Nawawala ang isang kidney niya

Umuwi si Adela sa Pilipinas para magbakasyon ng isang buwan, at talaga namang pinaghandaan nya ang kanyang bakasyon. Todo pasyal ang ginawa niya, kaya ang dami niyang narating na mga lugar sa Pilipinas.

Ang hindi lang napaghandaan ay ang pagod ng biyahe. Siya ay senior na, pero ang sabi niya ay malakas pa rin siya dahil ang kanyang trabaho sa amo dito sa Hong Kong ay messenger. Lagi siyang nasa bangko dahil sa kung ano-anong pinapabayad sa kanya ng kanyang amo.

Ganoon na lang ang tiwala nito sa kanya kaya di siya mabitaw-bitawan.

Hindi niya akalain na dahil sa sobrang lakwatsa ay maoospital siya sa Pilipinas. Doon lang din niya nalaman na iisa na lang pala ang kanyang lapay o kidney. Nagulat pa siya nang sabihin ng doktor sa kanya na mag-ingat sya dahil iisa na lang pala ang kanyang kidney.

Ayon sa doctor, matagal nang iisa ito batay sa ginawa nitong pagsusuri.

Sabi naman ni Adela, hindi siya nagpatanggal ng kidney kahit kailan. Agad niyang tinawagan ang kapatid na nandito din sa Hong Kong para kunsultahin, pero wala ring masabi ang kanyang kapatid. Wala silang alam na okasyon kung kailan ito naalis. Si Adela na tubong Batangas ay nagtatrabaho pa rin sa among taga Kowloon. - Cris Cayat

Overstaying Pinay draws judge’s ire for asylum bid

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina sentenced in Eastern Court on Mar 7 to four weeks in jail for shoplifting drew rebuke from the magistrate for seeking asylum shortly after being arrested for overstaying in Hong Kong for 13 years.

Emelita Arista, a 56-year-old former domestic worker, incensed Magistrate Bina Chainrai when the prosecution said the defendant filed a non-refoulement claim with the Immigration Department shortly after her arrest.  The defendant claimed a nephew of hers in the Philippines was threatening to kill her.

Arista pleaded guilty on March 7 to a second charge of theft for stealing three bottles of lotion and three cans of luncheon meat in a Wellcome supermarket in Sunway Garden, Quarry Bay, on Feb 19. Chainrai gave Arista a two-week discount for her guilty plea to the theft charge, but set the defendant’s plea-taking and sentence for the first charge of breach of condition of stay for April .
The prosecution amended the first charge after finding out that Arista arrived as a visitor in Hong Kong and did not leave before April 10, 2004.

Chainrai was upset when the prosecutor applied for a four-week adjournment in view of a non-refoulement claim that Arista had filed following her arrest by police on Feb 19.

“After defendant was arrested in 2017 only did she become an asylum-seeker?” Chainrai asked angrily.

“In this situation, the prosecution must revisit her case. If somebody overstays for 13 years and applies for asylum after being arrested, it is an abuse of the system, especially when there are so many others with more valid reasons,” she said.

Arista was undetected as an overstayer and Immigration authorities were not certain about her identity and the exact date she came to Hong Kong because she had no passport. Prosecutors earlier said her visitor’s visa was granted sometime in August 2006.

When Chainrai asked Arista on March 7 if that was her first visit to Hong Kong, she said no, adding she had been a domestic helper here for six years before going home. She then returned to Hong Kong as a tourist in 2004.

Her overstaying case came to light only on Feb 19 after she was caught trying to sneak out of the supermarket with three bottles of lotion and three cans of luncheon meat.

Overstayer lived on dole for 22 years

A former domestic helper who remained illegally in Hong Kong for 21 and a half years was sentenced to 12 months in prison in Shatin Court on Mar 6 after pleading guilty to a charge of breach of condition of stay.

Maria Celestina Antiporda, 56, admitted her offense before Magistrate Ivy Chui, who gave her a one-third discount from 18 months for her guilty plea.

Antiporda was stopped by police during a street check in an undisclosed place on Feb 26 and placed under arrest after she was found to have overstayed her visa.

Prosecutikon said she was issued a work visa that was valid until Aug 4, 1995, but she stayed on after her contract was terminated before her visa expired.

In mitigation, the defense counsel said Antiporda decided to overstay because she had to earn money for her family back in the Philippines. During her illicit stay, she reportedly survived on food and money given by friends.

Another former helper, Isabel Ticuala, appeared before Chui for a mention of her “breach of condition of stay” charge, but the prosecutors applied for a three-month adjournment as they awaited the results of her torture claim appeal.

The magistrate adjourned the case until June 6.- Vir B. Lumicao

Pasta Pesto with Garlic and Rosemary Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
2 x 200 g skinless free-range chicken breasts
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
1-2 fresh red chillies
8 ripe cherry tomatoes

PASTA & PESTO
250 g green beans
1 big bunch of fresh basil
50 g blanched almonds
50 g parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
300 g fresh lasagne sheets
200 g baby spinach

METHOD:

1. On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds and the rosemary leaves. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin. 
2. Put the chicken into the frying pan with the rapeseed oil, the bashed unpeeled garlic cloves and halved chillies, turning after about 3 or 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through. 
3. Line the beans up and cut off the stalks, put into the casserole pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes with the lid on.
4. Pick a few basil leaves for garnish, then rip off the stalks and put the rest of the bunch into the processor with the almonds, Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. 
5. Squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher. Blitz until smooth, adding a ladle or two of cooking water from the beans to loosen, then season to taste. 
6. Slice the lasagne sheets up into random handkerchief shapes and add to the beans to cook for a couple of minutes. 
7. Halve or quarter the tomatoes, add to the chicken and give the pan a shake.
8. Stir the spinach into the pasta pan, then drain, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water. 
9. Return the pasta, beans and spinach to the pan, pour in the pesto from the processor and stir together, loosening with splashes of cooking water until silky.
10. Slice the chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes and chilli spooned over the top. Finely grate a little extra Parmesan over the pasta, then sprinkle everything with basil leaves

Useful tips on how to use herbs and spices

By Jo Campos

There are hundreds of different herbs and spices that are used to add that distinct flavor to every dish we cook. If you’re the type who uses them a lot when cooking, you are best advised to grow them yourself. This ensures that you have a ready supply, and that your herbs are always fresh.
One of the easiest herbs to grow, even right on the window sills of your kitchen, are sweet basil and mint. Rosemary is also sturdy, and could last for a long time if properly sowed. There are a number of other herbs that you can grow just as easily, such as thyme, oregano, marjoram and Thai Basil.
This way, all you need to do is to snip a few sprigs of fresh basil each time you cook a pasta dish, or rosemary for an aromatic roast chicken or lamb chops.
However, it is sometimes confusing which herb or spice is the perfect blend for what you are cooking.
Let me try to address this problem in this article.

ANISE or ANISEED is an aromatic spice that imparts a distinct flavor of licorice to food and is commonly used to make the liqueurs ouzo, anisette and pernod. Anise is used in cookies and cakes, and a sprinkling of the seeds adds an unusual twist to fruit salads, particularly those utilizing citrus fruits. Try adding anise to fruit pies, relishes and chutneys, as well as dark breads. In Indian cuisine, anise is occasionally used in pilafs and braised dishes. In Chinese/Cantonese cuisine, star anise is used in braised beef brisket or “ngau lam” and is perfect as a topping for noodles or steamed rice.

BASIL or sweet basil is commonly used to make pesto, a perfect pasta sauce made from pine nuts, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Thai basil is different from sweet basil in texture and aroma, thus, be careful not to switch the two or use one as a substitute for the other as they have different tastes and flavor. Thai basil is used for Asian cuisine and sweet basil is best used for salads, sauces and other savory dishes.

CINNAMON is derived from the dried inner bark of the cassia tree, a small evergreen. One of the earliest spices recorded, cinnamon is also one of the most familiar and commonly used. It is a sweet, aromatic spice which is often used as a component of curry blends, or in many baked goods, including custards, puddings, cakes, cookies, and fruit pies. Squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes, whether in pies or as side dishes, always benefit from a sprinkling of cinnamon. Whole cinnamon sticks are nice to add to stewing fruits and simmering beverages, such as hot mulled cider.

DILL WEED and DILL SEED are both products of a tall, feathery annual plant that is a favorite kitchen-garden herb. The seeds, less commonly used than the leaves, are used in pickling and may also be used as a milder substitute for caraway seeds in breads or as a topping for potato, cabbage, and casseroles. Fresh dill is available for a few months out of the year, but may be hard to come by during the colder months. Dried dill is a fairly good standby for fresh when necessary. Fresh or dried, dill has a special affinity with tomatoes and cucumbers. Few summer salads are simpler or more refreshing than sliced cucumbers with coconut yogurt and chopped dill. Fresh or dried, dill is an excellent herb in hot and cold soups and is an offbeat addition to omelets. Use dill in spinach pies and herb breads as well.
Read more at http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/herbs-and-spices-common-culinary/#MUIwyuUuM8utczZr.99
More tips and recipes using herbs and spices in the next issues, so keep posted!

BUYING, STORAGE AND USAGE TIPS
1) When buying herbs and spices by weight, buy only what will fit into an average-size spice jar. In other words, don’t stock up. Most go a very long way and are at their optimal flavor for up to a year, after which they begin losing their potency.
2) Keep dried herbs and spices in a place in your kitchen that is away from heat and moisture.
3) When substituting fresh herbs for dry, use about three times the amount of fresh herb as the dry.
4) Introduce dried herbs and spices into your recipe as early in the cooking process as possible, so that they have a chance to develop flavor. Add fresh herbs toward the middle or even the end of the cooking if you’d like to retain their flavor.
---
Sharing a quick and easy Pasta Pesto recipe here from Jamie Oliver:

Ex-Disney singer on way to West End

One-time Hong Kong Disney performer Christine Allado is headed for the big time. In September this year, the young, classically trained Allado will start rehearsing for her plum role in the musical “Hamilton”, which will open in London’s West End in December.

Allado, who is just in her mid-20s, stars with the more seasoned Rachelle Ann Go in the play, which just ended a successful run on Broadway.

Ahead of the intense training, Allado has been kept busy by a number of singing engagements in Manila, including her first solo concert at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on Mar. 4.

Singing practically throughout the two-hour show, except when her lawyer-father Jojo had to step in so she could change into another gown, Allado received several standing ovations for her outstanding performance.
—DCLM

HK-based Pinoy artists join campaign for human rights

Participating artists strike a pose at the main gallery of FEU.

Former HK migrant worker Xyza Cruz-Bacani and resident William Elvin have joined hands to take part in an artists-led campaign for human rights in the Philippines which was unveiled amid tight security at the FEU campus in Manila on Mar. 9.

“Hudyat: Filipino Artists for Human Dignity” is a multi-media exhibit showcasing works depicting the state of human rights in the Philippines, from the martial law era of the ‘70s to the ‘80s, to the recent spate of extra judicial killings associated with the government’s anti drugs campaign.

The exhibitors are led by National Artist BenCab, and also include writer/poet Pete Lacaba, journalist Sheila Coronel, visual artists Julie Lluch, Bogie Tence Ruiz and Antipas Delotavo, and photojournalists Raffy Lerma and Ric Rocamora.

Among those who spoke eloquently about the need to speak out against human rights violations were Lerma and Rappler reporter Patricia Evangelista, who have both had close encounters with EJK victims.

Lerma said seeing the spate of killings made him realize that one could not stand idly by and not speak up against those responsible.

Evangelista said that up to 27 people were killed  in Manila in just one night, and more than 7,000 in the first seven months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s rule.

“Is opposition to the killings opposition to the government? It is not,” she said.

Lluch, whose statement was read by her daughter, said: “One man killed is one man too many...We are not against the war on drugs but the clandestine killings of so many”.

The exhibit runs until Mar. 25. Those intending to visit are requested to register beforehand at pcc@feu.edu.ph or via the FB page, Hudyat Filipino Artists for Human Dignity. —DCLM

‘Bishop’ strikes back with cyber libel suit

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker’s dispute with a Filipina church leader over the latter’s $40,000 debt has got complicated, with the elusive borrower filing an internet libel case in the Philippines against the lender for allegedly maligning her on Facebook.

The libel case was filed Jan 12 against Vivien A. Lantano in the Pampanga provincial prosecutor’s office in San Fernando City by Cecila Camaya, who claims to be the bishop of a Christian group called New Living Word Church International Ministries.

Camaya accused Lantano of causing a rift among her followers by posting on Facebook malicious allegations that the complainant had defrauded Lantano and many other church members by borrowing money from them and refusing to pay the debts.

Camaya acknowledged in her sworn statement that Lantano has been a “dedicated worker” of her church, offering financial help as needed.

“Every time she helped/donated financially, respondent would always testify in front of the congregation how God blessed her because of her obedience with the Lord’s instruction,” Camaya said.

The “bishop” added that after being appointed as junior minister of the church, Lantano “changed her attitude and perspective… and was overwhelmed by her title and position.”

Camaya said that the church leaders tried to confront her and point out her flawed attitude, but Lantano allegedly became stubborn and refused to heed their advice. The complainant also said that Lantano claimed a parcel of land that the church bought belonged to her.

“Since she cannot recover the money that she had donated to the church, she started a personal attack against me considering that I am the highest church leader. Respondent went on a smearing campaign in order to humiliate me,” Camaya said.

An exhibit attached to the complaint included a post on FB which read: “Bishop Cecilia Camaya, Pastora Malou dela Cruz, ang mga taong mangagamit sila yung mga taong mahilig kumabit, sumabit at dumikit dun sa taong alam nilang ito ay mapapakinabangan o magagatasan…”

Another exhibit was a post by Lantano warning that Camaya had an account on Facebook under the name of Dolores Canlas who had a church in Hong Kong whose name she was using to convince people to borrow loans and lend to the church without repaying them.

Camaya said that if indeed she had defrauded Lantano, then the OFW should have gone to her house to demand repayment, or files a lawsuit against her.

She apparently was unaware that Lantano had already filed a case against her at the Small Claims Tribunal and that the claim was set to be heard on Feb 16. The tribunal eventually decided in favor of Lantano after Camaya failed to show up.

Deputy provincial prosecutor Arsenio Bumacod has sent a subpoena to Lantano’s address in Santo Tomas, Pangasinan to personally submit her counter-affidavit and supporting documents to the prosecutor’s office on Feb 8.

As the subpoena was sent to her address in the Philippines, Lanzano said it took time for it to reach her in Hong Kong. Then, a statement she submitted to the Consulate was reportedly rejected as it was not in the right format. She managed to submit a new one for notarization only on Mar. 7.

Travails of OFW who strayed into Serbia

“Divina” on her first day off in Belgrade.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Divina (not her real name) was full of hope when she left her family in Manila in December 2014 for the battle-scarred city of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, one of the republics that were formed from what used to be Yugoslavia.

Eerie ruins of buildings bombed by NATO warplanes in the civil war of 1998 were visible in parts of the city when she arrived in the city at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers. Combined with the bleak winter atmosphere, the sight left her with foreboding on her first day in the faraway, strange land.

The 44-year-old wife of a hardware store truck helper went there as a therapist to realize her dream of lifting her family from poverty and being able to send her four children to college. She was a caregiver and therapist back home.

But the jobs she landed in the East European country and the kind of people she worked for turned Divina’s dream into a nightmare.

She sent a message to The SUN on Facebook, offering to tell her story as a warning to  others against rushing to take up jobs in places where they are afforded no protection.

“I wrote because I want people to know that in Serbia the only work they offer is being a chef in the hotel or restaurant and a masseuse at the spa. But some other people use it just to hire Filipinos and, when they arrive, the real job is as domestic helpers,” Divina said.

“There is no embassy to help or representatives to run to. I just hope other applicants will be vigilant not to go through this process anymore,” she added.

Now she said she was looking for employment in another place, including Hong Kong, where she hoped to get “more humane treatment and respect”.

Divina said she initially signed a contract at an employment agency in Manila, for a job as therapist in a Serbian household. Her salary was 500 euros (PhP27,000) converted into the Serbian denomination, the Serbian dinar.

“All my papers were legal. There were three of us who were deployed by the agency to Belgrade – two as cooks and me as masseuse,” Divina recounted in follow-up messages. She said all the costs for deployment were paid by the employer.

However, she said she left on a tourist visa and “even got snagged at the Immigration counter at NAIA but was allowed to go after the POEA officer at the airport signed my OEC”.
When she got to Belgrade, the therapist job approved for her by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration turned out to be purely domestic work. She was made to do all the chores in her employer’s big house much longer than the 8-hours daily, 5-days-a week deal.
She was utterly disappointed but was helpless to protest.

“I stayed in my first employer’s home for just three months because he was a maniac, he wanted me to massage him every night but arrived late. If he said 9pm or 10pm, he would come at 11pm or even later,” the worker said.

Divina thought all that the boss wanted was plain massage, but he also asked her to massage his genitals. She said she obeyed unwillingly out of fear for her job.

The ritual lasted three months with the employer telling other people that Divina was seducing him. Then one night, the boss wanted sex and offered her many things, but she refused. He fired her the next morning and put her up in a local hotel.

The Filipina contacted her agency, but the latter allegedly told her she won’t get any compensation because she spent not a cent on her placement. She could not find an OFW support group because there were too few Filipinos there and some were married to Serbians and minded their own business.
Divina said after that episode she found a new employer, a family with five children, two dogs, and a big house and wide lawn to tend.

“My employers were very kind at the start but I was short on food and worked very long hours. I was overworked so, after a few months, I looked for another employer,” she said. When she told her boss, he reportedly got mad and threatened to report her to the police if she changed employer because, accordingly, he had spent so much on her visa. Still, she managed to leave.

Divina found a third employer, a rich man. She said the employer got her a work visa as assistant manager in his company, but it was just a ruse so he could hire a foreign worker. She was still a domestic helper who had to put up with the boss’ abusive wife.

“I did have a visa but the lady of the house had a very different attitude. She took me in as nanny but she did not leave her child to me alone. And all the time she scolded and insulted me and belittled me for being a Filipina. After 10 months, she terminated me.”

Divina, now 46, has been helping her husband earn money as caregiver and therapist since returning home last September. Her eldest daughter, now married, stopped after her third year in civil engineering. Her son and two younger daughters are in high school.

The former OFW hopes to work abroad again to support her children’s education, but she is feeling the cost of her hard work in Serbia – damage to her seventh cervical vertebra which is causing her pain in the waist, wrists and limbs, especially when commuting.  

Her other wish is that the POEA would keep an eye on agencies that just deploy workers abroad and then turn their backs on illegal activities such as human trafficking (sending workers overseas on tourist visas), labor exploitation and contract substitution.

Lastly, Divina has an advice to other OFWs and others eager to work abroad: “Not all good countries are good hosts to foreign workers. If only there are good jobs in the Philippines where employers consider the quality of work and not the age of a worker, then perhaps no Filipino would work abroad. No Filipino would swallow his or her dignity just to give the family a better future. Working abroad, no matter whether in the US or Europe, demands a great sacrifice.”

Ngipin ng batas, dapat dito at ‘Pinas

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Pinapanday ng Hong Kong Labour Department ang isang panukala upang magkaroon ng legal na batayan ang Code of Practice for Employment Agencies.

Layunin din ng pagsususog sa Employment Ordinance (Cap 57) na itaas sa $350,000 ang multa ng mga ahensiyang di-lisensiyado o sumisingil nang labis-labis bukod pa sa tatlong taong pagkakabilanggo sa mga napatunayang lumabag sa batas.

Dapat ding may kaukulang aksiyon ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang matigil naman ang paniningil nga mga ahensiya roon ng napakataas na training fee at iba pang mga bayarin sa mga katulong na paparito sa Hong Kong.

Sinabi ni Labour Secretary Stephen Sui sa Legislative Council na binabalak niyang isampa ang panukala sa loob ng darating na tatlong buwan.

Malaon nang hinihingi ng madla sa gobyerno ang ganitong paghihigpit sa mga ahensiya na nagdadala ng mga manggagawa sa Hong Kong, lalung-lalo na yaong para sa mga dayuhang kasambahay, dahil sa maraming reklamo ng mga katulong ukol sa mga ilegal at sobrang bayad.

Sa kabila ng pagbabawal ng gobyerno ng Hong Kong sa paniningil ng placement fee sa mga dayuhang kasambahay na higit sa 10% ng kanilang buwanang sahod ay marami pa rin ang hindi sumusunod.

Gayundin, sa kabila ng lalong mahigpit na pagbabawal sa mga ilegal na pangangalap ng mga dayuhang katulong ay mayroon pa ring mga ahensiya o tao na patuloy sa ganitong gawain.
Sa mga nakalipas na taon ay mayroon nang ilang ahensiya na napatunayang nagkasala at nahatulan sa hukuman dahil sa labis-labis na paniningil sa mga dayuhang kasambahay na naghahanap ng mapapasukan dito.

Hindi pa katagalan ang pagkakapasara sa ilang kilalang ahensiya sa Hong Kong tulad ng Satisfactory Employment & Travel Centre, Vicks Maid Consultant Company, Joyce Employment Agency, Ka Ying Employment Agency at, kamakailan lamang, ang Jen’s Employment dahil sa paniningil ng sobra sa mga aplikanteng katulong.

Ngunit kapansin-pansing hindi nila ininda ang mga parusang ipinataw sa kanila dahil napakaliit ng mga multa at walang kasamang pagkakabilanggo.

Iyon marahil ang dahilan kaya nga ilan sa mga nahahatulan at napaparusahang ahensiya ay sumusulpot muli sa likod ng panibagong pangalan pagkaraan ng maikling panahon.
Samakatuwid, napapanahon ang plano ng Labour na susugan ang Employment Ordinance upang magkaroon ng ngipin ang Code of Practice para sa mga ahensiya.

Hangga’t nakikita ng mga may-ari ng ahensiya na kaya nilang tanggapin ang magaan na parusa sa kanilang mga paglabag sa batas sa pangangalap ng mga dayuhang katulong ay mawawalan ng saysay ang mga hakbang na isinasagawa ng gobyerno ng Hong Kong. At mas lalong hindi mapapangalagaan ang kapakanan ng tinatayang 350,000 kasambahay laban sa pananamantala ng mga ahensiya.

Sa panig ng mga bansang nagpapadala ng mga katulong sa Hong Kong, dapat din nilang tapatan ang mga hakbang ng gobyerno rito para maprotektahan ang mga dayuhang katulong na walang kalaban-laban at walang ibang mapagkakanlungan kundi ang batas.

Sa Pilipinas, halimbawa, kailangang rendahan ng gobyerno ang paniningil ng mga ahensiya roon ng sobrang-taas na training fee at kung anu-ano pang bayaring inihalili nila sa agency fee.

Ang pagsasaayos sa batas na sumasakop sa mga karapatan, kapakanan at kaligtasan ng mga migranteng manggagawa at hindi lamang sa balikat ng iisang panig nakaatang. Ang pagpuprotekta sa kanila ay tungkulin ng mga bansang nagpapadala at paroroonan nila.  

The New Standard Employment Contract

By Cynthia Tellez

The “blue-colored” Employ-ment Contract for a Domestic Helper Recruited from Outside Hong Kong is the latest version of the standard employment contract for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong. The Immigration Department that produces this set of contract no longer accepts the older, green-coloured one when applying for a working visa.

Almost all the clauses from the previous employment contract are included in the new standard contract. But a major clause is added and this is in relation to window cleaning being required by some employers for domestic workers to do as part of their household duties.
What does the contract say?

On page 3 of the blue contract, which is the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties, Item no. 6 states that:
“When requiring the Helper to clean the outside of any window which is not located on the ground level or adjacent to a balcony (on which it must be reasonably safe for the Helper to work) or common corridor (“exterior window cleaning”) the exterior window cleaning must be performed under the following conditions:—
(i) the window being cleaned is fitted with a grille which is locked or secured in a manner that prevents the grille being opened; and
(ii) no part of the Helper’s body extends beyond the window ledge except the arms.”
In other words,employers will not be able to make domestic workers clean the outside of the windows unless the residential house is on the ground floor or next to a balcony or corridorwherein the domestic worker can stand safely. If the flat is on a higher floor, the window must belocked with a secured, possiblycrisscrossed or parallel, iron bars that allowno part of the body to be extended outside the window except the arms.

Accidents
The inclusion of this new clause in the standard employment contract is the result of several news reports of FDWs falling accidentally while cleaning the outside portion of windows. This was also the result of protest actions by FDWs through their organizations. In one of the meetings called by the Labour Department with NGOs and migrant groups, the issue of dangerous tasks such as cleaning of outside windows was strongly demanded to be taken seriously and acted upon immediately. The Labour Department was obliged to fast track their decision regarding this matter.

It is possible that some employers may not be happy with the clause on window cleaning. They may still demand their foreign domestic worker to clean the windows even if the physical set up of the house or flat does not satisfy the contract’s provision. Some may still force their domestic worker under threat of termination of contract. If this is the case, you can politely explain to your employer the new clause on window cleaning for their enlightenment. If the employer insists, explain to them the consequences of their action: that they will be violating a clause in the new standard contract.
It might also help if you ask the authorities for advice on how to handle and make the employer abide by the contract. If the employer still insists and threatens you with termination of contract, you can file a complaint at the Labour Relations Division (LRD) of the Labour Department. LRDs have areas covered and you can find it in their website or call their hotline: 2717-1771.

If you are having difficulty connecting, you can call the MFMW at 2522-8264. If finally the employer terminates the contract, the employer maysay thatyou refused to follow the order.But if the order is a violation of the contract, that will still amount to breach of contract on the part of the employer.

It is therefore important that for those who are applying for a job who are already in Hong Kong can sit with their prospective employer and go through the clauses in the contract before signing. You can discuss and reach an understanding of the content, the clauses and certain rules and if there are gray areas or portions that are unclear to you, you can consult service providers like the MFMW. This way, you are able to clarify matters, get to understand certain rules and are on the same level of understanding with your employer.

If you were able to discuss it before you signed the contract, you can remind them and bring their attention to Clause #6 of page 3 of the contract. If you didn’t have that opportunity to discuss beforehand, this might be your chance and so grab it!

This development is a step forward. The accidents that happened in relation to window cleaning are not isolated cases nor should be treated as “very few”. Lives of people are at stake and the repercussion is extended to the families back home.

Welfare committees of different organizations and unions of domestic workers should include in their know-your-rights training seminars this new clause in the contract. Treat this as a major additional clause. They should discuss the strict requirements discussed earlier to also better inform their employers.

Several lives were wasted because of the lack of proper concern to one of the most vulnerable section of the Hong Kong society.

Now that finally a precautionary measure is put in place, we should pay due attention in spreading this information to all the domestic workers.

Measures have to be drawn on the systematic dissemination of the information. This is to save another life as you avoid unnecessary exposure to a dangerous kind of work that is now formally prohibited.

---
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.

No more terminal fee for departing OFWs…finally

Familiar sight at the NAIA Terminal 3 is a queue of OFWs trying to revoer the terminal fee collected from them when they bought their tickets.

At long last, airlines will no longer be collecting the P550 terminal fee from departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) beginning April.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has finalized the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with airline companies to implement the exemption of OFWs from the payment of airport terminal fee, which was imposed in 2015.

MIAA General Manager Ed Montreal said the MOA was scheduled for signing on March 15 and will take effect next month.

Montreal said his office took time working on technical details and coordinating with international airlines in eliminating the P550 terminal fee.

Representatives of airline companies, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Susan Ople Foundation and other OFW advocates were expected to witness the signing.

The MIAA had imposed the integration of international terminal fee in airline tickets in 2015 purportedly to ease congestion in Manila airports.

The regulation required OFWs to pay the P550 terminal fee when buying plane tickets online or from airline ticket offices.

They can claim a refund prior to their departure from or upon their return to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.

OFW groups strongly opposed the imposition, saying it was a clear violation of the Migrant Workers Act of 1995 that exempts the OFWs from paying the terminal fee.

Reports said more or less three million OFWs are working abroad and a total of more than a billion pesos in terminal fee that had been collected remains unclaimed by the OFWs.

Montreal said the OFWs fail to claim their refund because they have little time to line up at the departure refund counters as they have to catch their flights.

The MIAA will still refund the terminal fee as long as the OFWs are able to present their e-ticket, boarding pass and passport.

Boss-helper friendship ends over pay, sacking issues

At first they were the best of friends, but a Filipino maid and her Malaysian employer soon became protagonists in a two-day Labour Tribunal trial after the helper filed a claim for alleged illegal dismissal and nonpayment of wages and leaves.

The case, filed last year by domestic helper Nena Torrado against her former boss, Ellu Daphne Teo, went to trial on Mar 1-2 after both parties failed to settle their dispute in the first hearing.

At the center of the case is Torrado’s claim that Teo had terminated her work contract without paying her one month’s wage in lieu of notice, only paid her partially for three months, and paid nothing on the fourth month until her dismissal.

Torrado was also claiming maternity leave and holiday pay from her former employer.

Giving evidence on Mar 2, Torrado said her monthly salary according to the contract she submitted to Immigration was $9,500, but alleged that the employer paid her only $5,000 in the first three months.
The claimant said that she went home for a vacation on March 29, 2016, and was terminated in the middle of April, allegedly because she left without Teo’s consent.

But Torrado denied that, saying it was Teo herself who sat beside her before the computer and booked her flight online using her credit card.

Teo denied she booked the air ticket for her, saying it was a common friend, Eric Leung, who booked the ticket and paid for it.

But when Tang asked her for proof of payment to Leung, she could not produce it.

Teo insisted she had paid the maid her wages but admitted that she did not keep records of her payments. The defendant also said Torrado still owed her $19,000, for the maid’s bank loan that the employer paid.

“She said I did not pay her salary at all. If I did not pay her salary at all, how could I pay her loan from Public Finance?” the employer said.

“That’s what I can’t understand because there was no agreement between us whether you are going to deduct the loan payment from my salary,” Torrado retorted.

Even the presiding officer was perplexed: “She said she paid your $19,000 loan. How come she could not pay your salary?”

From their testimonies, the court heard that the two women were good friends before their dispute, with Torrado saying she called her boss by her first name “Ellu”, and they had no written agreements, just trust.

“The reason why there is no black and white on my money going out is because of the special relationship between me and her. She was a friend of my husband,” Teo said.

After hearing the two parties’ sides, Tang adjourned the hearing to Mar 21 for his judgment.
– Vir B. Lumicao

Unstoppable Fate again pounds local rivals

Team members whoop it up after their victory.

By Emz Frial

All-Filipina team Fate won over local rivals Kith in the Hong Kong Softball Association’s ongoing league.

The game held on Feb. 19 at the Shek Kip Mei field, ended on a score of 21-2 in favor of Fate.

The locals kicked off the game.

A pitching error by Fate stalwart Don Gaborno gave first batter Fong Hau a free walk to second base, and second batter Suen Hin Wah to first.

Next batter Leung Yue Wai struck the ball to the outfield that brought her safely to first base and Suen to second base. However, Fong Hau was put out to third base by third baseman Ynez Badajos.

Li Tsz Yan then smashed an outfield ball and was safe at first base. A throwing error by Fate’s outfielder Romela Osabel to catcher Liezeal Algonez allowed both Suen and Leung to sail to home base unhampered.

Li was subsequently put out on third based after next batter Hui On Ying Michelle was caught on first base.

Fate then took their turn to bat.

First batter Badajos was caught by a pass ball from short stop Li to first baseman Hui. But a pitching error by Leung gave Myra Japitana a free walk to first base.

At her turn to bat, Gaborno blasted the ball to the center outfield, allowing her to move safely to first base while Japitana ran off to second base.

Ma. Eva Mendez made it safely to first base, while Gaborno ran to second base, and Japitana, to third.

A long shot of batter Algonez who came in next allowed both Japitana and Gaborno to go home safely. Mendez moved to second, and Algonez to first.

Another long shot allowed Mendez, Algonez and Cherry Octaviano to get home safely. That ended the first inning on a score of 5-2.

The second inning ended with only three batters allowing Fate to score seven homes. Rival Kith remained scoreless.

Those who scored for Fate were Badajos, Japitana, Gaborno, Mendez, Algonez, Octaviano and Romela Osabel. The inning ended at 12-2, in Fate’s favor.

In the third and fourth innings, Kith tried hard to score with its players doing their best to hit the balls of Fate’s start pitcher Gaborno to no avail. Fate’s tight defense prevented the rival’s batters to step on the bases.

Kith was stuck to a score of two.

When Fate took its turn to bat in the third inning, the locals decided to change pitchers, hoping to stop the rivals from scoring. But the Filipinas were unstoppable. They added seven more points, courtesy of Badajos, Japitana, Gaborno, Mendez, Algonez, Ma. Luz Mandia and Editha Hidalgo.

Their scoring streak continued until the fourth inning, with Badajos and Japitana adding two points, to end the game at 21-2.

Fate remains on top of the league, with four wins and no loss. On second place is Phoenix Ghost, third is Kith, fourth is Synnix-WB, and fifth is SCAA-WSC.

Fate’s next game will be on Mar 19.

Pinay DH to run in London Marathon for charity

By Vir B. Lumicao

Theresa Calo

A Filipina domestic helper will run in the world-famous London Marathon on April 23 in the hope of raising awareness in Hong Kong for global charity Oxfam.

The London event will be the first marathon for Theresa Calo, a member of fitness and health specialist group Pherform and its Philippine ambassador who has only been running seriously for 15 months.

The 37-year-old Calo, who hails from Baguio City, is no stranger to running long distances as she has joined several running races in Hong Kong.

Most recently, Calo ran in the Vibram HK100, a 100-kilometer race held on Jan 14 where she was awarded a bronze trophy for a sub-21-hour time.

Earlier, she completed the 63-km HK168 event on Nov 6.

The gutsy Filipina, who has been working as a domestic helper for the past 14 years, said she took up running originally to lose weight, but soon started to love the sport, that she was enticed to join organized races.

“As a DH, I work long hours, but it’s always possible to find time to train if you are serious about getting fit. Where there is a will there is a way,” Calo said.

It is this tenacity in pursuing her goals that convinced Pherform, a specialist facility that offers a host of services designed especially for females, to sponsor Calo.

“It’s a huge honor to run the London Marathon and I’m lucky to get a space,” Calo said.

“The London Marathon is one of the most famous races in the world, so it will be a great experience and I want this run to be meaningful by helping a charity raise money. It may sound unrealistic for someone who works as a domestic helper like me, but I want to show everyone that we can do more.”
Calo will be among more than 30,000 other runners from around the world and some famous celebrities who were selected to join the race from nearly 400,000 applicants.

It is not known how many Filipino runners will be in the race, but it is highly likely Calo will be the only domestic helper from Hong Kong carrying the Philippine flag.

As for a prediction on her time, Calo cannot comment. “I have no specific target,” she says. “The main thing is to run, have fun, enjoy the scenery, mag-selfie sa mga celebrity, finish the race, and hopefully raise some money for Oxfam.”

Calo says she and her team Bandilang Pinas are paying for all the costs for taking part in the race, so every penny raised goes directly to Oxfam.

To support Theresa in her efforts to raise money for Oxfam, please feel free to donate any amount at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TheresaCalo2017. You can also contact 93113167.

Enrich graduates increase

The graduates proudly wave their certificates, in a photo op with guests (from left): Isabelle Ensarguet, Chair of the Board, Enrich; Jalilo dela Torre, Philippine Labor Attache; Bernardita Catalla, Philippine Consul General; Bapak Tri Thatyat from Indonesian Consulate; Tim Carey, Director of Enrich; Lenlen Mesina, Executive Director of Enrich and Maggie Lee, Professor from the Depapartment of Sociology at HKU. 

By Cris Cayat

Enrich, one of the leading financial education providers for migrant workers in Hong held its second graduation ceremony on Mar 12 at Hong Kong University, with 105 Filipino and 60 Indonesian women receiving certificates of completion.

The graduates completed 28 hours of Enrich’s financial and empowerment seminars.

This year’s graduates were nearly three times more than last year’s batch, which numbered 65.

Keynote speaker, Eni Lestari, chairperson of the International Migrants Alliance, spoke of the role of Enrich in transforming migrants’ lives so they are able to achieve their goal of having a progressive future.
She said her fellow migrant workers need to plan their goals based on their capacity, and ensure that the family they left behind learn to manage the money that they send.

Lestari said that the money that migrants earn here is very symbolic because it shows their desperation to earn, despite facing many struggles and having to cope with the separation from their families.

Speaking for the graduates, Liezl Mercado recalled how her enthusiasm for learning prevailed over the hardships she had to face. She said that the challenges made her even more determined to pursue her goals.

Using her own money, she took driving lessons and eventually got a license that helped her become more financially secure. She also continues to learn culinary skills in the hope of putting up her own restaurant when she returns to the Philippines soon.

Mercado said the free Lunch and Learn investment seminars of Enrich taught her how to put into action the knowledge she gained in preparing her own business plan.

She quipped that “I was much more interested at first in the free lunch” but later realized how important it was that she was learning something valuable.

Apart from the knowledge she acquired from Enrich, Mercado said she feels doubly blessed because the NGO has helped her secure a job on her return home as a trainer at a training center for departing OFWs in Manila.
Consul General Bernardita Catalla was there to applaud the graduates and laud Enrich for its mission to empower migrants.

“What Enrich does is to ferry us to return to our respective families, to our countries, so that we can help develop our own communities,” Catalla said

She was quick to counsel migrant workers that it is not being selfish not to send everything that their families back home want. But at the same time, they must not spend all that they earn on themselves; instead they should save for their future needs.

“Be willing to focus and train your sights on the future, she advised.

Given the number of migrants graduating, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre said he was hopeful of a positive impact on their lives by the Enrich programs.

He cited the successful collaboration between Enrich and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and said he is looking forward for more such ties in the future.

Enrich executive director Lenlen Mesina advised the graduates to create a timeline of their stay in Hong Kong so they can better prepare for their return home.

“Knowing that we are not staying here forever, we should follow our goals in our time line,” said Mesina. “Remember, our theme is ‘empowered to achieve’ “.

She also said it is important for migrants to be on the same page with their family members when they plan so the targets are achieved on time.

Enrich supporter Sunil Kasyap gave a quick launch of a new mobile app for migrants to track down their expenses. It is hoped the app will serve as a reminder to migrants, and will supplement Enrich’s money wise workshop.

Also present were representatives from the Indonesian Labor office who gave inspirational talks and extended best wishes to the Indonesian graduates.

Everlasting-studded jeepney steals show at flower fest

ConGen Bernie Catalla poses with the everlasting-covered jeepney.

By Vir B. Lumicao

A jeepney replica made of 60 kilos of everlasting, a Benguet woman’s costume and a poster and video exhibit of Baguio City’s “Panangbenga” (Flower) festival, combined to win for the Philippine booth a special award at the Hong Kong Flower Show 2017.

It may be a simple, low-budget display compared with many elegantly adorned booths, but it won the “Special Award for Design Excellence” for its concept.

The award made highly significant the Consulate’s maiden participation in the 10-day annual festival that began on March 10.

For the past 15 years, the Knights of Rizal had represented the country in the spring spectacle. This year, it still has a spacious booth at its old site on the left side of the Sugar Street entrance to the park, and was bestowed a Special Award for Unique Feature (landscape display).

This year’s theme is “Blossoms of Love”, as the flower show celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah said in the opening ceremony.
“…The splashes of spring colors present a picture of prosperity and splendor, a fitting reminder of the achievements made over the past two decades,” he said.

Consul General Bernardita Catalla and her counterparts from Indonesia, Pakistan and the Netherlands led the guests of honor in the launching ceremony highlighted by Chinese dance and music.

After the short program, Catalla and the other dignitaries led by Lau and Leisure and Cultural Services Director Michelle Li toured the various booths, stopping last at the Philippine booth.

Catalla told Lau and Li that the jeepney was a very common mode of transport in the Philippines and the flowers that bedecked it were grown in the northern art of the country and shipped fresh to Hong Kong for the event.

Hundreds of curious visitors were awe-struck as they inspected, posed and took photos of the centerpiece of the Philippines’ booth.

“Ngayon lang kami sumali, bongga ano?” Consul General Bernardita Catalla said proudly of the Consulate’s booth.

Catalla said the winning design was a group idea that she and her staff brainstormed, while the jeepney replica was designed and executed by the Association of Filipino Builders in Hong Kong to achieve the right dimensions.

The most meticulous part of the five-day preparation was gluing each of the yellow and magenta everlasting crowns painstakingly onto the wood and plywood replica.

“We ordered 60 kilos of everlasting from Baguio and, as the flowers were fresh, we dried them in the sun then sorted them by color,” Catalla said.

It took five days of work from March 3 to 7 for Catalla and 10 consular staff to turn the 16-sq-meter booth into a green garden with a Bermuda grass lawn, a red pebble path lined with white stones, and pots of yellow and red philodendrons to brighten the inner corner.

“Kami-kami lang, wala kaming pera ng pambayad ng labor,” said the consul general.

“Hanggang pasado alas-nuwebe sila nagtrabaho noong last day, binigyan kami hanggang March 7 to put up everything,” she said.

Aside from the huge variety of blooms, the flower show features a “Blossoms of Love” light and sound show, a seminar on greening, a photo competition, a guided tour provided by the main sponsor Jockey Club and various cultural presentations on specific days.

Victoria Park will see a cultural extravaganza such as a band concert, catwalk, marching band performances, and other musical and dance performances and culinary exhibitions on March 18 and 19, before the flower show ends Sunday evening.

POEA sets new hearing on Findstaff case

Gerry Vallo and his friend, Gerry Garay, meet with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Feb. 24 to ask for an early resolution of the case against Findstaff.  They were told to return the next day; poea officials were told to speed up the case.

By Daisy CL Mandap

The two-year old ruling by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) awarding nearly Php600,000 to a group of overseas Filipino workers from Hong Kong who were  charged excessive placement fees may soon be implemented.

The POEA set down the hearing of the case against the now-defunct Findstaff Placement Services, Inc. to Apr 26 and May 4.

This was after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello met on Feb. 24 with Christian Bishop Gerry Vallo who asked that the POEA decision finding Manila-based Findstaff guilty of overcharging and ordering the refund of excessive placement fees to seven HK OFWs be issued with finality.

The POEA decision issued on Nov. 19, 2015, was appealed by Findstaff directly to former Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, who, after a few months, sent the case back to POEA for a rehearing.
It had stayed there since.

Vallo recently sought a meeting with Bello, hoping to get the original POEA order issued with finality.

At their initial meeting, Vallo said Secretary Bello was visibly upset when he learned how the case was put on hold for so long for no apparent reason. The secretary then asked Vallo to return the next day so they could both meet with officials of the POEA.

At the subsequent meeting, Bello reportedly told the acting POEA administrator Dominador Say to immediately resolve the case.

“Ang tagal na nito, dapat may aksyon na ito. Desisyunan na iyan,” Bello reportedly told Say, who immediately said yes.

Also called to the said meeting was former POEA administrator Hans Cacdac who issued the original order shutting down Findstaff and awarding the claims of the seven OFWs from Hong Kong.
Cacdac, who was moved by Bello to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shortly after he assumed the post of labor chief, reportedly expressed surprise that the case was remanded to POEA, where it remained unresolved.

The suit against Findstaff arose from the complaints of about two dozen OFWs in mid 2015 who said they had been made to pay $21,000 each by the agency’s counterpart in Hong Kong, Satisfactory Employment and Travel Services, which had offices in Tai Wai, New Territories.

The OFWs sought help from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in May then headed by Labor Attache Manuel Roldan, who did not immediately act on their complaint.

Failing to get relief from POLO, 10 of the complainants - Manayon I Agcaoili, Joevelyn A. Balaoing, Maria Belen C. Barcena, Maria Aurora Cabania, Ruth R. Daria, Jennifer D Singit, Jovelyn D. Sion, Anastacia D. Soriano, Crisanta G. Tamiana, and Mylene R Tolentino - turned to the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section for help.

Bishop Gerry Vallo of the Jesus the Living God church, who had by then been approached by some of the complainants, referred the matter to ATN head, Vice Consul Charles Macaspac, who helped execute affidavits of complaints.

Vallo forwarded the affidavits to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who in turn immediately filed a resolution calling for an inquiry by POEA and other relevant goverment agencies.
This prompted Roldan to refer the complaints to POEA in July that year.

In their affidavits, all 10 complainants said Satisfactory had told them on arrival in Hong Kong that they each had to pay $21,000 in seven monthly installments of $3,000.

The money was to be collected through ATM withdrawals from the Hang Seng bank accounts set up by the agency for them.

In their supplementary affidavits submitted to POEA, seven of the complainants said the fee collection was with the knowledge or consent of their Philippine recruiter, Findstaff.

Two failed to respond to summons from POEA while a third did not file a supplemental affidavit.
In his decision, Cacdac said the complaints of the seven was enough to impose the severest penalty of licence revocation against Findstaff, which had been in operation for 42 years.

He also ordered Findstaff, along with its surety Country Bankers Insurance Corp-oration, to pay back nearly Php600,000 in fees collected by its Hong Kong counterpart, Satisfactory Employment and Travel Centre Limited, from the complainants. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Labour Department prosecuted Satisfactory on the basis of complaints filed by four Filipina claimants who met the six-month time bar for filing a complaint.

On Mar. 2, 2016, Satisfactory was fined a total of $8,400 by the Shatin magistrate Chan Chi-kim after it pleaded guilty to collecting a total of more than $58,000 from complainants Manayon Agcaoili, Ruth Daria, Agnes Capili and Cristina Ogaya.

All four said they were charged a placement fee of $21,000 each, to be paid within seven months of their arrival in Hong Kong. The monthly fee was to be collected through ATM withdrawals from the bank accounts that Satisfactory’s manager Susana Ho had set up for them.

Agcaoili and Daria both completed the payment but Capili and Ogaya stopped paying after three months. All were awarded their full claim, minus the legally allowed 10% of their first monthly salary. Satisfactory shut down voluntarily seven months before the case was heard.

DH’s drug parcel case going to High Court

By Vir B. Lumicao

The drug trafficking case against a Filipina who was arrested upon receiving an air parcel containing cocaine from her former Nigerian boyfriend will be transferred to the High Court, prosecutors said in West Kowloon Court on March 3.

Laboratory analysis of the drug that domestic helper Estrella G. Welba took delivery of on Sept 23 last year confirmed that the intercepted substance was 478 grams of solid cocaine. No street value was mentioned.

“We would like to apply for adjournment of the case to April 10 prior to its transfer, this is a Court of First Instance case,” the prosecutor said. There was no objection from the defense.

Magistrate Cheang Kai-hong set the 40-year-old defendant’s return to Eastern Court to April 17 for committal to the CFI.

Cheang also said the court had received a letter dated Feb 24 from Welba’s employer William Liu whose content the magistrate did not reveal. The defense lawyer confirmed he had received his copy of the letter.

The magistrate reminded the Filipina that she can seek legal aid and call for witnesses to support her case when it goes to trial.

“You will be asked questions which you may or may not reply. You have the right to present your own witnesses to support your defense. Or you can plead guilty, after which you will be committed to the High Court for sentence,” the magistrate said.

Cheang remanded the defendant in custody.

Welba was arrested by a joint Customs and police team after she accepted a parcel posted from Addis Ababa and addressed to her at her employer’s North Point flat.

She did not suspect that the delivery man was an officer.

She told investigators the parcel was sent by her former boyfriend, a Nigerian she met in Hong Kong, supposedly for a friend who would pick it up later from her.

Her case and two similar cases involving Filipinas have prompted a crusading Catholic priest, Father John Wotherspoon, to launch a campaign against an alleged Nigerian drug trafficking syndicate supposedly based in Tsimshatsui that has been duping women.

The priest has published letters from the jailed women detailing similar stories of how they were be deceived by the syndicate into becoming unwitting drug mules.

Mabuti na lang, hindi pa bumagsak ang Bataan

Si Mia ay isang Ilongga na 37 taong gulang, at magsa-sampung taon na sa among Intsik na may sariling negosyo. Mabait at maluwag ang palakad ng kanyang mga amo kaya siya ay masayahin at palakaibigan din.

Dahil matatapos na ang kanyang kontrata sa mga amo ngayong Setyembre ay nagplano si Mia na umuwi na para magpakasal sa kanyang nobyo na ka-barangay niya. Dahil sa plano niyang pag-uwi ay pinadalhan niya ng pera ang nobyo para mag-alaga ng mga hayop at bumili ng sakahan.

Sa isip niya, ito ang kanilang gagawing negosyo pagkatapos ng kanilang kasal. Ang ibang hayop ay gagamitin naman para sa handaan sa kanilang kasal. Tiwalang tiwala siya sa kanyang nobyo dahil kilala na ito ng kanyang pamilya at laging nasa kanila tuwing may okasyon.

Pero kamakailan ay nadiskubre ni Mia na may ginagawang milagro ang kanyang nobyo. Sa 60 sako ng palay na pinamili ng kanyang nobyo gamit ang pera na pinadala niya ay 10 sako na lang ang natira. Iyong 10 baboy na pinaalagaan niya ay isa lang ang pinagkakitaan niya matapos ibenta.

Nang tanungin niya ang kanyang nobyo ay wala itong maisagot kung saan nito dinala ang kanyang pera. Basta ang sabi ay babayaran na lang siya.

Sa galit ay tinapos ni Mia ang kanilang relasyon. Hindi pa man daw ay niloloko na siya, buti na lang at walang nangyari sa kanila. Panay naman ang kantiyaw ng kanyang mga kaibigan na hindi makapaniwala na walang namagitan sa kanila ng kanyang nobyo, gayong dalawang beses siyang umuwi para magkasama sila.

Talaga daw bang hindi humiling ang kanyang nobyo na magsiping sila? Agad namang ginantihan ito ni Mia ng sagot na: “Baka hindi niya talaga ako minahal. Wala siguro akong appeal sa kanya.” Pero mabuti na lang daw ito siguro dahil baka ay nagkaanak pa siya dito, at baka mapilitang magpakasal pa rin kahit na siya ay niloloko.

Dahil sa napurnadang kasal ay balak ni Mia na pumirma na lang ulit ng kontrata sa mga among mabait. - Merly Bunda