandahan, na madalas magsanhi sa pagkabaon sa utang ng marami.

Malaking pasasalamat din ng mga estudyante ng DWEP dahil nabigyan sila ng pagkakataong magamit ang mga pasilidad ng unibersidad at maturuan ng walang bayad ng mga de kalidad na propesor dito. Alam daw nila na napakalaking sakripisyo para sa mga volunteer ang gugulin ang dapat sana’y oras nila ng pahinga sa pagtuturo upang mapagyaman ang personalidad ng mga mga migranteng manggagawa.

Sa kabila nito, hindi lang sa loob ng silid-paaralan natututo ang mga miyembro ng DWEP dahil nagkakaroon din sila ng pagsasanay sa baybay dagat, at pati ng pamumundok para mamulot ng basura, alinsunod sa paksa ng kanilang leksiyon.

Para kay Navarro, ang pinakamasayang pangyayari ay noong bumisita sa DWEP ang MMK (Maalala Mo Kaya), ang drama sa TV na ang host ay si Charo Santos. Tatlong estudyante ng nagkaroon ng kakaibang pagkakataon na makapanayam ng sikat na aktres at TV host para ilahad ang kanilang personal na karanasan.

Ayon naman kay Gegerma Montero, ang pagkakabilang niya sa DWEP ay isang karangalan, at lubos niyang ipinagmamalaki na nakatuntong siya sa HKU.

“Natutunan ko ang mga ibang aspeto ng non-formal education gaya ng usaping pangkalusugan at kapaligiran, at ang mga batas na nakaka-apekto sa atin bilang dayuhang mangagagawa dito sa Hong Kong. Bukod dito, natutunan ko din ang tamang pakikisalamuha sa iba’t ibang lahi para magkaroon ng mga bagong kaibigan, at pati ang pag-improve ng aking self-esteem,” ayon kay Montero.

Dagdag ni Loria Sue, “ Ang natutunan ko ay tungkol sa health, gaya ng tamang impormasyon tungkol sa depression at paano ito mapaglalabanan ito. at pati na rin ang tungkol sa batas  ng Hong Kong - ang mga karapatan ko bilang manggagawa at mga issue na may kinalaman sa immigration. Natuto din ako ng pangangalaga sa kalikasan, at pati na kung paano makisalamuha sa mga estudyante ng HKU na mula pa sa iba-ibang panig ng mundo.”

Hindi naman maipaliwanag na tuwa ang naramdaman ni Krizel Joy Muega dahil nakatagpo daw siya ng mga bagong kakilala na naging mga matalik ng kaibigan at kapamilya na kung ituring niya ngayon, ng dahil sa DWEP. Marami din daw siyang natutunan na leksiyon sa buhay na nagsilbing daan upang maging mas mabuti siyang mamamayan, at maging mas responsableng tao.

Si Vicky Munar naman na kabilang na ng maraming grupo sa Hong Kong katulad ng CARD OFW at Lakbay Dangal ay lagi nang inaabangan ang mga gawain ng DWEP tuwing Linggo dahil mas nahahasa ang kanyang kaalaman ng dahil sa mga ito. Kabilang dito ang mga “friendly competition” sa cheering, cooking, dancing at choral singing.

Para sa maraming miyembro ng DWEP, naging isang pangalawang pamilya na nila ang grupo dahil dito sila natututo ng tungkol sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng buhay, at umusbong ang isang samahan na pinatatag ng katapatan sa isa’s isa.`

Ang mga kasalukuyang lider ng DWEP ay sina: Aldwin Mas, pangulo; Brenda Atrero, pangalawang pangulo(interrnal); Len Flores, pangalawang pangulo(external); Colleen Navarro, kalihim; Carolle Obillo, pangalawang kalihim; Esther Ducusin, taga-ingat yaman; Ellen Almacin, pangalawang ingat yaman; at Dami, Indonesian representative.

Masama ang loob sa kawalan ng tiwala ng amo

Hindi makapaniwala si Magda nang malaman ang pag-trato sa kanyang kaibigang si Joana ng mga amo nitong Westerner na ka-building nila. Buong akala niya kasi ay maganda ang trato ng mga ito nito kay Joana dahil wala naman itong nakukuwento sa kanya kahit araw araw silang nagkakasama.

Siya kasi ay hindi din naging ugali ang makinig sa kuwentuhan ng ibang mga kasambahay tungkol sa mga pangit na ugali ng kanilang mga amo. Kaya ganoon na lang ang pagtataka ni Magda nang makita niya minsan si Joana na nakaupo sa ibaba ng building nila, bandang alas otso ng umaga. Alam niya na stay-out ito pero hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit hindi pa ito pumanhik sa bahay ng amo niya.

Nang tanungin niya, ganito ang naging sagot ni Joan, “Alam mo kaibigan, wala akong susi sa bahay ng mga amo ko. Nagdo-doorbell ako kapag pumapasok na ako sa bahay nila, at kapag paalis na sila ay saka ibibigay yung susi ng bahay. Pero oras na dumating sila sa hapon ay ini-intrega ko din kaagad ang iniwang susi sa akin. Hindi lang iyan, may camera pa sa lahat ng parte ng bahay."

Idinagdag pa ni Joana na masyadong istrikto ang mga amo pagdating sa pagkain ng alaga niya. Hindi niya ito puwedeng pakainin ng kung ano ano lang, at hindi din puwedeng gamitan ng sabon kapag pinapaliguan.

Sobrang kuripot din ng mga ito dahil pati sa paglalaba ng mga damit nila ay kakaunting sabon lang ang ipinalalagay sa washing machine. Dahil bawal na gamitan niya ng dryer ang mga damit at isampay sa verandah para sana maarawan at may kakaibang amoy na ang mga ito. Sa kabila nito, ayaw pa rin siyang pagamitan ng dehumidifier para sana matanggal kahit paano ang amoy na nakulob. Tapos ay panay reklamo daw ang mga ito na mabaho ang mga damit nila.

Minsan naman ay pinaratangan siya ng kanyang amo na pinapakain niya ang kanyang alaga ng strawberry candy dahil may nakita ito na ganitong klase ng candy sa gulong ng pram ng kanyang alaga. Sa inis ni Joana ay sinabihan niya ang amo na alam niya ang patakaran nila na ang dapat lang niyang ipakain sa bata ay ang pagkain na ibinibigay nila.

Hindi nakasagot ang amo, pero nalaman ni Joana pagkatapos na tinanong mismo nito ang amo ni Magda kung pinapakain ba nila ng strawberry candy ang kanilang anak. Napahiya daw ito nang sabihan ng amo ni Magda ng, “My daughter doesn’t eat any sweets”. Pero hindi pa ito nakuntento, at nagtanong pa rin sa ibang mga kasambahay kung binibigyan ba nila ng pagkain ang kanyang anak.

Ayon naman sa mga ito ay hindi nila binibigyan ng kahit ano ang bata dahil binalaan na sila ni Joan na bawal pakainin ito ng iba.

Lalong nainis si Joan sa ganitong ginagawa ng kanyang amo, pero pinagtitiisan na lang niya dahil kailangan niya ng pera para sa mga anak na nagsisipag-aral. Ang kainaman lamang sa kawalan nila ng tiwala sa kanya ay nakakauwi na siya agad kapag dumating na ang mga ito.

At kahit may ginagawa pa siya o mayroon pa siyang niluluto ay pinapauwi na siya kung may pupuntahan ang mga ito pagkagaling sa kanilang trabaho.

Bakasyon grande din siya tuwing out-of-town ang mga ito dahil ayaw siyang iwanan ng susi, kaya kahit linis ay hindi niya ginagawa.

Gayunpaman, nakakasakit daw sa loob ang ganitong kawalan nila ng tiwala sa kanya. Si Joana ay 40 taong gulang, tubong Benguet, at may mga anak. Isang taon na siyang naninilbihan sa mga amo na nakatira sa New Territories. — Marites Palma

How can I invest if my savings is only 5,000?

By Francisco J. Colayco

I always encourage those who have Php5,000 to put it in a well-managed Mutual Fund.  My assumption is that the Php5,000 is only a start.  In fact, I ask you to use the formula “Income minus Savings equals Expenses” and the Savings can be added to the Php5,000 in the Mutual Fund each time it reaches P1,000.  This is easy to do if you are determined and if you have the discipline to remember to do it.

A well-managed Mutual Fund is somehow diversified.  A Mutual Fund invests in different kinds of companies. An Equity Mutual Fund invests in many companies that are listed in the stock market. A Bond Mutual Fund invests in the borrowings of different companies or of the Philippine government.  A Balanced Mutual Fund invests both in companies in the stock market and in the borrowings of companies and the government.

Most Mutual Funds are investing in the same companies.This is because the companies in the Philippines that will allow investments from people who are not the original owners of the company are limited.  We are still in the process of developing our capital markets particularly the stock market.  It also takes time for companies that need big borrowings to be considered as credit worthy enough to bring in people and other companies to invest in them.

The differences among the Mutual Funds are really in their managers’ ability to choose how much is to be invested in each company and the timing of their investments. You can see this in the performance of each Mutual Fund that is available in the website www.pifa.com.ph

If your only savings is the Php5,000 and you are not earning any other income, then, you may need to re-think putting the entire Php5,000 in a Mutual Fund.  Although it is unlikely that you will lose your entire Php5,000 in a well-managed Mutual Fund, you might  find yourself in bad need of cash and be forced to sell your shares when the fund value is not good and thus lose some of your money.  Your first priority is to set aside funds for emergency.  You are not really in a position yet to invest long term if you have not yet saved for personal emergencies.

If you have big savings, you may want to invest in other options in addition to Mutual Funds.  You choice will again depend on when you will need your money.  You need your Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth and your personal financial plan.

And for those with regular income, another option is the Variable Universal Life Insurance which covers you for health, investment and protection.

When in Manila, consult on how to invest your savings of Php50k, come to Unit 807 Citystate Center Condominium; 709 Shaw Boulevard Pasigany day Monday to Friday; 9am-6pm.Call for an appointment with our trained advisors: 02-6373741, 09178537333, 09199990906.

Give the gift of knowledge.  My books are available with free delivery and special offers for Christmas.

---

Francisco J. Colayco is an entrepreneur, a venture developer and financial advisor.  He is the Author of Seven Bestsellers in the Pera Palaguin Series, the latest of which is now available in bookstores:  “Wealth Reached. Money Worked. Pera Mo, Pinalago Mo!” Find his works and catch him on TV and radio.  Check out: www.colaycofinancialeducation.com, www.franciscocolayco.com, www.kskcoop.com, FaceBook and Instagram.

Art teaches us to never forget

By William Elvin

Art’s high purpose is to help people to never forget. Through whatever medium, art documents events, culture, perspectives, traditions, and beliefs of people during the time of the work’s creation. We learn so much about civilization and human history - down to how people ate, worked, slept – by looking at various artworks, reading documented stories and mythologies, and listening to music of different eras. Art helps us study, critique, and judge how nations and states rise, and for some, fall into chaos.

As a theatre artist, I have come to realize that my chosen creative medium is a powerful social tool that can educate and inform an audience through entertainment. It creates a unique storytelling dynamic that allows a two-way conversation between the performer and the spectator. When done right, it can immediately strike one’s heart and stimulate one’s mind perhaps more than music, movies, books, photography, sculpture, and painting.

One incident stands out in my mind as proof of how powerful the performing arts could be in getting a message across. In 2005, I went to UP Diliman to watch a stage production entitled ‘Sepharad: Voces de Exilio’, directed by Jose Estrella. In one scene, the woman seated next to me suddenly spoke and delivered a monologue from her seat. She was talking about how she was raped and tortured during the Martial Law era. The actress (Sigrid Bernardo) then walked around the audience area, describing in horrific detail the harrowing experience her character had at the hands of abusive soldiers. The vignette ended with her undressing onstage, showing the scars on her body.
After the show, I left the theater with a newfound passion as an artist and creator. I went out as a passionate person who wanted to create something powerful, socially relevant and artistically striking at the same time. Right then and there, I decided to study the art of performance and theatre to be able to create potent productions like what I just saw.

A few years later, I am proud to have co-written some original stage musicals that commented on Filipino society and discussed important and relevant issues through storytelling and entertainment. Wrapped around song-and-dance numbers and visual spectacle were real, big social issues that needed to be addressed.

The only problem with this art form is that it could be ephemeral. Live performances, once done, cannot be repeated. It is true that we can capture performances on video, but theatre shows are meant to be performed and appreciated live. No video or film recording could equal the impact of a good theatrical performance on stage.

The ephemeral nature of theatre, however, makes it a more powerful and timeless social tool. A stage production can be reshaped and reinterpreted time and time again and given relevance through its script or libretto.

Recently, I again listened to the music of one of my major works in the Philippines, ‘Maxie: The Musical’ (a stage adaptation of the indie movie hit ‘Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros’). In it, the poor family of the titular character resorts to illegal trade to survive. Eventually, a corrupt policeman catches Maxie’s father committing an illegal act and pulls the trigger, then left the corpse lying on a street in Sampaloc, Manila. This scene segues into playwright Nicolas Pichay’s chilling lyric sung by Maxie’s brothers: ‘Ganito ang kapalaran/Parang sa ipis lang/Inaambangan, hinahampas, pinipigtas, pinapaslang’.

If the musical is to be re-staged today, it would automatically be a reflection on the issue of extra-judicial killings and how it relates to the situation of the urban poor. We tackle those important topics while being entertained by the personal life and love story of Maxie, the young and innocent gay boy who falls in love with the same policeman trying to ensnare his family.

This essay suggests the possibility of using theatre as a form of education through entertainment. If we are to make people care about the present, inform them of our nation’s grim past, and warn them of a future marked by impunity and indifference, a timely stage production can be the perfect vehicle for our message. The best way to do this is to think of an important and relevant issue and dress it up with a story that they can relate to so they get hooked.

To further illustrate my point, I offer a free, simple creative pitch for an original, new musical I have in mind. This is a shout-out to anyone who might be interested to produce it.

We present two love stories parallel to each other, one set in the very near future, and one set in the 1970s. The two young Filipino couples are thrown into similar situations, though they live in different times. They meet each other. They fall in love. One morning, they wake up and realize that their freedom is taken away from them. They see the injustice and the abuse in their midst. In the 1970s, it was called ‘Martial Law’. In the looming future, it’s called a ‘War on Insurgence’. The couples fight to have their freedom back. But the young lovers in the 1970s do not survive their battle, as they are torn apart and disappear, never to be seen again. Their modern counterpart, though, can still avoid the same seemingly inescapable fate. They still have hope.

See? The viewers can have their “kilig”, “hugot”, and “hashtagable” quotes on social media. The audience can sing, dance, and cry with our heroes in spectacular and visually stimulating productions. At the same time, they have no choice but to face the brutal reality of a history that is being erased and revised. And through the entertainment, we also guide them to be aware of the responsibility they have now of ensuring that it never happens again.

In this regard, it is the artist’s responsibility to observe, document, interpret, and create his art with the intention of making the audience to never forget.

---


William Elvin is a professional theater artist and singer-songwriter. He was the musical director of several plays performed and produced in Manila, including Dulaang UP’s ‘Rizal X’, and Bit by Bit/Peta Theater’s ‘Maxie: The Musical’. His latest stage play, co-written with director Pat Valera ‘Mula Sa Buwan’, will premiere this month at the Irwin Theater in Ateneo de Manila University. He is currently based in Hong Kong, and is working full-time with The Sun HK. 

Mga manloloko

Sa panahon ngayon ng maraming seminar tungkol “financial literacy” at “financial education”, iisipin natin na mas magiging maingat na ang lahat ng OFW sa Hong Kong pagdating sa paghawak ng pera. Pero mayroon pa rin mangilan-ngilan sa atin na nasasadlak sa pagkakautang na sa simula pa lang ay naiwasan na sana.

Gaya na lang ng dalawang nakausap namin, na dumulog sa Mission for Migrant Workers upang magpatulong. Ang paglalahad nila ng kanilang kuwento ay nagbigay sa amin ng kalaman sa paraan ng mga linta, kabilang ang ilan nating kapwa Pilipino, na sumisipsip ng ating pinagpawisan sa pamamagitan ng malaking interes sa pautang. At ang patuloy na pagsasamantala nila sa ugali nating mga Pilipino na tuparin ang ating mga pangako, kahit tayo ay nasasakal na.

Ang unang halimbawa ay si Loring (hindi niya tunay na pangalan). May nakausap lang siyang isang kapwa Pilipina na nag-alok ng pautang. Mabilis daw ang pag-process, maliit ang bayad buwan-buwan at aprubado agad kahit ilang buwan pa lang siyang nakararating sa Hong Kong. Kaya lang, hahawakan nila ang passport niya.

Sa madaling salita, pinautang si Loring ng HK$4,000. At dito na nagsimula ang kanyang kalbaryo. Ang interes pala dito ay 10 per cent kada buwan. Sa makatwid, bawa’t buwan ay magbabayad siya ng $400—at hindi mababawasan ang utang niya. At kung gusto niyang bayaran ang utang niya para mabawi ang passport na kailangan niya para magbakasyon sa Pilipinas sa Pasko, ito na ngayon ay $4,800. Pero ayaw nilang bayaran niya ang utang, para habambuhay ang pagbabayad niya ng interes.
Kung sobra na iyan, may mas masahol pa. Si Nettie (hindi rin niya tunay na pangalan) ay hindi man lang nakitman ang inutang.

Kinaibigan lang siya ng kapwa OFW. Minsan ay dumaing ito na nagkaroon ng biglang pangangailangan at nangutang. Nang sinabi niya na wala siyang pera, nagbigay ito ng solusyon: pahiram na lang ng passport. nalaman niya lang na nagkautang siiya nang tumawag ang kolektor.

Ilegal ang ganitong pautang, kaya puwedeng humingi ng tulong sa pulis. Dapat ay malaman ito mga biktima upang matigil na.

Never forget

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

Move on. At no time in our collective memory has this catch phrase been so overused.

It suggests that we are stuck in the past, remembering old wounds, reliving lost glory, and pining for what might have been.

It is what the Marcos apologists have been using to heap scorn on those who are again pumping fists in anger over the furtive burial of the dictator who refuses to go quietly into the dark yonder.

The suggestion is that those of us who felt betrayed by this treacherous act were living in the past, or are going against the grain of popular sentiment.

We have to forgive even if we can’t forget, they say, because the anger is misplaced and even counter-productive.

But is this right, or acceptable? Why must we allow ourselves to be silenced yet again by the same evil force that we fought so hard to vanquish?

What they don’t get, or refuse to see, is that we have moved on a long time ago. The Edsa Revolution was the pivotal point. It made many of us feel for the first time in 20 years that everything was all right in our part of world again.

For me, a martial law baby, it marked a time when I could finally leave behind the anger and terror that accompanied my growing up years. All my friends and neighbors who suffered during the dictator’s iron-fist rule were finally given justice. Thus, I could finally focus on myself and my own dreams. It was a time to explore.

I, along with many others in my generation, pushed all the cobwebs of the past behind us, and reveled in our newfound freedom. We grew up, got married, pursued our dreams, and settled down.

Those of us who couldn’t help but keep a wary eye on political developments back home did so openly. We spoke, wrote, and took action each time we noticed something was amiss out there.

For sure, the corruption, the influence peddling, even the killings continued. But much as we were angered by this, there was always the assurance at the back of our minds that the basic freedoms we regained were still there, ready to be brandished when necessary.

Thus, while we seethed at Erap’s inept leadership, Gloria’s greed, and even PNoy’s coddling of inept officials, we stayed put. After all, they knew better than to give in to the devious schemes of the dictator’s family raring to get back to power again.

But came November 8, when we were shaken out of our complacency by the highest court’s decision to affirm the new government’s move to allow the dictator’s carcass to be buried in Libingan ng Mga Bayani.

Hardly had we recovered from this nightmare when we were again hit, this time by Marcos’ hurried and secretive burial, in brazen disregard for the law and the collective fury of most Filipinos.

And so we marched yet again, dragging our much older bodies to the streets, and chanting the slogan we have kept close to our hearts:  “Marcos, Hitler, Diktador, Tuta!”

After 30 years of looking ahead, we have come full circle, repeating the vow we uttered more than three decades ago in Edsa, of not allowing another Marcos to step foot into Malacanang.

Never again.

To our amazement, our shouts were picked up by our youth, those whom we almost gave up on, thinking they could never be convinced to look at our past with compassion and understanding.

It gives us much hope to know that with our younger compatriots now by our side, that vow will forever be etched in the hearts of all peace-loving Filipinos.

Filmcass holds concert to celebrate life

Filmcass members renew their vow to pursue their advocacy: to help cancer patients fight the disease.

By Marites Palma

More than a hundred advocates of the Filipino Migrant Cancer Support Society (Filmcass) gathered on Chater Road on Nov. 13 for a celebration of life through a concert.

One of the biggest surprises of the event was Vice Consul Bobby Quintin, who volunteered to sing “People Need the Lord” a cappella for the crowd.

Quintin encouraged the members to continue doing the good works of their members who are already “in God’s  hands”. He promised them that the Philippine Consulate will always be the strongest supporter of the cancer-support organization.

Another performer was Pamela Bianca Landaga, who joined the group when her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. She sang another inspirational song, “Stand Up for Love”.

Lobrandado

In between the singing were testimonies of cancer patients like Necitas Lobrando, who left many in the audience in tears when she spoke about her battle with breast cancer, She recalled how he began suffering from severe back pain, not realizing that the cancer cells had already invaded her spinal cord. Though she is constantly in pain, she is grateful that her employer continues to support her in her battle against the deadly disease.

Lobrandado said she is fighting courageously for her child, who is about to finish her studies this school year.

“No matter what our situation is, just believe in God because He is the peddler of hope,” she said.

But it was not all tears for the brave patients. Donning colorful wigs and sexy costumes ala Madonna, a group of cancer survivors and patients danced to the delight of the crowd.

Pumping more energy into the concert was veteran singer and songwriter Penny Salcedo who sang the the Pinoy rock favorite, “Bonggahan”, before doing a soaring rendition of “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” with Wendie Sacedon.

The other performers who delighted the crowd were Jerelyn Lamparero and Wendy Sacedon who sang “The Prayer”,  and nine-year-old Joshua Salcedo who did Justin Bieber's “Love Yourself.”

The whole-day event was made livelier by dance numbers from different groups like The Love of Prison  Ministry, St Joseph the Workers, El Shaddai- Camarines, Batangas and Laguna Group, Solid for Christ, GSSI Tiger Bond HK, Sacred Heart Canossian Prayer Group, Mary Queen of Apostles Praesidium, Magnificial Praesidium, League of Filipino Midwives, Christ for All Ages, Simbayanang Kamppi, Filreflex, Tiger-HK, Guardian Brotherhood the Original, World Medical Service, Malou Pungtilan and Vizmin Band, Diocesan Pastoral Center for Filipino, Mary Queen of Love,  Laguna Achievers Workers Association, Radiant Organization of Amiable Drivers, CARD-MRI-OFW HK, St Teresa Filipino Grp, Star Pinoy HK, Chaplaincy for Filipino Migrants-Cathecheticla team.

Cabagis, NOPT and El Fodai Evangelisation extended help for the success of the celebration. The celebration was capped with lighted candles being offered for those who courageously fought for their lives until their last breath, with Sr Grace San Diego and Sr Felicitas Nisperos leading the prayers.

Social welfare attaché Elizabeth Dy who was among the guests, encouraged the public to approach her at the Philippine Consulate if they have problems regarding family members, friends of employers who may need pscycho-social intervention. She said people need to care about their own life, and fight for their right for a better health condition

Pamaskong pagbati ng Konsulado

Nagpadala ng video ang Konsulado na naglalaman ng pamaskong pagbati sa mga Pilipino sa Hong Kong, sa pamamagitan ng pagkanta ng isang Christmas carol. Panuurin ang buong staff ng Konsulado, sa pamumuno ni Consul General Bernie Catalla, sa kanilang rendisyon ng "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". 

Sanayan lang sa bagong amo

Dati ay hirap na hirap si Peng sa pagtanggap sa bago niyang kalagayan magmula nang magpalit siya ng amo. Yung dati niya kasing kuwarto ay may banyo at may sariling daanan palabas sa bahay ng kanyang amo. Malaya din siyang nakakaimbita ng mga kaibigan, basta’t sa kuwarto lang niya sila magkakainan at kulitan. Hindi rin nagtitipid sa pagkain ang kanyang mga among Australyano kaya naluluto niya ang kahit anong gustuhin niya.

Sa kasamaang palad ay nagdesisyon ang mga amo niyang ito na umuwi na sa kanilang bansa, kaya napilitan siyang maghanap ng ibang pagsisilbihan.

Akala niya sa umpisa ay mas maayos ang lilipatan niya, kasi ay lahing puti din ang mga ito, at maganda ang trabaho. Kaya lang ay naghahanap ng malilipatang bahay ang mga ito noong pirmahan siya, kaya hindi niya nakita ang susunod niyang titirhan.

Umuwi muna siya sa Pilipinas bago siya nag-umpisang manilbihan sa kanila, at pagbalik niya ay ganoon na lang ang panlulumo niya dahil ang kuwarto niya ay napakaliit. Ang cabinet na lalagyan niya ng gamit ay nasa ibaba ng kama niya, kaya kailangan pa niyang umakyat para makahiga.

Tapos ang labahan nila ay nasa rooftop na ang hagdan papanhik ay napakakitid kaya hirap na hirap siyang magpanhik-baba dala ang labahin.

Matipid din sa pagkain ang mga bagong amo kaya hindi na siya makapagluto nang bongga.

Gayunpaman, nagpapasalamat pa rin siya dahil above minimum naman ang sahod niya, at hindi abusado ang mga amo. Alang-alang sa pamilya niyang sinusuportahan e handa naman siyang mag-adjust sa bago niyang mundo. Sabi nga niya, sanayan lang naman talaga ang buhay sa Hong Kong.

Si Peng ay taga Cavite at may dalawang anak, at kasalukuyang naninirahan sa Pokfulam. - DCLM

Judge orders further probe of self-confessed Pinay drug mule

By Vir B. Lumicao

Father John displays the photos of Filipina partners of
Nigerian drug lords who have offered unsuspecting women
free trips to Dubai and Hong Kong on errands to carry
packages or suitcases that turn out to be laden with cocaine.

A 52-year-old Filipina pleaded guilty at the High Court on Friday, Nov 18, to a charge of trafficking in dangerous drugs, but contradicted her plea when she initially questioned the facts of the case as it was read out, before admitting it reluctantly.

The last-minute shift of Susan B. Cumpio caught everyone by surprise and prompted Judge Kevin Paul Zervos to delay sentencing until Feb 3, as he ordered the prosecution to make further inquiry into the case.

“Guilty,” Cumpio, a widow who had a son in the Philippines, said after a Tagalog court interpreter read out the particulars of the charge, then asked for her plea.

But after the agreed facts were read to her, she initially said she disagreed because there was something wrong with them, then said in resignation: “Sige, oo na lang. (OK, I agree).” Then she wept.

Zervos instructed the prosecution to take Cumpio’s statement about the circumstances of her case. Then he asked why no one asked the Immigration Department about the long travel record of the defendant.

“I noticed that (Cumpio) has had a long history of travel to Hong Kong,” Zervos said, citing that it started on July 13, 2010 and ended with her arrest on Jun 15, 2015.

“Did anybody check with the Immigration about her travel record?” the judge asked, to which the prosecutor replied no one had done that.

Zervos also hit Customs officers who he said were just apprehending people and sitting on the cases focusing on the big picture without looking at the details.

The judge cited new information supplied by prison chaplain and anti-drug trafficking campaigner Fr John Wotherspoon, who requested barrister Richard Donald, for the defense, to hand Zervos a letter appealing for mitigation. “It’s unfortunate that it came rather too late,” the judge said.

But he acknowledged Fr John’s campaign against drug trafficking syndicates using unsuspecting women, and admitted he drew insights from the chaplain’s views before making decisions.

Cumpio was arrested on July 15 last year when she arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Dubai, and attracted the attention of Customs officers with her unnatural gait. When they searched her, they found nearly two kilos of suspected cocaine wrapped around her thighs and concealed in her tailor-made underwear.

At the High Court on Friday, the prosecutor said the amount the dangerous drug found on her was 1,994 grams with purity of 1,210 grams with an estimated market value of $2.3 million at the time. The prosecution said she had a clear record and was not addicted to drugs.

The defense counsel, in mitigation, said Cumpio was widowed in 2005. She had worked as a shopkeeper and as waitress before she went to work as a domestic helper in Singapore, then in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

In a hand-written statement which Fr Wotherspoon provided to the court, the defendant said she was a widow who had been supporting her son, now 17, and her parents in the Philippines since her husband died.

She went to work as a domestic helper in Sao Paulo looking after the three male children of a Brazilian family. After two years she met a Tanzanian man who she fell in love with and “spent good times together” until the man lost his job and “started acting stranger and becoming abusive towards me.”

Days later Cumpio discovered the man was using drugs and reported him to the police. He was arrested but after his release, things only got worse, Cumpio said. “He started becoming more abusive and (beat) me more often,” she said. At one time the man beat her badly with a wooden plank that caused her to lose her memory.  She recovered at a hospital.

She sought shelter in a church after that beating while her lover was rearrested. However, after police freed the man, he sought her out and they reconciled.

But Cumpio said he only got worse and threatened to kill her on a few occasions. Eventually the man told her about his being in the drugs business and offered her passage  back to the Philippines if she agreed to make a trip to Hong Kong to deliver drugs.

Cumpio said she accepted the offer because she no longer wanted to live in Brazil, and also because she wanted to see her family.

Pilipinang taga Isabela, nasawi matapos ma food poisoning

Nakatakdang iuwi ang mga labi ni
Miguella sa Pilipinassa Dec 12

Ni Marites Palma

Isang Pilipina na taga Isabela ang napabalitang namatay, isang linggo matapos kumain kasama ng mga amo sa isang tanyag na restaurant sa Tsim Sha Tsui, ang Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill.

Kinilala siya bilang si Miguella Secolles, 42 taong gulang, asawa ng isang sundalo at may apat na anak. Nakatira sila sa Greenland Subdivision, Plaridel  Santiago City, Isabela.

Ayon sa mga balita, natagpuan ng kanyang amo na malamig nang bangkay si Miguella sa kanyang higaan noong Disyembre 1, dalawang araw matapos siyang ilabas sa ospital dahil sa food poisoning.

Isinugod siya sa Queen Mary Hospital dahil sa matinding pagsusuka noong Nob. 28, apat na araw matapos siyang kumain ng pabo sa restaurant kasama ang among lalaki at mga alaga, para ipagdiwang ang Thanksgiving Day. Inilabas siya kinabukasan din.

Hindi agad matiyak kung may kinalaman ang kanyang biglaang pagkamatay sa naging karamdaman niya.

Limang buwan pa lang naninilbihan si Miguella sa mga amo sa Aberdeen nang siya ay pumanaw.

Ayon sa balita sa mga pahayagan, umabot sa 50 katao ang na food poisoning sa araw ding iyon matapos kumain sa Dan Ryan’s. Walo sa kanila ang itinakbo sa ospital, kabilang si Miguella.

Inamin ng pamunuan ng restaurant na nagmula ang mikrobyo sa inangkat nilang mga pabo para sa espesyal na okasyon. Nangako din sila na sasagutin ang pagpapa-ospital sa mga nalason nang dahil sa kanilang pagkain.

Ayon naman sa hipag ni Miguella na si Merlinda Sarmiento, may isinagawa daw na post mortem sa labi ng nasawi, ngunit malalaman lang ang resulta matapos ang ilang buwan. Dating magkasama sina Miguella at Merlinda sa iisang amo.

Kasalukuyang nakalagak ang mga labi ni Miguella sa Kennedy Town Mortuary, at nakatakdang iuwi sa Maynila sa Dis. 12, kung saan ito sasalubungin ng kanyang asawa, bago dalhin sa kanilang bayan sa Isabela.

Bakit mas masarap mag-alaga ng bata

Napag-usapan ng magkaibigang Jay at Jaja ang tungkol sa kanilang mga trabaho. Sa mahigit na 30 taon na pagtatrabaho ni Jay sa Hong Kong, hindi niya naranasan ang mag alaga ng bata. Kabaligtaran naman ito sa trabaho ni Jaja, na sa simula pa lang ng pagtatrabaho niya sa Hong Kong ay may alaga na siyang bata.

Sa pag-uusap ng magkaibigan, naikumpara nila ang kanilang mga trabaho.

Para kay Jay, parang mahirap ang maging yaya at magtrabaho sa bahay. Isang malaking responsibilidad ang pag-aalaga ng bata at ang kaligtasan nito ang laging dapat na nasa isip ng isang tagapag-alaga.

Ang sabi naman ni Jaja, mas rewarding daw para sa kanya ang pag-aalaga ng bata, lalo na kung ito ay bagong panganak pa lang. Parang sarili mo nang anak daw ito na pinalalaki at napapamahal sa iyo. Sa kasalukuyang amo kasi ni Jaja, siya na halos ang nagpalaki sa tatlong anak ng kanyang amo.

Naitanong ni Jay kay Jaja kung hindi ba siya nahihirapan lalo na kung nagkakasakit o nagta-tantrums ang kanyang mga alaga. Sagot lang sa kanya ng kaibigan ay hindi naman kailangang kunsumihin ang sarili dahil nakukuha naman sa paliwanag ang mga bata at kung minsan ay mas madali pa itong makaunawa kaysa sa mga matatanda.

Para sa kanya, mas maiging mag-alaga na lang ng bata kaysa mag-asikaso sa gawaing bahay. Sabi pa ni Jaja, ang trabahong bahay ay paulit-ulit lang na ginagawa, walang challenge ika nga. Ang pagpapalaki ng bata ay mas may challenge, at dahil dito, kasama ka ng mga magulang ng mga bata sa paghubog ng kanilang mga karakter at kahit anong pagod mo, ang paglalambing ng mga bata ay nakakaalis ng pagod.

Nasabi pa nga ni Jay na kakaiba ang kanyang naririnig sa ibang mga yaya dahil kadalasan ay puro reklamo ang mga ito dahil sa kakulitan ng kanilang mga alaga. Iba daw kasi ang approach ni Jaja sa kanyang mga alaga, hindi niya ito dinadaan sa sigaw o galit. Kinakausap niya ang mga ito nang maayos at dinidisiplina lang kung kailangan.

Napabilib naman si Jay sa pananaw ng kanyang kaibigan dahil para sa kanya, hindi biro ang pagiging yaya. Sa kanilang pag-uusap, naisipan nila na gumawa ng blog o magsulat ng libro tungkol sa mga karanasan, mungkahi at buhay ng isang yaya. Naisip nilang  maaaring makatulong ito sa mga kapwa nila OFW at maging inspirasyon naman sa iba pang mambabasa.

Katuwaan lang, sabi ng magkaibigan, at tatawagin nila ang blog na Yaya 101.  –Jo Campos

DH found dead after bout of migraine

Periera was found dead in one of the tower blocks
in Royal Ascot in Shatin

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 40-year-old Filipina domestic worker from Bacolod City was found dead on the evening of Dec 4 in her kitchen bed space, one day after reportedly complaining of migraine.

Police said she was “found collapsed” and certified dead, with no suspicious circumstances. Her body was taken to a hospital where a postmortem is expected to be performed.

An officer of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals, Danny Baldon, said the helper, Johana Periera, had been working for her employers, a local couple with two young sons, for just five months.

Periera was herself married with two young sons.

The employers reportedly said the helper had complained of having a migraine on Saturday, Dec. 3, so they told her to just rest at their 15^th floor flat in Royal Ascot estate in Fotan, Shatin, the next day, which was her day off.

“The employers were out the whole day on Sunday and when they returned home and checked on the maid in the evening, they found her unconscious,” Baldon said.

Friends of the deceased told The SUN they had no idea that Periera had suffered from migraine.

One of them, a domestic worker on the same block who requested not to be named, said Periera had told her on Saturday that she had an argument with her employer the previous day.

On Sunday, the friend said she, along with other fellow Filipinas, were surprised to see an ambulance parked in front of their residential block, and Periera’s female boss going down to meet the officers.

The employer reportedly told the Filipinas that Periera was “unconscious”. 

“We went up to the 15^th floor to find out what happened, but we saw police officers and ambulance staff with a wheeled stretcher inside the house,” said the friend.

She said the kitchen, which was also Periera’s sleeping quarters, was closed and guarded by two officers.

The friends went back to the ground floor and when the police emerged from the lift after 5 minutes, they asked about her and one of the officers replied “dead”.  

Another friend of the deceased said the woman’s husband had been calling her from Bacolod on Dec 4, asking about her and saying he was worried because she didn’t make her usual Sunday phone call to her family.