HK police enlists DHs in anti-crime drive

58 Filcom 

representatives pose with police 

officials for souvenir photo after the 

meeting at Central Police Station on Apr. 2. 

By Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong police has taken the historic move of tapping Filipino domestic helpers to help in the force’s campaign to prevent crime, including those in which the helpers themselves are the victims.
The campaign will involve forming committees in which the members will undergo a series of seminars about Hong Kong law, police procedures and activities to enhance mutual understanding between the community and the police, all at government’s cost.

A graduation will be held at the end of the program for all those who attended the seminars. Those who complete the course will then be recruited as adult crime ambassadors who will disseminate the crime prevention message to their host homes and the Filipino community.

A similar move was undertaken by the police some years back, when Filipino community leaders were asked to help in anti-illegal gambling operations, amid mounting concern over the illicit card games migrant workers indulge in on their rest days.

The police’s new tack was disclosed to a select group of 58 Filcom representatives who were invited to a meeting at Central Police Station on Apr. 2.  

Chief Inspector Kevin Leung, police community relations officer of the Central District, sought the community’s input in the crime prevention program that would be launched for the domestic workers.
He asked participants to send him suggestions but set no timetable for the launch or a date for the next meeting.

“We would like to have your advice on how to run the program better,” Leung said, citing the likely impact of close to 190,000 Filipino helpers in about the same number of Hong Kong homes on the anti-crime program.

Leung told The SUN this was the first time such a program was being organized by the police for Filipino domestic helpers, first focusing on the maids.

“Of course, when we formally roll out the program, we would like to have attendants from groups or organizations other than those who attended on Sunday. It will be opened to all Filipino domestic helpers,” he said.

A hotline will be set up for this program.

The officer said Filipino domestic helpers’ big number alone could help communicate the anti-crime message effectively.

“I can do a simple math, I can suppose that these domestic helpers work in a family of four local citizens and if we do some kind of message, this can be delivered to 181,004  private residences and you can imagine the impact on Hong Kong society,” Leung said, basing his number on 2015 statistics. As of Dec 31 last year, Immigration statistics show the Filipino domestic helper population had grown to 189,105.

Police have noticed that certain crimes such as loan sharking, job scams, and telephone deception target English-speaking victims including the maids.

“We do not want anyone victimized in any more cases, we don’t want any more cases to happen, so we want to give you some messages on how to protect yourselves, how to prevent crime and threats on yourselves,” Leung said.

He said other crimes included wounding and serious assault cases in which some of the victims in more than 5,000 cases last year 19 were foreign domestic workers who were assaulted by their employers.

There were also summary offenses, minor infractions such jaywalking, obstruction of traffic, and illegal fundraising which people tend to ignore. “If you raise funds without permission, you are breaking the law,” he said.

Leung said the program has three objectives: to prevent Filipino helpers from falling victims to crime by educating them about Hong Kong laws; to get their support in disseminating the crime prevention message; and to enhance mutual understanding between the police and the helpers on proper procedures, police services and police assistance.

Citing language and cultural barriers, Leung said the police would try to understand the Filcom’s needs.

“We’d like to hear from your side how the police can do better, so, we’d like to enhance mutual understanding between your parties and our side,” he said.

The initial batch of workers enlisted to the program will attend seminars that will equip them with knowledge about Hong Kong laws and legal system. They will also be introduced to the police force, its challenges, duties, and services, as well as to various types of criminal offenses that they may encounter, can prevent or counteract.

“We may introduce you to the elements of the law, what’s the punishment, etcetera,” Leung said.
The program will also include joint activities such as community service by the helpers and police units once or twice a month on Sundays, a day that is more convenient for helpers, Leung said.
“If more people are joining, we can do it more frequently,” he said.

Among the Filcom members invited to the first meeting were Global Alliance chair Leo Selomenio, Hong Kong Musicians Union chair Manuela Lo, as well as leaders of various OFW groups.
The list of invitees was drawn up by the Consulate, represented at the meeting by Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the assistance to nationals section.

Pinay pub manager, owner agree to drop claims against each other

A dismissed Filipina pub manager went to the Labour Tribunal on Mar 17 seeking more than $25,000 in unpaid wages, severance pay and wages in lieu of notice against the successive operators of a Wanchai pub where she had worked.

Susana Pariñas lodged her claim against Mad Dogs Wanchai Public House Ltd and Plan Two Ltd, which both filed a counterclaim. The two companies owned in succession the Spicy Fingers bar where Pariñas was manager from May 15, 2013 to July 28, 2016.

But Pariñas withdrew her case after a Ms Burnett, her former employer, told presiding officer Mary Wu that she had records to prove the Filipina owed 66 days of overtaken annual leave for going on holiday for 95 days during her barely three and a half years of working for both firms.

Pariñas said that when Mad Dogs’ lease on the Wanchai site ran out, she was transferred on Aug 1, 2015 to another site operated by Plan Two, as Burnett was a common director at both Mad Dogs and Plan Two.

The Filipina manager said around September, the new owner, a certain Jessica, talked to her and allegedly told her some staff would be retained, including her, so she signed a new contract.  The takeover came on Oct 21 last year.

“At first I agreed but I told her I have some suggestions to make about managing the bar, but if she refused to accept my suggestions, I won’t accept managing it,” Pariñas said.

She was on a holiday in Phuket, Thailand, when the firm told her to return in two days or they would fire her.

Burnett told the court Pariñas went on a holiday without approval, saying she did not approve the leave application on Oct 5 because of company policy for staff not to go on vacation in October.
Pariñas said she sent another holiday application three days later but Burnett again rejected it by way of a letter.

When the Filipina returned from Phuket on Oct 18, she told Burnett she wouldn’t return to her job and called Jessica instead, but the latter told her she didn’t need a general manager anymore.
“That’s because the bar closed down, and you’d be transferred to the Tsimshatsui bar under another company,” the presiding officer said.

He added that Pariñas should have filed a claim not against Mad Dogs but against Plan Two. But even with this, the worker faced a problem because it was she who refused to work for the new company.

“According to the Employment Ordinance, you will not be entitled to wages in lieu of one month’s notice,” Wu said.

Pariñas asked the presiding officer who should be held responsible then for her loss of job, and Wu replied Plan Two offered her to work in the new site but she refused.

Wu said Pariñas could not claim severance pay because she was not fired by the company.
But at the same time, the presiding officer said Plan Two could not claim wages in lieu of notice from Pariñas because as early as Oct 5 she had informed the company she did not want to work for it.

Then when it came to the issue of unpaid September wages, Burnett revealed that Pariñas actually owed the company leave pay because she drew salary for the 66 extra days that she was on vacation.

Wu said Pariñas would have to pay back the company if she pursued her claim. The Filipina reluctantly agreed to withdraw; so did Burnett.- Vir B. Lumicao

Nasisante siya, pero mas napabuti ang buhay sa HK

Isang buwan pa lamang na naninilbihan si Liza sa among Intsik sa Tuen Mun ay nasisante na siya agad. Ang masaklap pa ay ibinigay ng amo sa agency ang kanyang isang buwang sahod at kabayaran kapalit ng isang buwang pasabi, at pati na ang kanyang tiket pauwi sa Pilipinas. Ang gahamang agency naman ay ayaw ibigay ang kanyang pera dahil may utang pa daw siya dito na dapat niyang bayaran.

Humingi ng tulong si Liza sa kanyang kababayan at pinayuhan naman siyang magpunta sa POLO para ireklamo ang agency. Hindi man alam ni Liza kung saan ang tanggapan na kanyang pupuntahan ay lakas-loob siyang nagtanong ng direksyon, at mag-isa siyang pumunta doon.

Dumiretso siya sa tanggapan ni Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre dahil inilapit na ng kanyang kababayan ang kanyang kaso sa opisyal. Agad namang tinawagan ng isang opisyal sa POLO ang agency at sinabihan na kailangang ibigay kay Liza ang lahat ng perang para sa kanya.

Natakot ang agency at pinabalik si Liza sa kanila para ibigay ang kanyang pera. Hindi na rin siya pinigilang umalis sa boarding house ng agency kaya nagkaroon siya ng pagkakataong makahanap ng bagong amo sa ibang ahensya.

Dahil sa puspusan niyang paghahanap ay nakakita siya ng lilipatang amo sa loob ng 14 na araw na tinakda ng batas bago siya sapilitang umuwi sa Pilipinas.

Mukhang mabait ang natagpuan niyang amo kaya hindi na niya sinabi sa pamilya ang tunay na dahilan ng kanyang pag-uwi para hindi sila mag-alala. Sinabi na lang na pinauwi siya ng amo dahil magbabakasyon ang mga ito ng matagal. Akala niya ay wala na siyang masyadong aalalahanin, subalit pinilit siyang ipasok muli sa training ng kanyang ahensya sa Pilipinas, at magbayad ng P18,000.

Sa ginawang pagtatanong ng kanyang kaibigan sa POLO sa Hong Kong ay napag-alaman nilang ang training ay may bisa ng limang taon, kaya hindi na siya dapat sumailalim dito. Gayunpaman, hindi na siya tumutol dahil natakot siya na baka ipitin ng ahensiya ang kanyang mga papel. Sinabihan na lang siya ng kababayan na magreklamo na lang siya pagbalik niya sa Hong Kong.

Pagkalipas ng ilang linggo ay nakabalik siya nang maayos sa Hong Kong. Hindi siya nagkamali na mabait ang kanyang bagong amo dahil kinampihan siya agad nang sabihin niya ang ginawang paniningil ng agency niya sa Pilipinas. Sa tulong ng kanyang kababayan ay muli silang dumulog sa POLO, at inireklamo ang pangalawa niyang agency. Muli ay tinawagan ng isang opisyal ng POLO ang tauhan ng agency, at agad naman itong sumunod sa utos na ibalik ang sobrang singil kay Liza.

Ngayon ay lubos nang naniniwala si Liza na dapat ipaglaban ng mga migranteng manggagawa ang kanilang karapatan kahit bagong salta lang sila. Si Liza ay taga Isabela, 25 taong gulang, may asawa at anak, at kasalukuyang naninilbihan sa Shatin.- Marites Palma

DH settles for much less in second chance at Tribunal

A domestic helper got a second chance from the Labour Tribunal on Mar 16 to pursue her claim against her former employer, despite her non-appearance in a previous hearing that had prompted the presiding officer to drop her claim.

But the maid, Alma Tatel, was forced to accept $1,000, less than a third of what she wanted to claim, in a compromise settlement devised by the presiding officer, W Y Ho, to break an impasse with her former boss, Fung Sai.

But first, Ho gave the Filipina a tongue-lashing for failing to appear in an earlier hearing in February.
“So, why should I set aside my previous order regarding your claim?” Ho angrily asked the Filipina, who faced a counterclaim from Fung.

“I went home to the Philippines because my daughter was sick,” Tatel replied.

“But you knew you had a court hearing and you did not tell the court you could not come… If you had a good reason, you should have told the court, so, why should I change my mind?” the presiding officer said.

After she had calmed down, Ho asked the helper what she wanted from her employer. Tatel replied she just wanted to settle, and the presiding officer asked how much she sought.

Tatel said she wanted just $2,000 for her plane ticket, but, when the presiding officer asked her if that was all, the maid added $100 travel allowance and around $1,000 in wages for seven days, Ho stopped her, saying that was not settlement.

“Settlement is to agree to accept less than your claim,” the presiding officer said.

Ho reminded Tatel that she still owed her former boss cash advances to pay her loans from finance companies.

She said Fung had documents to prove Tatel still owed her $4,000 and that the former employer was determined to collect the money from her.

When Tatel finally agreed to just claim the air fare, Ho told Fung about the Filipina’s offer and tried to convince her to agree to her settlement plan.

“Ms Fung, the reality is she has no money to pay you. You insist on her giving you some money, but I think that it’s impossible to extract money from her,” Ho explained.

The employer asked the presiding officer if she could go to court if the maid could not pay, but Ho said if Fung wanted to take the case to court, then she had to go to two courts – the Small Claims Tribunal and the District Court.

“If you go take the case to the District Court, you have to find a lawyer, but if you have to consider cost, it’s not cost-effective,” Ho said, explaining that Fung might end up spending more time and resources than going for a settlement. She added that by then, Tatel might have left Hong Kong.
Fung eventually agreed to settle, and paid Tatel $2,000, of which the maid gave back $1,000 to the employer to settle her debt.

Ho made both parties sign an agreement stating they had reached a full and final settlement of their claims and promised not to go after each other anymore.

Tatel looked disappointed after the hearing. When asked by The SUN outside the courtroom if she had found an employer after her termination in August, her reply was in the negative. She said she would go home for good. – Vir B. Lumicao

Pinay asylum-seeker loses appeal against drug conviction

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina asylum-seeker who was sentenced in a magistrate’s court to two years and three months in jail for possession of a dangerous drug failed in her bid on March 20 to appeal her conviction in the High Court.

Dionisia Balaneg, 45, lodged the appeal last year, questioning the police procedures during her arrest and claiming her sentence was too severe as the packet of drug for which she was charged was not found on her, but on the ground.

Deputy High Court Judge V Bokhary rejected the appeal and affirmed the magistrate’s reason to convict Balaneg on grounds that the two police witnesses’ evidence was “clear, consistent and transparent” despite “very minor discrepancies”.

In contrast, the magistrate said the defendant was “dishonest” and “unreliable”.

Bokhary referred to the magistrate’s account of how the plainclothes officer who accosted and arrested Balaneg one rainy night in November 2014 testified that he ordered her to stop after seeing her walking alone on a street, “looking left and right in a suspicious movement”.

The officer, who was 20-25 meters behind her, told her to stop. Balaneg followed the order, but as she did, she pulled something from her pants’ pocket and let it drop to the ground next to her right foot.
The officer saw that it was a plastic packet containing something he suspected was dangerous drug, so he arrested the Filipina. At that instant, another officer arrived and picked up the packet. The prosecution said the packet contained 7.06 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Balaneg said on the witness stand that she, her boyfriend and another friend were walking down the street when a police officer arrested her, after allegedly finding the dangerous drug in her possession. She suggested she had been framed.

The accused said no fingerprints were found on the plastic packet that contained the drug, and that she was not searched properly.

In dismissing the appeal, Judge Bokhary noted the magistrate’s finding that Balaneg had previous convictions, two of which were drug-related: in 2012, she was jailed for two and half years for drug trafficking, and in 2013, she was sent to a drug treatment facility after being found to have taken cocaine.

Balaneg was also convicted on three separate charges of stealing grocery items from Wellcome and Park N Shop supermarkets and jailed for 21 days. That was barely a year after she was given a suspended sentence for overstaying.

Records show that she came to Hong Kong in 2005 to work as a domestic helper, but her contract was terminated and she decided to overstay until she was arrested in 2008.

She had since filed a torture claim to qualify for cash support from the government, and began cohabiting with her Filipino boyfriend.

Soon, she was inhaling “ice”, an addiction that continued until her arrest in November 2014, according to the magistrate report.

“The appellant was evasive in revealing her drug history but urine sample collected from her in 2013 showed she was positive for drugs,” the report said.

Bokhary also dismissed the appellant’s claim that her sentence was excessive, referring to two drug possession cases in the High Court involving amounts of drugs close to the amount seized from Balaneg.

$100-theft ruse backfires

A Filipina domestic helper admitted in Eastern Court on March 16 that she stole a $100 bill from her employer, saying she wanted to force her dismissal.

But her ruse only led to Jo Anna Salazar, 32, being sentenced to seven days in jail, suspended for 18 months, and to pay court costs of $500.

Magistrate Bina Chainrai said in sentencing that she considered the maid’s guilty plea and the fact that the money she stole was a small amount and was recovered by its owner.

“Defendant, the offense of theft is a breach of trust and calls for immediate custodial sentence,” said Chainrai.

“But I note that you have admitted the offense, the money stolen has been recovered and that it will not be repeated. I also consider that you have a young son to support,” the magistrate said.

The prosecution said in a report that the maid’s employer, Wong Chi-hang, called the police after she discovered that one of four $100 bills that she kept in a box atop a shelf on Jan 2 had gone missing.
When Wong checked the CCTV footage, she saw the maid taking the money from the box. She called the police and when the officers searched the helper’s personal belongings, they found the missing banknote.

Salazar was arrested but was released after she posted a $1,000 bail.

In mitigation, the duty lawyer representing the maid said Salazar came to Hong Kong in early 2015 to work for Wong as a domestic helper to support 12-year-old son who she had left in the care of her sister.

She signed a new contract with the employer early this year, but, shortly after that, she noticed that Wong began treating her badly and flared up easily, the lawyer said.

Salazar tried to negotiate an early termination but Wong refused, so the helper decided to steal the money on purpose, being aware of the CCTV camera in the flat, as a ruse to get her employer to fire her. – Vir B. Lumicao

Cash aid for kids of deceased ex-DH

Labor Attaché Jalilo de la Torre receives, on behalf of Lomohan’s
family, the cash donation from Alfredo Palmiery,
president of Society of Hongkong Accredited Recruiters
of the Philippines (Sharp).

A group of Filipino licensed employment agencies sending domestic workers to Hong Kong has donated PhP46,000 as help to the children of deceased former helper Thelma Lomohan.

According to Labor Attaché Jalilo de la Torre, the money will be used to further the education of one of Lomohan’s sons.

He said this during courtesy call on Mar 19 of Alfredo Palmiery, president of Society of Hongkong Accredited Recruiters of the Philippines (Sharp) which made the donation.

“We are planning to use the donation for the vocational education of Lomohan’s son so he could acquire employable skills,” Labatt De la Torre told Palmiery when the latter handed over his group’s cash donation.

The deceased’s younger sister, Cleofe Alvarez, who is an OFW based here, was unable to receive the donation on behalf of the children because she was down with flu.

Lomohan, an asylum-seeker and former domestic helper, died on Jan 26 after overstaying in Hong Kong for 20 years. She passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital following two major brain surgeries after suffering a massive stroke Jan 15.

Palmiery offered to make arrangements with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the schooling of the deceased worker’s son.

Alvarez, a domestic worker in Hong Kong, said Lomohan left her four children – two daughters and two sons – with their aunts when she came to work here in 1996, after her husband abandoned them.
She said Lomohan’s eldest child, Yvonne, now in her mid-30s, had also been a domestic helper in Hong Kong but could not return soon because she was nursing her baby.

Lomohan was reportedly buried in a private cemetery in her hometown of Sison, Pangasinan. – Vir B. Lumicao

Spring Asparagus Salad in Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

 Vinaigrette:
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp lemon or orange rind, finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemon or orange juice
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted almonds (optional)
• 1 tbsp honey mustard

Procedure:
1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. The vinaigrette may be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator. Let the vinaigrette warm to room temperature before drizzling over cooked asparagus spears.
2. Bend the asparagus stalks and break off the woody ends. Soak in cold water for a few minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling water. Have a large pan of ice ready. Toss the asparagus spears in the boiling salted water. Cook until just tender (3 to 7 minutes). Quickly remove the spears from the boiling water with tongs and drop in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain, then pat dry.
4. Arrange asparagus spears on a large platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Notes: 
This uses a sweet-tart vinaigrette served over tender asparagus spears. You will need 2 pounds thin fresh asparagus spears.

The cooked asparagus spears can be wrapped in paper towels, placed in a plastic bag, and stored for three days in the refrigerator.

Start your own herb garden

By Jo Campos

Herbs and spices are the key ingredients in making a savory dish, whether Asian or European. Sometimes it is hard to find a particular herb in the market when it is not in season, so it might be a good idea to start growing them yourselves. Planting herbs is fun and useful, especially if you cook a lot of dishes using them.

In Hong Kong, this may seem impossible because of the tight living spaces. There are alternatives though, as several herbs and even vegetables can be planted in pots and cultivated indoors, by the window sills or balconies, if you have them. Just a few pots can supply year-long fresh herbs when needed.

Last issue, we talked about different herbs and spices. This issue, let’s try to sow some herb seeds and see what we can come up with. Spring is, after all, the time to grow  herbs.

Here are important tips:
1) Light is the most important element in growing indoor herbs. The ideal spot is an area that receives at least 8 hours of light in a day. It is also best to rotate pots regularly so that they get more exposure to light.
2) Do not over water, as the herbs may not thrive in watery soil.
3) If using pots, make sure to sprinkle the tiny seeds apart so that they do not grow in clumps. Some seedlings grow when replanted but some are too fragile and tend to wilt after replanting.
4) You may also try to use herb growing kits that are freely available in shops.
5) Make sure that the soil is loose to ensure the proper sowing of seeds.

There are also some vegetables that grow in pots so be creative and adventurous! I started with mint, rosemary and thyme in pots and they seem to grow very nicely. Be creative and grow various herbs in a large pot so you can always have a fresh supply of organic herbs the next time you cook your favorite recipe.

Get those green fingers going and start your own organic herb garden.

Overstayer set to fly home after stroke

By Vir B. Lumicao

Leah Pulido with friends who
helped her, Susan and Gelli

On Mar 20, Shatin Court Magistrate Joseph To sentenced the 38-year-old Pulido to three months in jail, suspended for three years, after she pleaded guilty to overstaying since June 2012.

Pulido, a single mother from Nueva Vizcaya, told The SUN in an interview outside the courthouse that on Feb 14 she called police from her bed at Kowloon Hospital to surrender, three weeks after she suffered a stroke in her boarding house.

She spoke with a slight slur, so Susan Mondoyo, a close friend and fellow helper from Mindanao, did much of the talking on her behalf.  Even so, Pulido managed to speak on her own when not chewing her first few spoonfuls of rice since she woke up on Mar 20.

“Dumating po ako rito noong 2006 at four years ako sa unang amo ko. Kasi hanggang four years lang daw talaga ako magtatrabaho sa kanila,” Pulido said.

From there, she moved to her second employer who allegedly gave her a difficult time.

“Magkaaway kaming palagi. Gusto kong tiisin hanggang sa matapos ang aking kontrata, hindi na po natapos,” she said.

In 2011, the boss fired her with four months left in her contract. Unable to find a new job within the 14-day visa extension, she overstayed.

Pulido said she decided to remain in Hong Kong hoping to find work to pay off debts she incurred coming here. But she lost her passport a month later and was too afraid to report the loss, as she had by then already staying here illegally.

She stayed with friends most of the time, until she met Mondoyo, who let Pulido stay for free in her rented room in a boarding house in Hung Hom.

“Noong time na iyon, kung sinabi lang niya sa akin (na illegal siya) ay natulungan ko sana siya para hindi pa siya nagtagal… alam ninyo, nalaman ko lang na ganun siya, na OS, noong inatake siya at dinala ko siya sa Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” said Mondoyo.

She said Pulido refused to enter when they got to the hospital door. “Ayaw niyang pumasok, so nakatayo lang kami doon …kamuntik nang malagot ito, umiyak na ako,” she said.

The friend phoned Pulido’s sister Beth, a former helper in Hong Kong who had returned home, and asked her why the sibling refused to get into the hospital.

That was when the sister revealed the truth: “I’m sorry, Ate. Nagsinungaling kami sa iyo. Hindi nagsabi si Ate at ako sa iyo ng totoo. Sana hindi ka susuko sa ganitong sitwasyon.”
Mondoyo replied: “Ngayon pa ako susuko na kailangan niya ako?”

She took Pulido to the hospital’s information desk, but the receptionist could not find any data on the patient. Just the same, Pulido was admitted, treated and, after five days, sent  to Kowloon Hospital to recover.

When Pulido surrendered, the officers took her to Kowloon City Police Station. The next day, an Immigration officer came and interviewed her, then told Mondoyo to find her a place to stay. The police helped by calling up some boarding houses, saying they would have to keep her in custody if she didn’t have a place to go.

The officers were very kind, Mondoyo said, recounting how one of them rushed outside and bought Pulido a pair of trousers after she peed in her pants.

Mondoyo and another OFW took Pulido to a boarding house where she had a complete bed rest. Her food came from Mondoyo and other Pinays nearby, while nursing care was given by other Filipina boarders.

Mondoyo took a 10-day leave from her employer to take care of her sick friend. When Pulido’s time to report to the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun came, Mondoyo’s employer reportedly complained. But Mondoyo told her, “If I don’t help her, who would?”

The employer asked if Pulido had no other friends, and Mondoyo retorted she had many, but when they found out her true status, they abandoned her.

“I told my employer, ‘Ma’am, I’ve been beside her when she fell ill and was in trouble, I have to be beside her until this is over,” Mondoyo told The SUN.

She said the employer understood and gave her leeway to help Pulido.

Meanwhile, Pulido’s friends had reportedly vanished, with many even going to the extent of changing their phone numbers.

“They had been telling me they were afraid to help because she was an illegal stayer and helping her could put them in trouble as well,” Mondoyo explained.

Mondoyo and Gelli, another helper who just finished her contract, nursed Pulido until she could limp about aided by a stick. Mondoyo also bought her a wheelchair for mobility. But Pulido still has a hard time climbing up and down the fourth-floor boarding house.

A one-way travel document for the helper has been prepared by the Consulate, an ATN officer told The SUN. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is also helping her process whatever benefits may accrue her and has promised to help fetch her from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and drive her to Bayombong, her hometown.

On Mar 29, she reported to the Immigration center in Tuen Mun to pick up her release papers and plane ticket. Any time thereafter, Pulido will be flying home.

Plover Cove Reservoir

Itaas, ang puting estatwa ng Tsz Shan Monastery.

Kung kabilang ka sa mga mahilig tumuklas ng mga tagong lugar na magaganda sa Hong Kong, napapanahon na marahil na maglaan ka ng isang araw para mamasyal sa Plover Cove Reservoir na nasa loob ng Plover Cove Country Park sa bandang hilaga ng New Territories.

Matatagpuan ito sa ma-burol na parte ng Tai Mei Tuk, at mararating sa pamamagitan ng pagtahak ng daan sa bungad ng pasilangang bahagi ng Tolo Harbour at Double Haven.

Bagamat liblib ang lugar na ito, madali pa rin itong mapuntahan sa pamamagitan ng mga pampublikong transportasyon. Iyan kasi ang tunay na atraksiyon ng Hong Kong – walang malayo o mahirap puntahan, dahil kahit saan ay may masasakyan.

Mag-umpisa sa Tai Mei Tuk at makipagsapalaran sa mailap na kagubatan ng hilagang bahagi ng Hong Kong. Kapag narating mo na ang lugar na ito ay siguradong  nawawala na sa isipan mo ang pagmamadali para makabalik agad sa siyudad. Sulit na sulit ang mahaba at masikot na paglalakbay sa ganda ng tanawin na babantad sa iyo.

Para makarating dito, sumakay ng MTR papuntang Taipo Market. Mula rito ay sumakay naman ng bus, maaring ang 20C mini bus o kaya ay 75K KMB bus. Kung marami kayo at gusto ninyong mapadali ang biyahe ay maari ding sumakay ng taxi papuntang Tai Mei Tuk.

Gugugol ng mga 20 minuto sa paglalakbay bago marating ang Tai Mei Tuk kung sa mini bus ka sasakay at kung sa KMB bus naman ay aabot ang biyahe ng ng 35 minuto.

Sa bus pa lang ay agad nang gagaan ang pakiramdam dahil magaganda ang iyong madadaanang tanawin, lalo na ang nakapaligid na kabundukang hitik sa punong kahoy. Lubhang nakakagaan ng pakiramdam ang makita ang luntiang mga puno sa paligid, at malanghap ang preskong hangin.
Kapag natanaw na ang Tsz Shan Monastery ay palatandaan ito na malapit ka na sa lugar na bababaan mo. Kakaiba ang ganda ng tanawing tatambad sa  iyo, dahil ang puting estatwa na nasa monasteryo ay parang nakalutang sa itaas ng makapal na kakahuyan sa bundok. Ang malawak na parte naman ng lawa na punong puno ng bakawan sa tabi ng daan ang nakakadagdag ng ganda sa lugar na iyong binabaybay.
Sa pinakahuling tigilan ng bus kailangang bumaba. Agad na tatambad sa iyo ang isang maayos at magandang kanayunan, kung saan ang mga bahay ay hindi lalampas sa tatlong palapag ang taas. May lugar para mag-barbecue, na karaniwan nang ginagawa ng mga bumibisita dito, na ang marami ay mga kasambahay, lalo na tuwing araw ng Linggo o piyesta opisyal.

Para sa mga taong aksyon naman ang hanap, may mga puwesto kung saan maaring umarkila ng bangka o bisikleta ng hindi kukulangin ng 30 minuto.

Kung nais mamundok maaring umakyat sa Family Trail Walk sa loob lamang ng 30 minuto. Sa paikot-ikot na paglakad dito ay makikita na ang kabuuan ng pader ng dam, at iba pang parte ng malawak na parke ng Plover Cove. Medyo hihingalin ka lang ng kaunti sa pag-akyat ngunit sulit na sulit naman dahil kakaiba ang mga tanawing makikita habang iniikot ang Family Trail.

Pagkatapos sa trail ay maari nang dumiretso sa daan pataas papunta sa Water Sports Centre, hanggang marating ang Plover Cove Reservoir.

Ang reservoir o imbakan ng tubig ay kilala dahil nandito ang pinakamalaking dam sa Hong Kong, na ang lawak ay umaabot sa 24 ektarya, at nasa dalawang kilometro ang haba. May tatlo pang maliliit na dam na itinayo sa paligid nito para tuluyan itong mahiwalay sa dagat.

Inumpisahan nitong itayo noong 1960, habang ang Hong Kong ay nag-uumpisang mamroblema sa tubig dahil sa lumalaki nitong populasyon, at walang tulong na maibigay ang Tsina. Labintatlong taon ang inabot bago ito tuluyang natapos.

Pagkatapos itong maitayo noong 1968 ay tinanggal lahat ang tubig-dagat sa loob nito at pinalitan ng freshwater para maging isang lawa. Noong 1973 ay itinaas muli ang pader ng dam hanggang sa siyam na palapag para mas lumaki ang lugar na imbakan ng tubig.

Sa paglalakad sa paligid ng dam ay abot-tanaw ang napakalinis na tubig sa Tolo Harbour, na kilala bilang pinakasentro ng industriya sa perlas noong Tang Dynasty. Sa panahong marami pang perlas ang nakukuha mula sa parteng ito ng dagat ay umabot sa apat ang bilang ng pearl farms sa lugar, na pinangalangang Sham Chung, Lo Fu Wat, Ngau To Wan at Fu Long Wat.

Tuwing Sabado at Linggo at mga piyesta opisyal, ang mga pasyalan sa paligid ng reservoir ay napupuno ng mga mahihilig sa panlabas na aktibidad gaya ng windsurfing, kitesurfing at pamimingwit ng isda. Marami ding mga dumadayo para magbisikleta at magpalipad ng saranggola.
Maari ding maglakad-lakad na lang para magmasid sa paligid, at mapansin ang mga maliliit na isla sa di kalayuan, at pati na ang mga matatayog na gusali sa kabilang parte ng dagat.

Sa dulo ng pader ng dam ay mararating ang isang maliit na isla. Kumaliwa ka at tuluyan nang maglalaho sa paningin ang mga siklista at iba pang abala sa iba-ibang gawain bukod sa paglalakad.
Ang payapa at mala berdeng-asul na kulay ng tubig ng reservoir ang tatambad sa iyong kaliwa, at mas matingkad na kulay asul na tubig-dagat naman ang nasa kanang bahagi. Sundan  ang paliko-likong daan paikot sa napakagandang islang iyong kinaroroonan bago tahakin ang ilang mas maliliit na konkretong dam.

Mula dito ang mas masigasig na pamumundok ay mag-uumpisa na. Ang pag-akyat baba mula sa mga burol ay hindi masyadong mapapansin dahil sa ganda ng tanawin. Nasa iyo na kung hanggan saan ang kaya mong marating bago bumalik sa pinanggalingan.

Para sa mga lulong sa pamumundok na nagnanais maikot ang buong reservoir o ang makipagsapalaran patungong Double Heaven o Wu Kau Tang, kakailanganin ang isang buong araw ng paglalakad. Kailangan itong paghandaan lalo na kung tag-init dahil may kalayuan ang lakaran papunta sa islang ito.

Maaring mag-umpisa sa pamumundok sa Wu Kau Tang kung nais ikutin ang buong lugar. Lumabas lang sa Tai Mei Tuk kung saan maraming kainan, at sumakay pabalik sa MTR station ng Tai Po Market. Mula doon ay sumakay ng 20R minibus patungong Wu Kau Tang. – Marites Palma

The Adventurers:

Exploring the Dragon’s Back trail and Big Wave beach.

Ni Daisy CL Mandap

Lungkot ang nagtulak kay Analyn  Soriba para umpisahan ang isang grupo na walang gagawin kundi galugarin ang mga tago ngunit magagandang lugar sa Hong Kong para makalimot sa mga problema at mapanatili ang kalusugan.

Castle Peak Adventure

Siya daw kasi mismo ay dumaan sa mga pagsubok at pangungulila sa loob ng siyam na taong pananatili niya sa Hong Kong, at alam niyang malaki ang maitutulong ng pagliliwaliw na may kasamang ehersisyo.

Inumpisahan ni Analyn, isang dalagang tubong Batangas, ang grupong “The Adventurers” noong Setyembre 16 ng nakaraang taon. Ang pangunahing layunin daw nito ay ang mabigyan ng pagkatataon ang mga “na-i-stress” na magsaya kasama ang ilang kapwa migranteng manggagawa.
Ang sabi niya sa isang mensahe sa The SUN: “Marami po akong nababasa na balita tungkol sa mga OFW sa Hong Kong na nagpapakamatay due to depression, etc. Gusto ko po sanang ipaalam sa kanila na nandito ang The Adventurers para kahit paano ay makalimot sila sa kanilang problema.

Nature therapy is the best. Layunin po namin na hikayatin ang lahat na kung wala silang mapuntahan, makasama, at (kung) mahilig sila sa adventure, ay bukas po ang aming grupo sa lahat, any race.”
Dahil walang sariling grupo noon, naisipan ni Analyn na i-anunsyo ang balak na paglalakad sa account ng isang online shop, at laking gulat niya nang marami ang nagpahiwatig ng interes na sumama.

Agad-agad ay 47 katao ang nagkita-kita bilang tugon sa kanyang panawagan na mag hiking sa sumunod na statutory holiday. Naisip daw ni Analyn na sa mga araw ng piyesta opisyal ang lakad dahil hindi lahat ng kasambahay ay Linggo ang araw ng pahinga, ngunit karamihan ay pwede kapag sa mga araw na itinakda ng batas bilang dagdag na holiday nila.

Nguni’t sadyang nakakaaliw ang inumpisahan nilang pagkikita-kita para mamasyal kaya sa ngayon, kahit araw ng Linggo ay nagtatatag sila ng pasyal. Mga dalawa o tatlong beses sa isang buwan na daw sila namamasyal ngayon, ayon pa kay Analyn. Kadalasan ay umaabot sa 50 katao ang sumasama, ngunit may mga panahon din na iilan lang ang sumisipot, katulad sa pinakahuling lakad nila na 11 lang ang nakasama.

“So far po may 15 places na kaming napuntahan since Sept 16, our first trip, kabilang ang Lion Rock, Amah’s Rock, Sheung Luk Stream, Dragons Back/Big Wave, Grass Island, etc., sabi ni Analyn.
Nagtungo na rin silang sama-sama sa Shenzhen bilang parte ng kanilang “Window of the World” tour, at noong Dis 4, ay idinaos nila ang kanilang kauna-unahang Christmas party.

The group’s first Christmas Party

Sa darating na Abril 4, ang inaambisyon nilang marating ay ang pinakamataas na bundok sa Hong Kong, ang Tai Mo Shan na nasa New Territories. Inaanyayahan nila ang lahat na sumali sa kanila sa lakad na ito.

Tuwing may pasyal, kanya-kanya sila ng baon at nagsasalo-salo na lang kapag oras na ng kainan.
“No membership fee, no fee, kanya-kanya lang po ng gastos at pagkain”, sabi ni Analyn.
Bilang lider, sinisigurado din ni Analyn na may dala siyang lagi na first aid kit, bagamat sa awa daw ng Diyos ay hindi naman niya ito kinailangan sa loob ng anim na buwang pamamasyal nila.

Siya rin ang naghahanap ng mga bago nilang pupuntahan, at kapag may lugar na siyang nabanggit ay sama-sama nilang sinasaliksik kung paano pumunta doon. Sa kabila nito, madalas pa din daw silang naliligaw.

“Pero may mga sign naman sa daanan, kaya hindi nakakatakot,” sabi ni Analyn na natatawa. Bukod dito, nagiging dagdag kasiyahan na rin daw sa kanila ang mapagtanto na mali na ang kanilang tinatahak na lugar.

Bagamat kampante na sila sa isa’t isa, wala pa ring balak si Analyn na iparehistro ang grupo dahil ayaw niya na magkaroon ang bawat isa ng pakiramdam na may obligasyon silang dapat sundin. Hindi din daw niya gusto na humawak ng pera, dahil alam niyang maraming pagsasama ang nasisira ng dahil dito.

Sapat na raw na masaya silang sama-samang namamasyal, at sumali kapag may paanyaya ang ibang grupo na maglakad para makatipon ng pondo para sa pagtulong sa kapwa. Sa ngayon, may isang grupo na silang sinamahan, ang Fat Big Heart, na nagtatag ng isang charity walk noong Enero 29 para sa pagtatayo ng monumento sa Sai Kung para sa mga bayani ng ikalawang digmaan pandaigdig.
“Kung may mga ganitong proyekto, willing po kaming sumama para din dumami ang aming makilala na kapareho namin ang hilig,” sabi ni Analyn.

Para sa mga gustong sumali sa kanilang mga lakad at makipagsaya, hanapin lang ang kanilang grupo o si Analyn sa Facebook at doon mag-iwan ng mensahe.

Letter from SBQ’s director

I am Baby Ruth Villarama, the director and co-creator of the film Sunday Beauty Queen. Some Overseas Filipino Workers, our Sunday Beauty Queens themselves, and concerned readers of SUN HK requested I reach out to you to clear some inconsistencies in an article published at SUN HK recently.

Below is the link to the article:
http://www.sunwebhk.com/2017/03/sbqs-bounty-keeps-daddy-leo-going.html

As a documentary journalist, the following points are very important to clarify:

The airfare of Leo Selomenio and Hazel Perdido has been reimbursed in full. They were originally coming home for Christmas with or without the film. We made the offer to reimburse their airfare and they were thankful for the gesture. Our sincerest apology if it took a little over two months to reimburse it because the producers have not received the returns from the cinema but it was reimbursed already.

We personally paid for Daddy Leo’s suit with the support of another producer. Of course the gowns had to be returned as we cannot afford to buy them. Those were made by designers who dress celebrities in the Philippines. They volunteered to dress the Sunday Beauty Queens, which we are grateful.

The screening of Sunday Beauty Queen in HK is a personal request from Daddy Leo as he wants to organise one. No one forced him to mount it as resonated in the article. There is a standard license fee in every big screening that needs to be respected as the film needs to be prepared and shipped off. All ticket sales go to the association that organised it, and we believe Daddy Leo mounted it for the benefit of Bethune House and the recent earthquake victims in Surigao.

We are happy for the blessings and support our Sunday Beauty Queens have been receiving post the screening of the film, and they very much deserved it for all their hard work and sacrifices. We share everyone’s wish that there could be more.

The risks and fees our producer swallowed to fight for the film so it can be screened at last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is something we don’t know if it can be achieved again. It’s the first time a documentary film ever made it the 42-year run of the MMFF. We want the Filipinos to see a story that can realise the value of our OFWs, more than to commercial gain from it. We hope writer  Daisy CL Mandap could have seen the bigger picture on why the film was made.

The independent producers are still recouping their four-year worth of production expenses as well as the expenses shelled out from its nationwide marketing to survive its 10-day limited theatrical release in the Philippines. The film was screened in an average of 20 cinemas. The film earned a gross of P10Million. The production expenses of the film was P4.5 Million over a span of four years, with P2Million spent on marketing and another P500k on distribution. To explain how it goes, the cinemas get a share of the box office revenue, while 30% goes to the Philippine government amusement tax. Only 20% returns to the producers and distributor of the film. We are happy that big studios have recouped already in last year’s MMFF and that their films were distributed in more than 150 cinemas. It is our wish for SBQ to screen as well in provinces around the Philippines so families and relatives of OFWs can watch it. Rest assured that we are working hard to help the producers recover soon. I personally cannot wait to reach a box-office statue so we can truly announce it and claim a Filipino documentary really made it!

The protection and welfare of my subjects are our prime priority as documentary filmmakers and to claim the SBQs were left out is not correct and this is something that hurt us deeply. It is not fair for Daddy Leo to be judged as the one who benefitted from it as he is also battling with so many responsibilities in the middle of trying to make a stand to uplift the Filipino community in HK.
We are happy that Daddy Leo is receiving enormous support for his next pageant and we wish his association all the best. We are happy that finally, the Philippine government is slowly giving close attention to address the needs of our migrant workers. There are still works to be done and we don’t discount any small efforts to champion our migrant warriors.

No one is being left out of any reward.

It is our hope for Filipinos to appreciate good documentaries and for the international audience to champion Filipinos to the world. The production team (Director, field producers & DOP) have also pitched in resources to make the journey of the film right.

We just hope the writer could have contacted us in the spirit for fair journalism. It is our regret that an article like this would put the producers and creators of Sunday Beauty Queen in a one-sided light. We are sure that is not what SUN HK represents. We wish there could be a chance for SUN HK and its writers to see the film.

I am whole heartedly requesting for the immediate ERRATUM of the story.

For your immediate attention,

Baby Ruth Villarama 
Film Director & Creator
Sunday Beauty Queen

 We are reprinting the letter of Ms. Baby Ruth Villarama in the interest of fair play. We interviewed Leo Selomenio as a follow-up to our previous articles on Sunday Beauty Queen which all put the movie and its makers in a positive light. All the information that we used in the subsequent feature story came from Leo, who is a longtime Filipino community leader in Hong Kong. As this letter itself attests, there was nothing factually wrong in that article. The air tickets of Leo and Hazel Perdido were paid after the article was published, and all rights for the movie’s screening in Hong Kong on March 26 were paid for by Leo, with support from her sponsors, in full. There is nothing to correct in the article.
Daisy CL Mandap
Editor, The SUN-HK

Miss you, The SUN

I miss you so much, The SUN… Ako iyong namumulot ng The SUN sa subway papuntang City Hall kasi paborito ko itong basahin, completos recados ang binabalita. Four months na ako ngayon sa Canada at bored dahil walang mabasa tulad ng The SUN. I miss you, The SUN.
Lucia P. Cornelia
Toronto, Canada

The Spiritual Aspects of Financial Planning – Part 1

By Francisco J. Colayco

One of our former team members at the Colayco Foundation, Arthur Ladaga helped me in this article.  Being Lent and nearing Easter, it might help in your reflection.

“We are often asked a lot of questions. Most of it has to do with the best investment option. There’s nothing really wrong with the question. With all different kinds out there it’s hard to choose the right one. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Different people also have different preferences. What is it that really helps in choosing the best one? The answer is simply first and foremost, to know one’s financial objective.

Your financial objectives revolve around three things: Purpose, Target, and Time. Purpose is the reason why you are investing in the first place. Target is your desired amount to reach. And lastly, time is the period you have to achieve your target.  Knowing your financial objective helps in choosing the best instrument around because each instrument is unique.

And yet when most people are asked about their financial objectives, they cannot give a straight answer. Some reply, “I want to be rich.” There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s still not well defined. Others are absolutely clueless, as if staring at an imaginary wall. And there are those who get upset and say, “I don’t have one! I just want to have more money!”

Time and time again we emphasize the need to know to one’s financial objectives. Its usefulness knows no bounds. The most successful individuals are those who know their goals by heart. They can say it even while they’re sleeping. And yet at the heart of proper financial planning lies a spiritual essence that many ought to discover. Religious or not, you must realize that money is also a spiritual matter that needs to be dealt with. Knowing the spiritual aspects of financial planning will enable you to realize its importance in a more profound sense.

---
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. 

Why Pinoy ex-prisoners are scared to go home

By Mario de los Reyes

In a few months, two of my friends with whom I have been exchanging correspondence will soon be released. But, as their big day is fast approaching, I have noticed a lack of excitement which is so uncharacteristic, given their letters which are usually full of life and inspirational.

This may have something to do with a rumor that has circulated recently among Filipino inmates that a released former convict on a drug-related case was summarily executed back home for unknown reason. Take note, almost all Filipino inmates in Hong Kong prisons are convicted on drug charges so that piece of news sent shivers down the spine.

Their anxieties are further inflamed by media reports on the current political situation in the country. The war on drugs, restoration of the death penalty and lowering the age of criminal liability to nine years from the present 15, among others, are troubling their minds.

The war on drugs has already claimed the lives of more than 8,000 mostly poor Filipinos, according to latest reports. I know the president has a good intention in trying to eradicate the drug menace confronting the country, but the task of enforcing the campaign should have been left to PNP personnel with high moral integrity, and not the scalawags who are probably under the influence and payroll of the drug lords. A thorough background investigation and lifestyle check must be carried out on every officer tasked with carrying out the anti-drug raids.

A case in the point was the killing of the Korean businessman under the guise of a drug bust, but which in reality, was a case of kidnapping for ransom. Just imagine, the main suspect in the elaborate scam and one of the members of the arresting squad turned out to have a net worth of millions of pesos. With his work it was impossible for him to have accumulated this vast amount of money. It is a pure case of unexplained wealth obtained through corrupt practices.

I would like to share that I used to be a member of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary but did not re-enlist because the wages we were paid did not allow us to have a decent living. How then can this officer explain his accumulated wealth? Clean up the rank and file of the police which, as the president himself said, is “corrupt to the core”.

The proposal to restore the death penalty as tabled in Congress is mainly for drug-related cases, which makes it appear as just an extension of the ongoing extrajudicial killings and summary executions as a result of the war on drugs. How about rape, murder and plunder of state coffers? Have these been intentionally omitted to protect those carrying out the ongoing murder of mainly poor Filipinos on the pretext of them being engaged in drug dealing? Was this also designed to exempt those politicians looting the treasury so they will not stop the passing of the bill? This is blatant hypocrisy on a grand scale!

Besides, the death penalty has not proved to be a deterrent to drug traffickers; re-imposing it now could only raise the price of the illicit commodity. That’s what I have learned from those mules who managed to succeed at various times in smuggling drugs into China before the long arm of the law caught up with them in Hong Kong.

In my opinion, containment, not killing, is more appropriate in stopping this drug problem. Educating people on the effect of drugs, plus creating more jobs to reduce unemployment, could curb the practice. It is the lack of jobs that causes most people to turn to drug dealing so they could earn enough to feed their children. There is also the extreme measure of legalizing drugs so their price will nosedive, leaving them with not much practical or financial value.

Moreover, passing the death penalty will put at a disadvantage all Filipinos on death row abroad for drug-related cases, particularly those in the Middle East, and including Mary Jane Veloso in Indonesia. How can we ask for mercy or clemency for these Filipinos if our own government is executing its own nationals?

If capital punishment is re-imposed, how sure are we that it will not be used as a tool to exact vengeance on the opposition? Taking into account the recent malfunction in our justice system, many more poor and innocent people could be led to the gallows.

Meanwhile, on the political front, there is the arrest and jailing of Senator Leila de Lima who is an outspoken critic of the president on his war on drugs and extrajudicial killings while he was still the mayor of Davao City. Jailing her only raised her profile and made her fading star shine. A partial and biased judiciary will merely allow those allegations against her stick. Though I still hold a grudge against her since during her time as justice secretary she never replied to my petition letters on getting the transfer of sentenced prisoners implemented, I still wish that she will soon be freed. Unless of course if she is found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by an independent and impartial jury.

The wheels of justice do seem to turn rusty when compelling evidence is found against well connected and powerful politicians. Take the Ampatuan case where dozens of journalists became collateral victims of a feud between two powerful political clans. It has been almost a decade since the heinous crimes were committed, but the outspoken widow of one of the journalists had to take refuge here in Hong Kong while awaiting justice to be served her and other family members of the victims.

Another worry besetting my fellow prisoners here who are otherwise elated to be freed is the proposed lowering of the age of criminal responsibility, on the ground that children are often used as tools by criminal syndicates who realize that they cannot be prosecuted. Why are children being blamed for the crimes of adults? Children who are below 15 years of age cannot fully understand what is unlawful, so why don’t the authorities go after the adults who are using and manipulating them? What is the rationale behind this move?

“I pray that this proposed bill will not prosper,” wrote one of them, for her children were left without any parents after she was jailed. Her husband is a migrant worker, so their children were left in the care of her in-laws. Without parental guidance her young children are very vulnerable and could easily be influenced by peers, she lamented.

To lessen her fears, I relayed the information that the killing of our former convict countryman was just a canard, or a form of unfounded rumor which I managed to verify from checking with my acquaintances in the free world.

Ang tunay na ingay

Ni Ate Kulit

Maraming ingay ang naririnig natin mula sa Pilipinas, na karamihan ay sanhi ng politika: ang dumaraming namamatay dahil sa “Drug War”, mga “destabilization plot” laban kay Pangulong Duterte, mga bantang impeachment laban sa dalawang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa, pu**ng ina dito at pu**ng ina doon, intriga dito at intriga doon.

Pero mayroong ingay na dapat pinagtutuunan natin ng pansin dahil ito ang tunay na sukatan ng husay sa pagpapatakbo ng bansa: ang ekonomiya.

Isa sa mga palatandaan ng lakas ng ekonomiya ay ang lakas  ng piso. Sa pagpasok ng taong 2017, bumagsak ng piso sa pinakamababang lebel nito sa nakaraang 10 taon. Kung nagsasaya ang mga OFW dahil mas maraming piso ang katumbas ng kanilang kinikita ngayon, maghintay lang sila dahil ang dating padala nilang piso ay hindi na sapat—tumataas din ang presyo ng bilihin ng  kanilang pamilya.

Isa pang nagpapakita ng lakas ng ating ekonomiya ay ang labas at  pasok ng pera sa ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng kalakal at pamumuhunan. Dito, halos nauubos na ang lakas natin: ang tinaguriang “current account surplus” (ang matitira kapag ibinawas mo ang lumabas mula sa pumasok na pera sa bansa) ay bumagsak ng 91.7% noong nagsara ang 2016. Ito ay $601 million  na lang, kumpara sa $7.3 billion noong nakaraang taon. Ang malaking dahilan nito ay ang malaking paglaki (46.2%) ng trade deficit (kung saan kinapos ang export laban sa import) na pumalo sa $34.5 billion.
May nagbabanta pang kasunod iyan.

Halimbawa, pinagiisipan na ng European Economic Community na tanggalin  ang mga prebilehiyo ng Pilipinas sa pangangalakal dahil sa paglabag nito sa karapatang pantao. Ang magiging resulta nito ay dagdag na buwis sa mga produktong inaangkat nito mula sa Pilipinas. Dahil dito, magiging  mas mahal ang mga ito kumpara sa mga produktong galing sa mga bansang karibal ng Pilipinas.

Hindi na bago sa atin ang pagbagsak at  paglago ng ekonomiya. Kailan lang ay naging  ikalawa ang Pilipinas sa may pinakamalakas na ekonomiya sa buong mundo; ngayon, ito ay ikatlo sa pinakamahina sa ASEAN.

Ano ang dapat gawin upang maiwasang malugmok ito?

Debt and culture

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

The recent police raid on a loan sharking syndicate uncovered, yet again, the stark truth: that we have a tendency to borrow money, for whatever reason, more than we can afford to pay.

Of the more than 200 passports, pieces of jewelry and smart phones recovered, not one belonged to a non-Filipino. It was a sad reminder that success is still a long way off in our multi-pronged effort to discourage our workers’ heavy borrowing.

Often we blame greedy agencies that collect unconscionable placement fees from our workers as the root of the problem. We also point the finger at financial institutions that make it easy for anyone to borrow money, but then make it hard for them to get out because of back-breaking interest payments.

Both remain valid notions, but how do we explain the Indonesian phenomenon?

Informal surveys by NGO, Enrich, showed that Indonesian workers come to Hong Kong more heavily in debt because of higher placement and training fees, but somehow manage to get out of the tight fix much faster. As a result, they get to go back home earlier to resume their interrupted lives.

The same survey showed that the Indonesians do not by choice remain in Hong Kong longer than necessary. They come here with a clear plan on how long they must stay, and so save up enough for that day when they have to go back home, never to come back.

In contrast, we have a lot of workers who have been in Hong Kong for decades, with hardly any savings to show for it. And so they continue to toil, until age or ailment forces them to retire. Some do go home after some time, hoping to settle back in, but end up returning because the little money they saved was not enough for them and their family’s needs.

How do we explain the difference? For this, we could reference our being too family oriented and our widely accepted concepts of “hiya” (shame) and “utang na loob”(debt of gratitude). It is often difficult for Filipinos to say no when a friend or relative approaches them for a loan. More so if they think the borrower is someone they owe a debt of gratitude to.

If they don’t have the money, they would often take out a loan themselves, and make it big enough to cover their own imagined need. In a lot of cases, the friend or relative who got easy money does not pay back as promised, leaving the worker to shoulder the loan herself, and yet sadly, still none the wiser for it.

Thus begins the cycle of borrowing that often leaves our workers enmeshed in debt for much of their work life in Hong Kong.

The task would have been harder if not for the persistent effort by some groups, notably Enrich, CARD HK and the Mission for Migrant Workers to teach our workers the value of saving for a rainy day, and giving a firm no to those who egg them on to spend more than they can afford.

Credit must also go those who endeavor to make the Philippines stick to its no-placement policy, and Hong Kong to its 10-percent rule for agency fees, for newly arrived Filipino domestic workers. 

This is not an easy task as it goes against the long-ingrained thinking among the workers themselves that they must pay for the cost of deployment. Thankfully, there have been encouraging signs recently pointing to a shift from this attitude among workers, recruiters and even employers.

The Consulate’s move to restrict the issuance of replacement passports to tighten the lid on those who use their documents as collateral for loans should also be commended, especially as it involves the delicate task of balancing public interest with individual rights.

Through these efforts, some headway has been made to make our workers realize that borrowing money should be avoided at all cost, and that they should have a definite plan on when they should go back home for good.

But the task ahead remains difficult. As has been said, the root of the problem dwells deep within most of us. It is time we cast aside our giving nature, of giving until it hurts, or because we don’t want to lose face.

We work hard to provide a better future for our family. Let that be our guide in staying away from debts and saving up so we can go back to them fast.

Philippine art awardees visit Hong Kong as prize

The five national winners of the Philippine Art Awards (PAA) flew into Hong Kong recently to visit two world-renowned art fairs: Art Basel and Art Central, as part of their prizes.

The artists, with National Artist Ben Cabrera and HK hosts.

Their trip was capped with a dinner with National Artist BenCab hosted by a group of amateur Filipina artists led by Abigail Hills, and art enthusiasts based in Hong Kong.

PAA is a national visual competition held every two years in the Philippines. In the first year, finalists are selected from the four regions: Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. In the second year, jurors select out of the four regional winners the five National Winners: (1) Grand Prize, (2) Jurors Choice Award of Excellence and (2) Jurors Choice Award of Merit.

The PAA winners are: Dexter Sy from Metro Manila  (Grand Prize); Joemel Mirabuena from Iloilo  and Renato Pilapil from Davao (JCA of Excellence);  George Cubacub of Metro Manila and Abi Dionisio of Luzon (JCA of Merit).

The PAA is organized by Promoting Advocacy for the Arts Foundation with support from PMFTC and Samsung Philippines, Inc.

May butas ang pasaporte niya

Nang makatanggap ng tawag si Nena na dumating na ang kanyang bagong pasaporte at agad siyang pumunta sa Konsulado. Pagkakuha ay nagmamadali naman siyang umuwi dahil kailangan pa niyang sunduin ang kanyang alaga. Pagdating sa bahay ay saka niya napansin na may butas ang likod ng kanyang lumang pasaporte.

Hindi siya mapakali dahil nakadikit sa luma niyang pasaporte ang kanyang kasalukuyang visa. Tinawagan niya ang ilan sa kanyang mga kaibigan para humingi ng payo pero wala daw ni isa sa mga ito ang makapabigay ng konkretong kasagutan.

Magdamag daw siyang hindi nakatulog dahil sa sobrang pag-aalala. Kinabukasan, habang nasa palengke ay bukambibig pa rin ni Nena ang pagkakabutas ng kanyang lumang pasaporte. Habang ikinukuwento niya ang problema sa isang Pinay na nakasabay sa pamimili ay napilitang sumabad si Minda nang maulinigan niya ang pag-uusap nila.

Ipinaliwanag niya kay Nena na sadyang binubutas ang  lumang pasaporte bilang tanda na ito ay kanselado na, pero hindi nangangahulugan na wala nang bisa ang nakakabit na visa dito. Ididikit lang ang lumang pasaporte sa bago bilang patunay na may visa pa siya, kung kinakailangan.

Hindi mapigil ni Nena na pagtawanan ang sarili dahil sa kanyang wala sa lugar na pag-aalala.

Si Nena, apat na taon na sa Hong Kong, ay naninilbihan sa isang pamilyang Pranses na nakatirasa Mid-levels.—-Gina N. Ordona

NGO helps collect $3m in illegal agency fees charged migrant workers

by The SUN team

Mission volunteer confers with clients

More than $3 million in illegal placement fees has been collected from employment agencies by non-government organization, Mission for Migrant Workers, on behalf of foreign domestic workers last year.

This was revealed in the Service Report 2016 released by the Mission yesterday, Apr. 5.

According to the report, the number of FDWs who approached the NGO for help in recovering fees illegally collected from them by the agencies rose by 36% compared to the same period last year. Of the number of claims pursued, 85% led to the recovery of the illicit fees, amounting to $3.07 million.

The dramatic rise in the number of claims could be directly correlated to the relatively high recovery rate, or greater awareness of the problem among migrant workers.

Only 4% paid legal fee

Statistics on agency-related complaints

Yet, the issue over the high placement fees remains. Of the 5,039 FDWs who sought help from the Mission last year, only 4% said they paid the legal fee, which under Hong Kong law, should not be more than $431, or 10% of their first monthly salary.

Nearly half, or 45%, said they paid between $5,000 to $10,000; 17% paid between $10,001 to $15,000; and an alarming 21% were charged more than $15,000.

“It should be noted that recruitment fee collection relates closely to fraudulent loans as FDWs are deceived to take out loans to cover the fees resulting also to debt bondage,” said a press statement issued by the Mission.

Another agency malpractice pointed out in the report was the fraudulent recruitment for inexistent jobs abroad, such as the one carried out by Mike’s Secretarial Services/Emry’s Employment Agency, which face refund claims from migrant workers in Hong Kong and Macau amounting to about $3 million.

Apart from the persistent problem with illegal fee collection and other agency malpractice, the FDWs remained beset with major concerns regarding their working and living conditions.

9 out of 10 work long hours

Graph on work-related complaints

As in years past, an overwhelming number, or 90%, complained of excessively long working hours. Of these, 38% reported working for more than 16 hours per day, while 62% worked from between 11 to 16 hours daily.

The other complaints were on contract violations. About 43% of the workers said they were not given private accommodation; about 29% said they were made to work before taking their day off; while 26% complained about not being given enough food.

More than half, or 56%, sought the Mission’s help over labour-related problems, while 44% had their contracts prematurely terminated, leaving them with no means to support themselves while their complaints were bring processed. A significant increase, at 17%, was also recorded in the number of workers complaining of fraud and illegal recruitment.

The Mission has, for more than 30 years, provided emergency, legal, and psycho-social assistance to FDWs in distress, and also promotes social advocacy in support of the more than 300,000 migrant workers in Hong Kong. The NGO also administers the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, which provides temporary shelter for FDWs in need.