Lensational Hong Kong

Ang mga miyembro ng Lensational Hong Kong kasama ang kanilang mga tagapag-gabay.

By William Elvin

Karaniwan na ngayon sa mga Pinoy ang mamasyal na may dala-dalang camera. Hindi na kasi katulad ng dati na mabigat ang camera at mahirap dalhin. Maraming camera ngayon ang maliit ngunit magandang kumuha ng litrato. Pati mga telepono ay puwedeng pwede nang gamitin, lalo na kung selfie ang pag-uusapan.

Bagamat usong-uso na ang “point and shoot” na istilo ng pagkuha ng litrato, marami pa ring mga Pilipino sa Hong Kong ang nagpipilit na pag-aralang mabuti ang sining ng pagkuha ng litrato. Kabilang sa mga ito ang grupong Lensational.

Ang Lensational ay binubuo ng mga Pilipina at Indonesian domestic workers na patuloy na naghihinang ng kanilang mga talento sa paghawak ng camera. Nguni’t hindi lamang sining ang nabubuo sa mga kasapi sa grupo. Sa bawa’t litratong kinukuha nila ay nabubuksan din ang kanilang mga isipan tungkol sa mahalagang adhikain: Ang kahalagahan ng kababaihan sa modernong lipunan.

Itinatag ng magkaibigang sina Bonnie Chiu at Peggy Tse ang Lensational noong ika-8 ng Marso taong 2013, na siya ring petsa ng International Women’s Day. Hangad nila na palaganapin ang paniniwala na ang potograpiya ay isang paraan ng komunikasyon na hindi kailangan ang salita para magkaunawaan, kaya’t maaari itong makapagbuklod ng kahit sino, saan man sa mundo. Sa pagbuo nito, minabuti ng magkaibigan na gamitin ang grupo upang mai-angat ang estado ng mga kababaihang hindi gaanong binibigyan ng pansin o papuri ng lipunan, gaya ng mga domestic helper.

Kabilang sa mga Pilipina sa Hong Kong na pinagbuklod ng Lensational sina Joan Pabona, Leeh Ann Hidalgo, Roselle Morado, at Vangeline Challoy. Mula nang sila ay nagtagpo-tagpo ay nakalilikha ng iba’t ibang kulay at kwento sa pamamagitan ng mga larawan.

Nabalitaan nina Joan at Leeh Ann sa Facebook ang libreng programa ng Lensational na nagtuturo ng potograpiya sa mga kababaihan dito sa Hong Kong mahigit isang taon na ang nakalipas. “Maganda yung program nila kasi nagpo-promote sila ng gender equality at nagfo-focus sila sa domestic workers,” ayon kay Leeh Ann. Nang mapatunayan din ni Joan ang mabuting naidudulot ng programa, kinalaunan ay isinama niya na rin ang kanyang kaibigang si Roselle.

Graduate naman si Vangeline ng financial literacy program ng grupong Enrich dito sa HK. Nang mapansin ng kanyang mga kasama na mahilig siyang kumuha ng mga litrato, ini-rekomenda sa kanya na sumali sa Lensational upang lalo pang mahasa ang kanyang talento.

“Sa basics sila nag-fofocus, kasi karamihan sa aming mga domestic workers, parang intro pa lang ang alam,” kwento ni Joan tungkol sa mga unang klase nila. Wala ring sariling mga camera ang ilan sa kanila, kaya’t libre silang pinapahiram ng grupo upang matulungan silang matuto.

“Classroom set-up siya kasama ng mga volunteer mentors,” paliwanag ni Leeh Ann.  “Marami kasi sa amin, basta pitik lang nang pitik, hindi naman namin alam yung mga terms,” dagdag niya. “Kaya nakakatulong yung discussions, kasi maraming nalilinawan.”

Isa sa mga larawang kuha ni Joan Pabona

“Minsan din, akala mo okay na ‘yung kuha mo, pero parang may kulang,” paliwanag ni Joan. “Kaya tinuturo nila ‘yung tamang framing, at kung gaano ka-importante ang ilaw,” kwento pa niya.

“Mayroon ding pag-critique,” dagdag ni Roselle. Hindi lamang daw ang kanilang mga tagapag-turo ang nagbibigay ng komento upang mapaganda pang lalo ang kanilang mga kuha. Nagbibigay din daw sila ng kanilang mga kuro-kuro sa gawa ng kanilang mga kaklase, kaya’t natutulungan din nila ang isa’t isa.

“Ang pinaka na-build sa akin ay ‘yung self-confidence,” pahayag naman ni Vangie. “At saka dati, hindi ko alam kung anong meron dyan sa pagkahilig sa camera,” wika niya. “Pero ngayon, sinasabi ko na sa mga tao na huwag mamaliitin ang mga camera-woman.”

Isa sa mga larawang kuha ni Leeh Ann Hidalgo.

Kahit na nakapag-sanay na rin si Roselle sa digital cameras, patuloy pa rin siyang namamangha sa ilan sa mga ibang uri ng potograpiya na natutunan niya sa Lensational, kagaya ng paggamit ng pinhole camera. “Biruin mo, sa isang small box, makakakuha ka ng litrato,” sabi niya.

Magandang halimbawa ang mga kasapi ng Lensational sa paggawa ng makabuluhang bagay habang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong. Patuloy nilang pinalalawig ang kanilang kaalaman at talento.

“Masarap ang feeling kapag nakikita mong ina-appreciate ng iba ang gawa mo,” payo ni Roselle. Malaking patunay nito si Joan, na kasalukuyang nag-aambag ng kanyang mga litrato sa diyaryong Manila Bulletin sa Pilipinas. Na-tampok na rin ang ilan sa mga litrato ni Leeh Ann sa iba’t ibang mga pahayagan at website sa Hong Kong.

Sumasang-ayon silang lahat na malaki ang maitutulong ng pag-aaral ng potograpiya sa mga Pilipinang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong gaya nila.

“Yung pina-pambili nila ng alak sa alley-alley, pwede na nilang ipambili ng camera pag inipon,” pahayag ni Vangie.

Nabanggit din nila na maaari ring mapagkakitaan ang pagkuha ng mga larawan sa mga mahahalagang okasyon gaya ng kasal, kapag nakauwi na sila sa Pilipinas.

Inaanyayahan nila ang kanilang mga kababayan na sumubok sa pag-aaral ng potograpiya kasama nila. “’Yung skills, naniniwala akong lahat naman mayroon niyan,” sabi ni Leeh Ann. “Kailangan lang hasain.”

Sa mga interasadong sumali, padalhan sila ng mensahe sa Facebook: www.facebook.com/lensational.org, o hanapin ang Lensational sa search box ng FB. Maaari ring makita ang ilan sa kanilang mga kuhang larawan sa http://photos.lensational.org, o sa pagsama sa kanilang gaganaping “photo walk” sa ika-25 ng Hunyo. Bukas ito para sa lahat ng gustong bumisita. Abangan na lamang ang karagdagang mga detalye sa kanilang Facebook Page.

Ang Louvre sa Hong Kong

Ni Marites Palma 

Nais mo bang masilayan ang mga obra maestra ng mga pinakatanyag na pintor sa buong mundo na makikita lamang sa Louvre museum sa Paris? Hindi ka man makapunta doon maari mo pa ring masilayan ang museo na ito nang hindi umaalis ng Hong Kong.

Mula kasi Mayo hanggang sa Hulyo ay makikita ang exhibit na may pamagat na

“Inventing Le Louvre: From Palace to Museum over 800 years, “sa Hong Kong Heritage Museum sa Shatin.

Mula sa pagiging tanggulan na may makakapal na pader noong 1190 hanggang sa gawin itong palasyo ni King Charles V at sa paglaon ay naging museo, ang Louvre ay isa sa pinakasikat na puntahan ng mga turista sa Paris ngayon.

Makikita sa exhibition sa Hong Kong Heritage Museum ang mahigit 120 piraso mga obra na galing sa lahat ng ng malalaking departamento ng Louvre. Ang mga naturang obra ay nagsisilbing paalala sa mahalagang papel na ginampanan ng museo sa kasaysayan ng France sa loob ng nagdaang 827 taon

Sa pakikipagtulungan ng HK Heritage Museum, hinati-hati sa iba-ibang serye ang exhibit para mas madaling maunawaan ng mga turista, kabilang ang mga kabataan. May programa din para sa edukasyon, pagsasadula ng mga makasaysayang pangyayari at pagsasanay.

Sa education zone ay makikita ang “Director Denon’s World of Wonders, ang koleksyon ni Dominique Vivant-Denon, na siyang itinalaga ni Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte bilang kauna-unahang director ng Louvre. Ayon sa salaysay, si Denon ang nangolekta  ng kayamanan  para sa Museo habang naglalakbay si Napoleon sa iba pang parte ng Europa at sa Egypt.

Sa misteryosong World of Wonders ay madidiskubre ang mga iba’t ibang koleksyon na may kasamang nakabibighaning kwento, at sa pamamagitan ng interactive na programa at palabas ay magkakaroon ng kaalaman tungkol sa ibang world-class museums. Dito ay mayroon ding “time machine” na magdadala sa mga turista sa isang kakaibang paglalakbay kung saan makikita nila ang mga taong sangkot sa pagbuo ng Louvre at pati na ang Forbidden City sa China. Sa parteng ito matutunan ang pagkakatulad ng pagsulong ng dalawang bantog na palasyo ng dalawang bansa. Sa paraang ito ay nabibigyan ng liwanag ang pagpapalitan ng kultura ng dalawang bansa na parehong mayaman ang kultura. Bagaman kakikitaan ng malaking pagkakaiba sa pagkagawa at gusali ang Louvre at Forbidden City ay mababanaag ang matagal ng kasaysayan ng France at China. Sa huli, ang dalawang palasyo ay parehong naging pampublikong museo.

Ang guided tour ay mag-uumpisa sa Director General ng Louvre, pagbubukas ng mga pintuan, oras at espasyo mula sa mga daan daang taong lumipas sa magkaibang panahon ng Louvre at Forbidden City na isasabuhay ng mga propesyonal na mga artista ng Hong Kong, na makikisalamuha at makikipagkwentuhan tungkol sa mga bagay na nagkakapareha ng dalawang bansa.

Ipapasyal ng mga nakatalagang staff ng museo ang mga kalahok sa exhibition galleries at ipinapaliwanag ang bawat exhibit para maunawaang lubos ang kasaysayan ng Louvre sa loob ng mahigit 800 taon.

Ang schedule para sa guided tour ay ang mga sumusunod na petsa: May 6, May 13, May 27, June 3, July 1, July 8, July 15 at July 22, 2017, lahat ay Sabado. Unang session; 4-5pm, pangalawang session; 4:15 -5:15pm, pangatlong session; 4:30- 5:30 pm; pang-apat na sesyon; 4:45 -5:45 pm. Binubuo ng 25 na mga katao ang bawat session, maaaring magpalista 30 minuto bago mag-umpisa ang bawat session. Ang tour service counter ay matatagpuan sa ground floor, first come first served at mayroong hawak na admission ticket na nagkakahalaga ng $20.

Nitong Mayo 28 ay nagkaroon ng  lecture na may temang “Understanding More About Louvre from Multiple Perspective”. Ginanap ito sa theatre na nasa unang palapag ng museo mula 3:30-4:30 ng hapon.

Ang Department of Paintings ng Louvre ay mayroong pangunahing collection na nagmula hindi lang sa France, kundi pati sa Italy, Spain at iba pang bahagi ng Europe. Isa sa pinakatanyag na obra sa museo ang “Mona Lisa” ni Leandro da Vinci.

Isa mga tagapagsalita sa lecture ay si Professor Ho Siu-Kee ng Fine Arts Dept. ng  Chinese University of Hong Kong. Siya ang magpapaliwanag tungkol sa kahalagahan ng obra na masisilayan, pati na ang mga iskultura mula sa Ancient Greek at Roman civilizations, mga pangunahing paraan para higit na pahalagaan ang mga display sa loob ng Louvre.

Si Prof Wang Weijen ng naman ng Dept of Architecture ng Hong Kong University ang magsasalita para sa temang “The Louvre and The Palace Museum. Ang mga naging pagbabago sa mga gusali ng Louvre ang kanyang ipapaliwanag. Mula sa moog na itinayo ni Philip Augustus, hanggang sa pagiging palasyo nito umpisa sa ilalim ni Charles V noong 14th century, at ngayon sa modernong disenyong pyramid na gawa ng sikat na American-Chinese architect na si I.M. Pei.

Isisiwalat din ng tagapagsalita kung paano nagiging museo ang mga pampublikong gusali bilang pagpapaliwanag sa koneksiyon ng mga makasaysayang kultura sa makabagong panahon. Ang exhibit ay magtatapos sa July 24.

Para marating ang Heritage Museum, sumakay lang ng MTR at bumaba sa Che Kung Mui station (kasunod lang ng Shatin station) at kunin ang exit A. Dumiretso ng lakad hanggang marating ang museo.

Understanding Vegetarianism

By Jo Campos

A few months ago, I was asked to cook some dishes for a private dinner in Quezon City where the guests were all journalists. While planning the menu, I was informed that one of the guests was a vegetarian, but I said this should be no problem as I was used to cooking all-vegetable meals. All I needed to know was whether the guest was a simple vegan, or was among those who also shirk from eating any food with dairy products like cheese and eggs. But after a few more exchanges with the host, I was faced with a real challenge. Not only was the guest a vegetarian, she also did not eat anything with onion or garlic mixed in. I scratched my head thinking what I could possibly use to flavor her dishes with. Worse, I was requested to cook vegetarian kare-kare, bearing in mind the spices that were off-limits. I have cooked countless versions of kare-kare, from those with beef, pork or seafood as the main ingredient, but never with just vegetables. To top it all I was unsure about what I could use as substitute for bagoong (shrimp paste) which is the main condiment for the dish.

Realizing my dilemma, the guest relayed the information that pechay or pak choy stalks could be used to sauté all the ingredients. I did as told and was pleasantly surprised to realize that it did give flavor to the dish, like the garlic and onion mix that most of us use in sautéing vegetables.

Apart from the meat, seafood and other fish and seafood derived sauces, all the other ingredients were included in cooking the kare-kare dish. Another surprise was the vegetarian barbecue sauce that the guest brought along as substitute for bagoong. I tasted it and was again surprised to realize that it had the same texture and saltiness of bagoong.

I completed the vegetarian fare with steamed tofu cooked according to the guest’s preferences. For the non-vegetarians, I cooked arroz valenciana, and rounded up the simple spread with traditional ginataang halo-halo, which got the nod of everyone, vegetarian or otherwise.

Below are a few facts about vegetarianism which I found on Wikipedia. These should be very helpful to those who might encounter the same dilemma I faced, and eventually learned from.

* Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat of any kind, from red meat to poultry and seafood, as well as the flesh of any other animal, including its by-products.

* Vegetarianism is taken up by those who object to taking sentient life, whether for religious, philosophical, or other reasons. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, or could be just a personal preference.

* There are variations of the diet as well: an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs.

A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including eggs and dairy. Some vegans also avoid other animal products such as beeswax, leather or silk clothing, and goose-fat shoe polish.

* Packaged and processed foods, such as cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt, and marshmallows, often contain unfamiliar animal ingredients, so may be a cause for concern among vegetarians

* Often, prior to purchase or consumption, vegetarians will scrutinize products for animal-derived ingredients, such as fat or oil. Vegetarians’ feelings vary with regard to these ingredients. For example, while some vegetarians may be unaware of animal-derived rennet’s role in the production of cheese, and may therefore unknowingly consume the product, other vegetarians may not take issue with its consumption.

* Semi-vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes other meats, on an infrequent basis. Those with diets containing fish or poultry may define meat only as mammalian flesh and may identify with vegetarianism. A pescetarian diet has been described as “fish but no other meat”. The common use association between such diets and vegetarianism has led vegetarian groups such as the Vegetarian Society to state that diets containing these ingredients are not vegetarian, because fish and birds are also animals.

There are a number of vegetarian diets that exclude or include various foods:

Buddhist vegetarianism. Different Buddhist traditions have differing teachings on diet, which may also vary for ordained monks and nuns compared to others. Many interpret the precept ’not to kill’ to require abstinence from meat, but not all. In Taiwan, su vegetarianism excludes not only all animal products but also vegetables in the allium family (which have the characteristic aroma of onion and garlic): onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, chives, or shallots.

1. Fruitarianism permits only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

2. Jain vegetarianism includes dairy but excludes eggs and honey, as well as root vegetables.

3. Macrobiotic diets  consist mostly of whole grains and beans.

4. Lacto vegetarian-ism includes dairy products but not eggs.

5. Ovo vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products.

6. Ovo-lacto vegetarianism (or lacto-ovo vegetarianism) includes animal/dairy products such as eggs, milk, and honey.

7. Sattvic diet (also known as yogic diet), a plant based diet which may also include dairy (not eggs) and honey, but excludes anything from the onion or leek family, red lentils, durian fruit, mushrooms, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, alcoholic drinks and often also excludes coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg or any other type of stimulant such as excess sharp spices.

8. Veganism excludes all animal flesh and by-products, such as milk, honey (not always), and eggs, as well as items refined or manufactured through any such product, such as bone-char refined white sugar or animal-tested baking soda.

9. Raw veganism includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Vegetables can only be cooked up to a certain temperature, for instance using a dehydrator.

10. Within the “ovo-” groups, there are many who refuse to consume fertilized eggs (balut being an extreme example); however, such distinction is typically not specifically addressed.

11. Some vegetarians also avoid products that may use animal ingredients not included in their labels or which use animal products in their manufacturing; for example, sugars that are whitened with bone char, cheeses that use animal rennet (enzymes from animal stomach lining), gelatin (derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin, bones and connective tissue), some cane sugar (but not beet sugar) and apple juice/alcohol clarified with gelatin or crushed shellfish and sturgeon, while other vegetarians are unaware of or do not mind such ingredients.

12. Individuals sometimes label themselves “vegetarian” while practicing a semi-vegetarian diet, as some dictionary definitions describe vegetarianism as sometimes including the consumption of fish, or only include mammalian flesh as part of their definition of meat, while other definitions exclude fish and all animal flesh. In other cases, individuals may describe themselves as “flexitarian”. These diets may be followed by those who reduce animal flesh consumed as a way of transitioning to a complete vegetarian diet or for health, ethical, environmental, or other reasons. Semi-vegetarian diets include:

13. Macrobiotic diet consisting mostly of whole grains and beans, but may sometimes include fish.

14. Pescetarianism, which includes fish and possibly other forms of seafood;

15. “Pollo-pescetarian”, which includes poultry and fish, or “white meat” only;

16. Pollotarianism, which includes chicken and possibly other poultry;

17. Semi-vegetarianism is contested by vegetarian groups, such as the Vegetarian Society, which states that vegetarianism excludes all animal flesh.

Here are some dishes that will surely delight vegetarians.

Steamed Tofu with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
• 1 block soft tofu
• Fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Corn starch and water mixture
• Finely chopped chives and parsley for garnishing

Procedure:
1. Boil enough water in a steamer.
2. Cut soft tofu into cubes and scoop the middle to make a hollow, arrange in a heatproof dish and set aside
3. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak in warm water for at least an hour to soften. Chop mushroom finely and stuff them inside the hollowed tofu cubes, season with salt and pepper.
4. Steam for about 12 minutes.
5. Drain juice from the steamed tofu and transfer in a small saucepan, then thicken with the cornstarch mixture.
6. Sprinkle finely chopped chives and parsley on top of the steamed tofu and pour prepared sauce. Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Cheese in Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:
• 1 head cauliflower
• Butter
• Plain flour
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Milk
• Fresh sweet basil (optional)

Procedure:
1. Boil cauliflower in salted water until slightly soft, drain and set aside.
2. To make the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepan until bubbly, making sure that it does not burn.
3. Gradually add flour into the melted butter and stir constantly until well combined, resembling a buttery dough.
4. Add milk gradually until the sauce is creamy and smooth. You may also add some cream to make the sauce even creamier.
5. Add half the amount of prepared grated cheddar cheese and continue to stir.
6. Arrange cauliflower in a greased ovenproof baking dish and pour the béchamel sauce over.
7. Add grated parmesan cheese and the rest of the cheddar cheese.
8. Bake in preheated oven, 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has slightly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped fresh basil.

New GMA program gives voice to OFWs

Marian Rivera

GMA Pinoy TV has sarted airing “Tadhan­­a”, a weekly drama anthology featuring the colorful, romantic, heroic, and inspiring stories of OFWs.

Hosting the program is Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera.

Every day, thousands of Filipinos go abroad to seek greener pastures and provide a better life for their loved ones back home. Their sacrifice and endurance to face the unknown for the sake of their families, as well as helping the country’s economy through their remittance, have earned them the title, “Bagong Bayani”.

“Every Saturday, iba’t ibang story ang mapapanood nila — mga kuwento ng ating mga kababayan na nagtrabaho at nakipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa,” Marian said.

“First time ko ito as story teller at happy ako kasi may matututunan ako sa bawat istorya,” she added.

Filipino newbie plays key role in acclaimed HK musical

Samson as  Prince Marbo
in “Melodia”. Photo from Hong
Kong Youth Arts Foundation

A young Filipino landed a choice role in a Hong Kong musical, with just sheer talent to back him up.

Gian Carlo Samson, or Gio to his friends, played the role of Prince Marbo in “Melodia,” which finished its run at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts on Apr. 29. The 17-year-old played the love interest of veteran performer Aoi Toba, who appeared in the title role of Melodia.

About 800 young people auditioned for parts in the locally-produced musical created by Lindsey McAllister, founder of the HK Young Artists Foundation in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil  composer Violaine Corradi and musician/artist Rose Winebrenner. Of these, only 100 youths, aged between 9 and 25, landed parts.

Gio, who had no formal musical training, not only got in, but also snagged one of the most-sought after roles in the musical spectacle that went on to receive rave reviews.

During the show's 100-minute run, the audience was thrilled and entertained by vibrant and jaw-dropping displays of puppetry and acrobatics, plus song and dance that left many enthralled.

Gio recalls being told about the auditions towards the end of 2016 by his mom’s friend who encouraged him to try out. After a few callbacks, the Filipino teenager got the thrill of his life when he was tapped to play Prince Marbo.

Apart from landing a choice part, he also got to interact with a diverse cast and production staff.

Gian was born in Baguio City but is now attending YMCA Christian College in Kowloon where he is a member of football club. He also loves to play guitar and intends to learn drama in school.

Gio had many shining moments during the play and his song/rap duet with Melodia, “What’s In a Name”, was one of its funniest and most memorable parts.

As Prince Marbo, he played the character of a conceited teenager who intimidated and bullied Melodia until he began to like her and believed in her potential to save the world.

Gio has this message to other young people like him trying to make their mark in the world:

“If there is ever an opportunity, take it, no matter what others say or think, or you might regret not doing so.  Wouldn’t you rather know that you tried and didn’t succeed instead of asking yourself, “What if? What if I tried? What if I got the part? What if I met amazing people? What if I loved it? These are just a few of the question you might find yourself asking. So go for it, no more what if's. ”

Expect to hear more about this young man in the near future. — Contributed by Hilda Ilaga Jacinto

Pinoy convict in fake credit card case gets partial leave to appeal his case

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The High Court has allowed a Filipino former night club waiter to appeal his conviction on a charge of conspiracy to use fake credit cards, but not on the first charge of conspiracy to make the false instruments.

Justice Ian McWalters of the Court of Appeal handed down the judgment of the court on May 24, nearly two months after hearing the application for leave to appeal filed by Saudee A. Tagao, a former senior supervisor of waiters at Play Club in Central. “We allow the appeal only to the extent of quashing the conviction for the second charge of conspiracy to use false instruments, and dismiss the appeal in respect to the conviction for the first charge of conspiracy to make false instruments,” the justices said.

Tagao, along with two other defendants, was convicted of the two charges after trial in District Court on Sep 22, 2015 for his part in a conspiracy to buy electronic goods in Causeway Bay using false credit cards. He was sentenced to three years in jail for each offense, to be served concurrently.

He applied for leave to appeal against the convictions a month later and on Sep 14, 2016, Justice Michael Lunn of the Court of Appeals granted his application, while Justices McWalters and Derek Pang reserved their judgment until May 24.

Tagao was implicated in the conspiracy following police investigation of a fraudulent credit card transaction on July 15, 2014 at an Apple Store in Causeway Bay.

The prosecution alleged the card data encoded on the magnetic strip of a card that was used in the fraudulent transaction had been sent by Tagao from his mobile phone to D2’s phone using Whatsapp, a messaging application.

The justices of the Court of Appeals decided on whether the District Court judge who convicted Tagao could rely on CCTV recording as proof the appellant was in an Apple Store during a fraudulent card transaction in July 2014. Further, it should be determined if the conviction could stand should this evidence be disregarded.

The justices also said the key issue in the case was Tagao’s role in the Whatsapp communications. They said the prosecution believed “there was an abundance of evidence, apart from (Tagao’s) possible presence in the Apple Store, to prove that he was the “Saudee” mentioned in the Whatsapp messages.

The appellant and two other defendants, identified only as D1 and D2, were accused of conspiring to obtain genuine credit card details which they would then encode on stolen credit cards that they use for high-value purchases.

CCTV footage at the time of the fraudulent transaction at Apple Store was seized as an exhibit. On it, “a rather dark-skinned person in a distinctive red T-shirt” was seen wandering aimlessly around the store, and the District Court judge concluded that the person on the video was Tagao.

Two other transactions using a fraudulent credit card were reported on Aug 12, 2014. The first was at Chung Yuen Electrical Co at Times Square, in which D1 bought a notebook computer for $18,888 with an American Express card issued in Hong Kong to one Oliver Arthey. Data encoded on the magnetic strip related to another cardholder.

The second transaction was at a Fortress shop, also in Causeway Bay, where D1 tried to use the same card to buy another notebook PC valued at $15,288. When a shop sales adviser became suspicious of the card, D1 left without getting the card.

D1 was arrested when he returned to Chung Yuen for the notebook PC and a forensic expert who examined the card body was genuine. It was used at the Play Club around March 2013 and was subsequently reported lost.

D2 was also arrested shortly after D1’s arrest as he was in the vicinity of Chung Yuen and identified after police interrogated D1.

A police search on D2’s house the next day yielded two magnetic card readers and two notebook PCs. The first card reader can read data from magnetic cards to PCs while the second can read and store data from magnetic cards. Also seized were seven blank cards and two Visa cards, one belonging to Tagao.

When police examined D2’s phone, they found Tagao’s phone number stored in it, as well as some credit card data sent from it to D2’s phone. Whatsapp messages mentioning the appellant’s name were extracted by a computer expert and used as evidence of the conspiracies.

Ex-DH jailed for operating illegal guest house

By Vir B. Lumicao

A former domestic helper told the Eastern Court she sublet her rented flat in Wanchai as a guesthouse because she needed money to support her family in the Philippines as well as herself and her young son in Hong Kong.

Maria Lailani Abad was jailed for 15 months by Magistrate Bina Chainrai on May 19 after she pleaded guilty to charges of breaching a removal order from the Immigration Department in May 2010 by doing business, and for operating an unlicensed guesthouse.

She drew 15 months on a charge of “establishing a business while being a person in respect of whom a removal order is in force” and one month for “managing a guesthouse without a certificate of exemption or a license.” Both sentences were to run concurrently.

The Filipina was arrested in February when two officers posing as guests reserved a room in the guest house in Wanchai by telephone, according to a prosecution report.

The officers talked to a woman on the telephone, who turned out to be Abad, and booked a room for two people for two nights. They then prepared marked bills for entrapment.

At 5:06pm on the appointed date, two officers posing as the guests who made the booking called up Abad and said they were checking in. The defendant met them on Johnston Road and took them to flat 401of the building.

The report said the guest house was a 900-square-foot flat with three bedrooms. The defendant opened the bedroom and showed it to the purported guests.

After the officers paid $510 for their two-night stay and received the room key, they identified themselves and arrested Abad. The woman and a young boy, her Hong Kong-born son, were taken by the officers to the police station.

Investigators said Abad rented the flat, then turned it into a guest house without the landlord’s knowledge. The Home Affairs Department confirmed the defendant had no license to operate a guest house.

In mitigation, the defense lawyer said Abad came to Hong Kong in 2005 to work as a domestic helper but lost her employment and applied for non-refoulement in 2009 and filed a torture claim but it was twice rejected, first in 2014 and then in 2015.

The court was told that she was separated from her husband in the Philippines and gave birth to a son by another man in Hong Kong in 2009.

Her lawyer said Abad committed the offenses to financially support her father in her hometown and her son in Hong Kong.

Agency owner fined for operating without license

A Hong Kong employment agency owner was convicted on May 15 and fined $4,000 by the Kowloon City Court for operating the business without a valid license.

A Labour Department press release did not identify the agency owner, but a spokesman confirmed to The SUN on May 19 that the offender was Alice Tang Shuk-wai, who operated Blessings Employment Agency in Mong Kok.

The spokesman confirmed the case against Tang was lodged by the Employment Agencies Administration in the wake of a complaint for overcharging by a Filipina maid who was placed successfully by the agency owner for a domestic job in Mid-Levels.

The helper sought help from the industry regulator to recover her money.

She told The SUN in an interview last December that Tang charged her $16,000 for the service, but she paid only $10,000 and agreed to pay the balance through salary deduction.

The Labour report said the EAA received a complaint against Tang from the helper.

“With the complainant agreeing to assist in the investigation, which revealed sufficient evidence that the operator had operated an EA without a license, the LD then took out prosecution against the operator,” the report said.

The Labour spokesman, when contacted by The SUN, said Tang was prosecuted only for operating an agency without a license. Any claim for compensation against her will be dealt with separately, he said.

Hong Kong law requires that any establishment or person operating a business for the purpose of obtaining employment for another person or supplying personnel to an employer must obtain a license from the Labour Department prior to operation.

Labour said this was the third conviction relating to unlicensed employment agency operation this year.

In addition to Blessings, two other agencies – Gracefield Employment Service Ltd in Tsim Sha Tsui and Enoch Employment Agency in Wan Chai – were convicted of unlicensed operation of an EA earlier this year.

In 2016, eight agencies were convicted of overcharging jobseekers or unlicensed operation.

They were Marks Domestic Helper Agency Ltd in Tsuen Wan, Ka Ying Employment Agency in Cheung Sha Wan, Enoch Employment Agency in Wan Chai, Gold Union Employment Agency in Fanling, Jen’s Employment Agency Ltd in Tsuen Wan, which had been convicted twice, Ursula Advanced Employment Center in Causeway Bay, Tamas Employment Agency in Tai Wai, and a person operating an agency without a license in Fanling.

DH bites $1,100 bait, gets 2-week jail sentence

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic helper long suspected of stealing money from her employer’s wallet struck again on May 7, but this time she unwittingly took a $1,100 bait laid by her boss.

For that breach of trust, Nerissa de Vera, 37, was convicted and sentenced by Magistrate Jacky Ip in Eastern Court to two weeks in jail on May 19 after she pleaded guilty to a charge of theft.

De Vera wept quietly as the magistrate said, “By your own admission, I convict you as charged. This is a breach of trust case, a serious matter.”

A prosecution report read to the defendant said the employer, Chan Wai-long, had suspected for some time that the maid was stealing money from her.

So, on May 9, Chan took out three $1,000 and five $100 bank notes and photographed the bills with her phone. She put the money in a wallet in her bedroom and left for work.

Returning home in the evening, she checked her wallet and found that one $1,000 and one $100 bills were missing.  She asked De Vera about the money and the maid admitted she took it and beg forgiveness. The employer then called the police.

In mitigation, the duty lawyer assigned to defend De Vera said the helper, who was hired by Chan in June 2015, was very remorseful, and admitted the offense initially to her employer and subsequently to the police.

The lawyer said De Vera admitted she stole from Chan because she needed money for her children’s education back home and to support her mother, who was suffering from cancer. The counsel said the $1,100 would be returned to the owner.

“The offense is a breach of trust where immediate custodial sentence is called for,” Magistrate Ip said in sentencing.

“Taking into account the amount involved, the defendant’s clear record, her remorse and guilty plea at the first available occasion, I reduce her sentence by one-third to two weeks in jail,” he said.

Another Filipino, Carlos Belves, appeared in Eastern Court on May 19 on a charge of theft, but the duty lawyer assigned to him applied for a six-week adjournment for further legal advice and inquiry.

Magistrate Bina Chainrai adjourned the hearing to June 30 and ordered Belves remanded in custody as he had no bail application.

The Spiritual Aspects of Financial Planning – Part 3

By Francisco J. Colayco

The Impermanence and Giftedness of Money


Financial planning reminds us money’s impermanence and giftedness. Like everything else in this world, money does not last. You cannot take it to the grave with you. It will eventually decay regardless of what kind of physical protection it has.

Nevertheless, money is also a gift. It may be a man-made invention used to purchase goods or services, but it is essential in daily living. People need it to buy their needs and wants. In addition, many people have difficulty earning money. The fact that you are able to obtain money legitimately (whether through active or passive income) makes you realize the importance of it in your life. You are given opportunities to earn and grow it so that you can utilize it better. This is the essence of money’s giftedness!

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, gives a wonderful insight regarding the giftedness of all created things:

All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

Ignatian Spirituality Institute

Financial planning helps you value your money in a proper way. Because money is not permanent, it’s important to know precisely how it should be used. It must never be treated as your god (Matt. 6:24)! At the same time, you become obligated to grow it. You are responsible to grow your God-given gifts (Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-28, NAB) to live authentically. Money, at its innermost essence, is God-given! You are given legitimate opportunities to earn and grow it. Having a feasible financial plan helps and keeps you responsible over your money!

To See With New Eyes
Planning is a vital aspect in any endeavor that you take. It is not just about making everything clear and specific. It also involves continuously reminding yourself of the most important aspects of life. This is what financial planning does. It may seem to be a dull and boring process, but the challenge is to look at it with new eyes! There’s much more to financial planning than meets the eye. In knowing its spiritual aspects, you empower yourself further to reach your true wealth!

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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. 

Stop using Filipinas as drug mules

By Christine Diones Dia

Attention: To all Filipinos especially women. Never trust at once when someone offers free travel with cash incentives.

If someone on social media offers you free travel to Hong Kong, please disregard, ignore and report it to the nearest police station. This (person)  belongs to a syndicate a drug syndicate.

First, they will make you as a friend, ask you out to eat and have some fun. Then after winning your confidence they will offer you free travel to Hong Kong. But at the airport they will ask you to bring an empty suitcase for them, saying that they will need it on their return to the Philippines. You will agree because you trust the person, and you think you’re friends. You’re traveling with them, same plane, same flight. But at the airport they will ask you to wait for them at the taxi station outside, saying they just need to buy something. Then you suddenly find yourself alone. In a snap, you find yourself being arrested. The charge: drug trafficking, in particular, trafficking cocaine into Hong Kong.

When I had time to reflect on my situation I asked myself what was I doing, getting involved in drugs. I had never seen drugs in my entire life until I was arrested by customs officers on September 5, 2015 at Hong Kong International Airport.

I chose the wrong path that many others had chosen before me, and sadly many more will do the same thing. Some had succeded in their search and respected people, but so much of that money is growing out in some people’s grave/

The path to becoming a trafficker is a path to ruin and destruction. A wise person will learn from someone else’s mistake. Do not pursue the deadly path to ruin ourselves and our family’s future.

God knows how I love my family and how important they are in my life. It was for them that I left home and came here, hoping to provide them with a better future. But I failed.

The pain of separation, especially from my kids, is a heavy burden to bear. I miss them so much and I know they also miss me.

To my beloved three children  who have weathered many storms, and continue to bear the absence of their mother with dignity;

To my mother and father and other family members who bear the pain and the shame, I am really sorry.

May the story of what I have gone through reach people everywhere who may find themselves in a similar trap, and to other women who may yield to the pressure of taking risks just so they could give their children a better life;

To all my friends I know, and those whom I will never know, and to all survivors who have managed to pick up their lives and go on after they had fallen, I cherish you.

One lesson I learned from being imprisoned is that it is never too dark to go back home. God always gives a second chance to those who want to change and contribute positively to society and their own lives. Being in prison is not the end. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I will never, ever give up.
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In this issue, we again open our pages to a Filipina who is spending time in a Hong Kong jail for drug trafficking. Since her detention and with help from crusading priest Fr. John Wotherspoon, Christine has become a passionate advocate for preventing fellow Filipino women from being used as drug mules by shadowy groups, particularly to Hong Kong. In this extract from a message posted on her behalf on Facebook, Christine cautions fellow Filipinas against going for easy money, and in the process, falling prey to drug traffickers Christine intends to use this in her upcoming appeal against her sentence, and also to support her application for reduced sentence when the Review Board goes over her case. – Ed

Militants cautiously welcome pro OFW pledges of Duterte gov’t

By Daisy CL Mandap

Militant migrant organizations in Hong Kong have largely welcomed new initiatives from the Philippine government on resolving some of the major problems besetting overseas Filipino workers, including the overseas employment certificate and the ban on direct hiring.

The new measures were unveiled by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III during a meeting with United Filipinos – Migrante Hong Kong on May 13, and affirmed in part by President Rodrigo R. Duterte during a meeting with Filipino community leaders later in the day

“Masaya naman kami at naging mabunga ang dialogue with Sec. Bello,” said Unifil-Migrante secretary general Eman Villanueva in a message sent in response to queries from The SUN.

“Para sa amin, we welcome the commitments and we consider this na pag advance ng OFW agenda sa Duterte administration. But we will not stop until makita namin ang actual na implementasyon ng mga ito”.

Villanueva said his group got four main concessions from the administration: (1) the scrapping of the OEC and its replacement by a free OFW card called iDOLE; (2) the resumption of direct hiring of OFWs, on the condition that the helper found the employer herself, or through relatives; 3)continuing membership in the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, despite the worker’s failure to update payment of membership fees; and the doubling of the emergency financial assistance to OFWs to Php20,000.

But, Villanueva cautioned, “At the same time it is clear to us that lahat na ito ay nasa level pa lang ng commitments, or usapan pa lang. We want to make sure that maipapatupad ito nang walang additional financial burden or inconvenience sa mga OFWs.”

He said Unifil and other allied groups are now working on proposals on how best to implement the promised moves, particularly the abolition of the OEC and the corresponding issuance of the new OFW card, and the partial lifting of the ban on direct hiring.

The OEC, which is required of all OFWs leaving the Philippines for jobs abroad, has long been in place, but became a major problem due to the recent rapid increase in the number of OFWs, particularly in Hong Kong, who often swarm the Philippine Overseas Labor Office during peak vacation periods.

Recent moves to replace it with an online exemption certificate made matters worse because the workers still found themselves queuing up to complete the online registration or get help logging onto the site.

Direct hiring of OFWs in Hong Kong was, on the other hand, allowed at least partially until around
ten years ago when then Labor Attache Romulo Salud stopped the practice, ostensibly on orders by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Bello reportedly told the group that Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre could already start allowing direct hiring under the conditions mentioned. However, Villanueva said that during a follow-up talk, Labatt dela Torre told his group that he still needed guidelines from the head office before he could start implementing the directive.

There are at least two other equally pressing concerns the militants want resolved, and these are are the integration of the terminal fee into airline tickets issued to OFWs who are, by law, exempted from the charge; and the plan to increase the passport fee, once its validity is stretched from five to 10 years.

Villanueva said his group still has to monitor if OFWs are still being charged the terminal fee in their tickets, despite Bello’s promise as early as last April that the practice would be stopped.

“Pero naghahanda na rin kami ng proposal para sa papaano ang mga unrefunded na pera ng mga OFWs. Kasama na dito ang extension ng period ng refund at ang possible na paglagyan ng mga hindi na talaga mare-refund na TF ng mga OFWs. Pero kailangan pa itong aralin at konsultahin sa Filcom”, said Villanueva.

As for the passport, he said his group welcomes the legislature’s enactment of a law that would extend the document’s validity to 10 years since this had long been part of their advocacies.

“Pero we strongly oppose ang plan na increase sa fee. We do not see any reason for this. At dagdag pa dito, we will continue to campaign na maging pareho ang singil ng passport sa Pilipinas and overseas.”, said Villanueva.

He also admitted being wary of plans to require OFWs to obtain a government-issued ID, saying his group would first have to study its real benefits to workers, and make sure that there are no business or political interests behind the move.

Promises

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

This could be a good year for overseas Filipino workers or OFWs, given the number of concessions promised them recently by the Philippine government.

No more overseas employment certificates (or OECs) after three months, no more terminal fee integration in their air tickets from the Philippines, direct hiring to be resumed under certain conditions, no more forced contribution to OWWA, and the doubling of emergency financial assistance.

A few weeks ago, both houses of Congress also passed the resolution extending the passport validity from 5 to 10 years. Again, this was supposedly meant to ease the burden on our long-suffering OFWs.

It is all well and good, but, will the promises be kept - without reservations and no alternative impositions being made on our workers?

It has always been our position, even during the past administration, that it would not have taken much effort to bring relief to our long-suffering OFWs. Much of the burden was imposed only in recent years, anyway. And nearly all did nothing for their benefit, but served mainly to enrich the government and other groups, mainly recruiters, at their expense.

We still remember the time when our OFWS, in Hong Kong at least, were not forced to contribute to the already bloated OWWA fund, and yet could expect to get help when necessary.

We still remember the time when the OWWA Medicare fund could be relied on to provide for the health needs of our OFWs and their families back in the Philippines. That disappeared when Php500 million of that money was transferred to Philhealth which does not even see it fit to post staff overseas, making the health benefit it provides to OFWs largely illusory.

We still remember when we could process employment contracts directly with the Consulate, and not be forced to go through employment agencies simply because officials back home deemed their intervention necessary.

More recently, we remember the time when the terminal fee was not included in air tickets from the Philippines so OFWs were spared the trouble, even indignity, of having to queue up just to get the tax-free privilege they were entitled to in the first place.

Over the years, the burden on our migrant workers became so heavy that we could only rage and protest each time some enterprising official came up with yet another ploy to extract more money from them, directly or indirectly.

To add insult to injury, OFWs were always told the new schemes were meant to protect them more.

If our government can't even provide jobs to our workers so that they are forced to leave the country to provide for their families' needs, why, in all conscience, does it keep coming up with new schemes to make  money off them?

How could our government pass on the duty of protecting its citizens abroad to employment agencies, when over the years, these same groups have shown to cause more grief than relief to our workers?

But now we have all these promised concessions to look forward to. We say, it's about time. Our OFWs have been subjected to so much battering in recent years they deserve this much-needed respite.

Still it may not be time to celebrate - yet.

As it is, we see signs that the promised benefits, which are supposed to augur well for  our OFWs, are not what they seem to be.

Take the newly reformulated pledge to do away with the OEC, for example. The promise this time is that there will be no more OECs in two to three months, but OFWs will be issued IDs proving their status, and assure ease of transactions with various government agencies.

OFWs are told that the IDs will be given free to them, but surely some fund will be tapped to produce them? Our guess is that the money will come from the cash-rich OWWA Fund, which by the way, appears to have escaped the scrutiny of our militant groups lately. If this is the case, then our OFWs will effectively still pay for them.

It may also be worthwhile to check out the sponsors of this project, especially the officials and legislators who backed it, as the financial rewards from helping get it off the ground would have been very enticing. Imagine being the linchpin for getting the card issued to millions of OFWs?

In line with this, the promise to set up an OFW Bank later this year is also worth a closer scrutiny. Setting it up could be costly, even with the promise that OFWs will be sold shares eventually. Again, where will the initial funding come from? More importantly, why was there no prior consultation with its supposed beneficial owners?

We have to take these promises with a grain of salt because as our recent experience with the increased SSS pension shows, there could be an onerous condition attached to the promised benefit. In local parlance, a “kabig”. In this particular case, it was the decision to raise monthly contributions where the SSS stands to gain more than give away.

A more recent example is the plan to increase passport fees. For OFWs, the issue is not so much the long waiting time for the document as the highly inflated cost of obtaining it abroad. Now, in the guise of providing them relief, the government has taken moves to extend the document's validity, but at an added cost. By how much is not yet clear.  Still, this is hardly the benefit our OFWs had long waited for.

What our OFWs need now is a sincere and genuine effort to take some of the load off their shoulders, not false or deceitful promises, Having served as the backbone of our economic survival, if not progress, for so long, they deserve no less.

Saludo kay Ina

Itong nakaraang araw ay panahon ng pagtatapos ng mga batang nag-aaral sa Pilipinas, mula sa elementarya hanggang sa kolehiyo.

Marami sa kanila ay iniwan ng kani-kanilang ina noong paslit pa, upang magtrabaho sa ibang bansa. Marami sa mga mga batang ito ay ina lang ang nagtaguyod, dahil ang ama ay nanatiling walang trabaho, sumakabilang buhay o sumakabilang bahay.

Ang mapagtapos ang mga anak ay isa sa mga pangarap ng maraming ina, dahil ito ang daan sa kanilang pag-ahon sa hirap. Ito rin ang paniguro para sa mas maayos na kinabukasan.

Ang pagtatapos ay patunay din na ginawa ng anak ang kanyang obligasyon  bilang ganti sa mga pagsubok, kalungkutan at pahirap na hinarap ng inang nag-OFW.

Sa hanay ng mga OFW sa Hong Kong, marami na ang nagtala ng tagumpay. Mayroon diyang may maipagmamalaking anak na abogado, engineer, doktor, accountant at iba pa. Iba’t ibang propesyon ang pinuntahan, pero iisa lang ang pinanggalingan: ang inang nagtiis na iwanan sila upang mag-alaga ng anak ng iba.

Pero marami rin sa mga inang OFW ang lumuha dahil nagluko ang kanilang  anak. May anak na nagwaldas ng pang-matrikula sa luho. May nagpanggap na nag-aaral, hanggang magdiskubre sa araw ng pagtatapos — kung kailan dumating na ang ina para dito — ang kanilang kasinungalingan.

Kung tutuusin ay hindi pa ito ang pinakamasahol na balitang mag-aabang sa isang ina. May mga anak na nalulong sa droga, may nabuntis, may nakabuntis, may nasuong sa krimen.

Malungkot man ang nangyari, hindi ito hadlang sa patuloy na suporta ni Inay. Marami ang sinisisi ang sarili dahil hindi nila nagabayan ang mga anak sa kanilang paglaki. Malungkot mang babalik sa trabaho sa abroad, patuloy pa ring tutustusan ang kailangan ng mga anak.

May mga anak na mamumulat ang mata sa mga kasalanang nagawa sa ina at magbabago. Mayroon ding sisisihin ang ina sa nangyari sa kanila, at magiging palamunin habambuhay.

Pero ganito ang pag-inog ng mundo ng OFW. May  magtatagumpay at may masasawi. Kung ikaw ay isang inang OFW, ito ay saludo sa iyo.

Mushroom culture seminar draws overflow registrants

By Vir B. Lumicao

A seminar on mushroom- growing organised by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office has attracted a long list of registrants for two sessions  calendared for June 24 and 25.

As of May 27, when registration for the seminar was declared closed by Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre, at least 724 had listed up.

He admitted that he did not expect to attract such a big number of people to the seminar. “To tell you the truth, we didn’t expect such a huge interest. We thought we could just do it on the 16th floor for one batch. But now there are four batches already and there are still plenty of interested OFWs whom I have put on the waitlist,” De la Torre said.

Since many interested workers failed to make the cut, he said he is planning to turn the seminar into a quarterly event.

The four two-hour sessions start on Saturday, June 24, from 2pm to 4pm at the POLO annex on the 16th floor of Admiralty Centre Tower 1 with 156 people signed up.

The next day, there will be two sessions at the Boys and Girls Clubs Association at 3 Lockhart Road, Wanchai. The first session will be at 9am-11 am for the first batch of 186 registrants, and 11m-1pm for the second batch of 180. The third batch, with 204 registrants, will be  held at the POLO’s 16th floor annex at Admiralty Center.

The seminar will be conducted by officials of the Department of Agriculture who are coming to Hong Kong for provide the training to OFWs for free. De la Torre said the lead resource person will be Dr. Emily Soriano, an awarded researcher of the department.

He told The SUN he had thought of the mushroom culture project as he wants more overseas workers to turn to farming when they go home for good.

“I’ve always been interested in pushing the agriculture agenda among the OFW community. But the problem was always that farming for sustainable income required land,” De la Torre said. “So, the solution lay in mushroom farming, a healthy and sustainable product with a lot of market potential, which an OFW family can just raise in their backyard and earn extra income.”

De la Torre said it must be the commercial potential of mushroom culture that has drawn a lot of interest from the Filcom in Hong Kong. “I guess this is why it clicked so much – a farming platform that requires no wide expanse of land and yet would earn them income, and very easy technology, too,”  he said.

The species of mushroom for this type of farming is oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) a common edible mushroom sold in wet markets and supermarkets across Hong Kong. In the Philippines, however, this variety fetches a higher price than the ordinary mushrooms, and thus offer a potentially high source of income to growers.

Fate suffers defeat amid umpire’s contested calls

Myra Japitana completes her  dash to home base.

By Emz Frial

Luck finally ran out for the all-Filipina softball team, Fate, when it met fiercest rival Phoenix Ghost at a hotly contested game in Shek Kip Mei field on May 14.

The game marked by a lot of contested calls by the umpire ended with Phoenix winning by a hairline, 11-1, against Fate.

It was the first loss for Fate in the regular league of the Hong Kong Softball Association.

The all-Filipina team was off to a good start, gathering six points in a row in the first inning. Those who scored were Ma. Eva Mendez, Myra Japitana, Liezeal Algonez, Don Gaborno, Romela Osabel and Cherry  Octaviano .

Locals then took their turn to bat, and managed to score two points, through Tsang Lai Shan and Qu Zhe.

The inning ended at 6-2, in favor of Fate.

In the second inning, Fate added another three homes to their score, courtesy of Mendez, Japitana and Algonez.

Gaborno’s strong pitching led to two consecutive batters from Phoenix being called for standing out. However, La Wan Lee managed to get through, adding one point to her team’s score.

The second inning ended with Fate still ahead, 9-3.

Phoenix tightened its defense in the third inning, leaving Fate scoreless. The locals, however, managed to add two points to their score, with Tsang Lai Shan and Qu Zhe making the grade.

The third ended at 9-5 with Fate keeping the lead.

Tempers flared when the locals took their turn to bat in the fourth inning. Fate protested several calls by the umpires, particularly a thrown ball by Gaborno which they said should have been a strike, but which the umpire called as balls.

Phoenix took advantage of Fate’s loss of heart, piling up six more points courtesy of Pang, Wang Sze Ni, Fung Wai Ling, Tsang Lai Shan ang Qu Zhe.

The umpire stopped the game when the locals’ score reached 11, as against 10 by Fate.

Fate was still waiting for their last turn to bat, and there was still a lot of time left in the clock, but the umpire stood pat on his decision to end the game.

Fate could only walk away in disgust and frustration.

Earlier, Fate was at its best form when it trounced local rival LHT, 11-1.

For the first three innings no one from LHT managed to reach home base. They managed to break the spell in the fourth inning, with Chung Yin scoring a point.

In contrast, Fate players Mendez, Editha Hidalgo, Gaborno, Ynez Badajos, Algonez, Katherine Gerpacio, Osabel and Maribel Sitchon all made it to homebase, earning a total of 8 points for the team.

LHT flexed some muscles in the second inning, and succeeded in preventing the Filipinas from adding to their score.

Japitana managed to break free from the rivals’ tight defense in the third inning, adding a point to Fate’s score.

In the fourth inning, Mendez and Gaborno each added a score, lifting Fate’s score to 11.

Fate is now is waiting for the rankings and the schedule of their next game.

Migrant moms, kids star in beach bash

Fifty migrant mothers and their children bonded in the annual beach party organized by PathFinders for its beneficiaries.

By Vir B. Lumicao

About 50 migrant mothers and their babies gathered at Golden Beach in Tuen Mun on Saturday, May 20, for a beach party organized by non-governmental organization PathFinders for its beneficiaries.

The gathering, called “Cross Cultural Social Inclusion Day Beach Party 2017,” was an afternoon of fun featuring food, games, gifts and interaction among the mothers, their children, and volunteers.

US investment bank Goldman Sachs, sponsor of the event, sent its Community Teamworks volunteers to help oversee the event.

A few showers did not spoil the fun as three big yellow tents were set up by the organizers on one side of the beach to provide cover just in case the weather turned bad.

The cloudy and breezy weather was a blessing, nevertheless, as its cooled temperatures and spared the guests and hosts of the summer holiday from the searing heat of the noonday sun.

PathFinders, a private charitable group with a mission “to ensure that the most vulnerable children born in Hong Kong and their migrant mothers are respected and protected”, had been organizing similar parties for the past eight years, according to senior program manager Carmen Lam.

The NGO focuses on providing protection for migrant mothers and their children, and helping them get access to justice and healthcare. Lam estimated that PathFinders helped about 900 moms and kids last year, some 29% more than its 700 clients in 2015.

“Fifty moms with their kids, some bringing their babies, are here for the party,” Lam told The SUN at the sidelines of the event. Fifteen of those present were domestic families all of which were helped by the NGO with various issues.

She said this year’s party was the most attended because it was held on a Saturday, a family day.

Lam said this was the third year that Goldman Sachs sponsored the summer beach party, taking over from another corporate sponsor.

“We do this once a year, with or without sponsors. Sometime we do it with our own budget… because it’s good for the kids,” said Lam, who has been with PathFinders for the past three years.

She said the gathering was initially held to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day, which falls on Aug 17, as most of its clients then were Indonesians. But when the group began to have Filipina clients, it moved the party to other dates.

Most of the guests, sponsors and organizers gathered at PathFinders’ premises on Tung Chau St in Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, and left at past noon by shuttle bus for the one-hour ride to Gold Coast on Castle Peak Road.  

The party started under the tents with lunch of beef rendang and vegetables packed in lunchboxes by an Indonesian restaurant.

The fun followed after 2pm with about a dozen children under 10 years old and their parents participating in various games and winning various presents.

A handful of the children played in the water under the watchful eyes of the volunteers. When showers interrupted the games, fish and meat ball soup was served by the organizers.

At about 5pm, all the participants gathered next to the tents for group photo-taking and tidying up of the site before the party broke up.

Plan, save for return home, finlit grads urged

 Above, trainers graduating from trainors course pose with FinLit graduates. 

By Vir B. Lumicao

Overseas Filipino workers should not stay long in their place of work but instead plan how many contracts they will sign, and chart the future of their families to whom they will return one day, according to Consul General Bernardita Catalla.

She gave the advice to some 200 graduates of financial literacy courses at CARD Hong Kong who gathered for this year’s first graduation ceremony held at the Duke of Windsor Social Services Centre in Wanchai on Apr 30.

The 188 graduates represented four batches of trainees – from Batch 37 to 40 – who attended the one-day basic financial literacy (FinLit) course offered on Sundays by CARD free of charge at the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town.

From this basic course, the graduates can proceed to entrepreneurial courses where they are taught the nitty-gritty of owning, managing and growing a business.

Joining the FinLit graduates on stage were 11 graduates of the training course for trainers, which had 14 participants originally.

Catalla urged the graduates to implement all that they have learned from the short courses, and to share the knowledge and skills gained with their relatives back home.

For the new arrivals, it is important that they know what they spend on and to budget their money, said Catalla, as she advised them to save for their return home.

She also used the occasion to introduce the new deputy consul general, Roderico “Deric” Atienza, the former consul general in Seoul, Korea, whose post was taken over by his predecessor in Hong Kong, Christian “Kit” de Jesus.

The heads of each of the four batches gave testimonials on what they learned from the courses, as well as their expectations.

From Batch 37, Margarita Paclibar, the oldest graduate at 65, spoke of how she put up a rice cake, banana and camote cue business with a small capital before she came to Hong Kong. At first, it was profitable, but it eventually flopped for her lack of business know-how.

“Nang nasa Hong Kong na ako, niyaya ako ng aking kasama sa church na sumali sa CARD financial literacy. Magaling magturo at maliwanag ang kanilang explanation,” Paclibar said, thanking the volunteers and facilitators.

“Malaki na ang naiipon ko para sa negosyo. Kailangang pag-uwi ko next year, gagamitin ko ang akong natutuhan sa negosyo.”

Batch 38’s Genalyn Silvano said what she liked most was the lesson in rating one’s spending habits and distinguishing between needs and wants. She said she used to be an impulsive buyer who snapped up anything that attracted her even though she had no need for it. That attitude has been changed by the course, she said.

Trainor Rowena Rosales tearfully told her tale as an initial failure in Hong Kong and previously, a carefree drifter in the Philippines, as she was single, an orphan and had only one sibling.

She had been helping other people until she joined CARD and realized there were three person she had not helped – “me, myself and I”. She said she had learned a lot from CARD and that her training as trainor had taken away her stage fright. As a parting word she said: “Puwede tayong tumulong , pero tulungan muna natin ang mga sarili natin.”

CARD nanays Erlinda Labitorya and
Carmelita Aguilar, who shared their asuccess stories.

Two speakers who made the greatest impact on the audience, however, were “negosyo nanays” Erlinda Labitorya from Pangasinan and Carmelita Aguilar from Laguna, who were brought to Hong Kong by CARD MRI to address the graduates.

Labitorya said she was a poor housewife who borrowed Php2,000 to start a banana chips business behind her rented house some years ago. She took up a CARD entrepreneurial course where she learned how to run her business properly.

“Lumaki ang aking negosyo at nakabili ako ng house and lot, may tatlong sasakyan na ako. Dati ang factory ko ay nasa likod-bahay, nakabili ako ng lote at tinayuan ko ng factory ng banana chips,” Labitoria said. Her business was chosen this year as one of six regional winners in an industry awards event in Laguna.

Crying unabashedly, she said this was her first time to come to Hong Kong and fulfill her dream of going to Disneyland. “Wala akong pagsidlan ng saya,” she exclaimed.

Aguilar was not to be outdone. She said with the help of a Php5,000 loan and using discarded carton boxes and newspapers, she started a business making papier mache letter blocks for the US market.

Now that venture has become a P1 million business that provided jobs to people in her community in Pakil, Laguna, Aguilar said. Today, she owns a house and lot, a Hi-Ace van, a jeepney, two tricycles, 15 pigs and 13 cows.

“Akalain mo, entrepreneur na ako ngayon, kumpare ko pa si Mayor,” she exclaimed.

Pinay, 6 others face ejection as HK denies asylum claims

The lone Filipina in a group of asylum seekers who hid American whistle-blower Edward Snowden when he was on the run in Hong Kong in 2013, fears being deported after the Immigration Department threw out their cases on May 15.

“I am really shocked and I feel so sad ... I know that they might detain me. I am very worried,” Vanessa Mae Rodel was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying  after the Torture Claims Board’s decision. She said she didn’t want to be separated from her 4-year-old Hong Kong-born daughter.

Rodel, three Sri Lankan adults and three children are now filing an appeal to head off possible deportation, said Robert Tibbo, their Canadian lawyer in Hong Kong. Applications for their refugee status have also been filed with the Canadian government.

Snowden, now in asylum in Russia, called the board’s action a “transparent injustice”. In a 3-minute video posted online on May 16 by For the Refugees, a Canadian group that aims to raise  CA$15,000 for the seven asylum seekers, he accused authorities in Hong Kong of ignoring the peril of the refugees if they were deported to their home countries.

“These are good people who were driven from their homes by torture, rape, abuse, blackmail and war. Circumstances that are really difficult for us to imagine – these are documented, these aren’t allegations. These are facts,” he said.

The former US National Security Agency contractor was hidden by Rodel and the other refugees in their tiny homes while he was being hunted for leaking a trove of classified documents showing the extent of electronic spying by the US and other governments.

Sri Lankans Ajith Pushpakumara, couple Supun Thilina Kellapatha and Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis, and their two children made up the rest of the group.

Tibbo, the refugees’ lawyer, said they had 14 days to appeal and head off an imminent risk of
detention and deportation. The Canadian barrister, who also provided legal advice to Snowden while he was in the city, complained of “factual errors” in the decision, and it “failed to take material evidence into account”.

Tibbo said his clients had been singled out because of their involvement with Snowden. “I felt they already had the decision to reject the clients written up a long time ago... Their screening was expedited not to protect them, but to dispense their cases,” he said.

The refugees said they had faced questions about their links to Snowden by a social service agency contracted by the government.

A spokesman for the Security Bureau denied the accusation the Immigration Department targets any particular claimants or categories of claimants. He said the department would continue expediting the screening to clear about 9,000 claims pending.

Montreal immigration lawyer Marc-André Séguin was quoted by the SCMP as saying he felt compelled over the past few weeks “to formally petition the Canadian government to take these clients as refugees”.

His fellow Canadian lawyer, Francis Tourigny, said the claimants’ plight was “a matter of life and death”.

Séguin said the Canadian immigration minister should use his discretionary power to speed up the processing of claims. “These are people who fled persecution…and who are being actively sought after by authorities from their home countries…It’s up to Canada now to do the right thing,” Séguin said.

Natauhan din ang amo

Biglang pumanaw ang nanay ni Natty kaya nakiusap siya sa amo na umuwi ng ilang araw. Naintindihan naman ng amo ang kanyang sitwasyon kaya pinayagan siyang umuwi ng pitong araw para ihatid sa huling hantungan ang namayapang ina.

Sa araw ng balik niya ay alam niyang may inaasahang bisita ang kanyang mga amo para sa hapunan, kaya naman ibinaba lang niya ang bag at saka parang ipo-ipong nagligpit ng mga kalat.

Abalang-abala siya sa paghahanda ng hapunan nang dumating ang kanyang among babae. Namangha ito sa nadatnan dahil maayos at masinop na ang bahay. “How did you do it?” tanong daw nito.

Habang wala daw kasi si Natty ay hindi pumasok sa trabaho ang among babae para asikasuhin ang mga anak. Humingi ng paumanhin ang amo dahil sa nadatnan ni Natty na kalat. Inamin din ng amo na nakakapagod daw pala ang trabaho ni Natty dahil halos buong araw na nakatayo.
"
Sometimes, I am not nice to you,” sabi din daw ng amo. Hindi alam ni Natty kung ano ang magiging reaksyon sa sinabi ng kanyang amo. Hindi naman daw kasi “sometimes” kundi madalas ay masungit ang kanyang amo.

Pero umaasa siya na dahil sa natuklasan ng amo ay magkakaroon ito ng mas malawak na pang-unawa, lalo na sa mga pagkakataon na hindi niya nagawa ang ibang tungkulin . Si Natty, dalaga at Ilocano, ay limang taon na sa among Pranses na taga-Pok Fu Lam—Gina N. Ordona