False promises

By Daisy C.L. Mandap

Overseas Filipino workers will be the first to say how frustrating it has been to rely on government promises to improve their lot.

Proof of this was the government’s announcement that the new OFW ID, also known as iDOLE, would not be given free as promised, but would actually cost several times more than the much-maligned OEC which it’s meant to replace.

The shock announcement came barely two months after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello assured militant OFW leaders in Hong Kong that the ID would not cost anything as it was a gift from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Secretary Bello also said that the distribution of the cards would begin at the end of the month, or July 31.

He reiterated these promises at a press conference on July 4 in Manila.

Then came the ID’s launch in Malacanang on July 12, and the story was drastically changed, enraging OFW leaders.

An official press statement said the ID was not actually free but would be charged to employers, with recruitment agencies acting as some sort of a guarantor to ensure that the fee is not passed on to the workers.

Hong Kong OFWs who were told a different story by Secretary Bello were understandably irked, calling the introduction of the ID as just another ploy to skim money off them.

But in yet another twist to the story, Bello later reiterated in an interview with social media practitioner Mocha Uson that the ID was indeed free, and that reports saying otherwise were all “tsismis”.

Incensed OFW leaders were not, however, impressed by the flip-flop and have vowed to protest any move to turn the ID into another money-making imposition.

Which could be just as as well, since the OEC itself had been the subject of another government gaffe earlier.

Shortly after the new administration took power, labor officials led by Bello revealed that the OEC was being scrapped under new POEA guidelines, in response to a long-standing call by OFWs.

But hardly had the ink dried on the new POEA rules when a clarification was made- the OEC was actually not being scrapped, but OFWs could apply to be exempted from it by enroling with BMOnline.

To this day, it remains unclear why the OEC is still there when all OFWs are technically exempt from obtaining it.

Comes now the latest mind-boggling requirements imposed on Filipinos abroad who want to send goodies back home using balikbayan boxes. While Customs officials say that the new rules are being enforced to extend a privilege to overseas Filipinos, the impositions suggest otherwise.

The idea originally was to raise the maximum value of the goods allowed to be sent home by Filipinos living abroad, and to stop customs from arbitrarily opening the boxes. Given the difficulty of harmonizing these two conditions, Customs inevitably came up with such bizarre rules as requiring receipts for newly bought items, and making senders  put down a price for each article.

The end result, obviously, is that the sender feels less privileged now than when the old rules were in place.

Given all these, the government should get its act together, and be more upfront with its plans. It’s time our long-suffering OFWs got the just rewards long promised them.

Pinoy resident gets 36 months for car shop theft

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipino permanent resident of Hong Kong was convicted and jailed for a total of 36 months on Jul 25 after he pleaded to two charges of theft, one of taking conveyance without authority, and another for burglary.

District Court in Wanchai.

Fredwell Ramos Jr, 38, and married with two children, showed no emotion as Deputy District Court Judge Ernest Lin announced the sentence.

The proceedings were conducted in Cantonese as the defendant spoke and understood the local language because he was born and raised in Hong Kong, the prosecutor said after the hearing.

Ramos was arrested on Sept 22 last year in Yaumatei, after a month-long hunt by the police following a burglary and theft incident at a second-hand car shop in Tsimshatsui.

The prosecutor said he was seen on a CCTV footage entering the shop on Aug 18, 2016, and taking an unspecified amount of cash, and two keys to a company car that were kept in a can.

Three days later, the defendant went to the public parking lot in Tsimshatsui where the company parked its car and the second-hand cars for sale.

He opened the company car and drove away with it.

On Aug 30, the car was recovered in a public carpark in Yaumatei, after a guard reported to police that it had been abandoned there for several days.

When the shop manager checked the vehicle, he discovered that 22 car keys he kept in a can under the driver’s seat were missing.

The prosecutor said Ramos had 12 previous convictions for theft and two for burglary.

On Jan 22 this year, he broke into the manager’s room in a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom, and stole one laptop computer, a bracelet, $1,000 cash and other personal belongings, the prosecutor said.

Only the computer was recovered.

The prosecutor noted that he carried out the burglary while he was out on bail for the car company theft.

Labour urged to flex muscles vs missing recruiter

By Vir B. Lumicao

Ester Ylagan

Supporters of the more than 300 OFWs allegedly duped by employment agency owner Ester Ylagan have urged Labour Department lawyers to take a tougher tack against the elusive recruiter.

The call came as the owner of Mike’s Secretarial Services failed to appear on Jul 17 in Eastern Court, where she faces 23 charges of overcharging in connection with the alleged job scam in 2016.

Her absence led the prosecution to apply for another adjournment until Oct 20 for further legal advice and to find Ylagan’s new address.

Ylagan faces charges of “collecting payment other than the prescribed commission” after collecting $10,000 to $15,000 each from hundreds of Hong Kong-based applicants  for promised jobs in Britain and Canada.

The postponement was met with frustration by supporters of the complainants against Ylagan, led by Edwina Antonio of the Mission for Migrant Workers.

Antonio told labour prosecutor Gary Tsang that Ylagan had not shown up in any of the hearings of cases filed against her at the Small Claims Tribunal and the District Court.

Antonio is representing more than 100 complainants in both courts.

Tsang was also told that court notices sent to Ylagan at all of her addresses in Hong Kong had bounced.

This has caused the District Court registrar to advise the complainants to take every legal means available to pursue their claims.  Acting on the advice, the claimants had gone back to the Central police station to press their complaint against Ylagan.

At the same time, the claimants sought help from the Philippine Consulate to track down Ylagan, who has reportedly fled to Manila when the cases against her began to surface.

Antonio told Tsang that 129 cases against Ylagan were pending in the District Court while 73 others are set to be heard in Small Claims on Aug 28.

Two labour prosecutors were at Eastern court for the cases against Ylagan and Mike's and stayed until the hearings were adjourned in the morning in a vain attempt to face the accused.

For at least four times, the prosecutors and the court's clerk went around the courtroom calling out Ylagan’s name, but failed to get any response.

The court bunched the cases against Ylagan and heard them last before agreeing on the postponement.

Meanwhile, the District Court Registrar has ordered plaintiff Mary Grace Redulfin and defendant Ylagan to write the court on or before Aug 4 explaining their absence in a hearing on July 7.

Ho also directed Refulfin to confirm whether she intended to continue with the claim against Ylagan, and for Ylagan to confirm whether she intended to defend herself.

If both parties decide to continue, they must follow certain court procedures and appear for another hearing on Oct 13.

Pinakain ng bagoong ang alaga

Takot ang bumalot kay Ana nang minsang madatnan siya ng kanyang among Canadian na pinapakain niya ng bagoong ang alagang walong taong gulang. Sanggol pa lang ito nang dumating siya sa mga amo at siya na ang nagpalaki dito kaya malapit sila sa isa’t isa.

Mabait ang kanyang mga amo at kapamilya na rin ang turing sa kanya kaya libre siyang nakakapagluto ng sarili niyang pagkain kahit nasa bahay ang mga ito.

Minsan ay may nagpadala sa kanya ng bagoong na ginisa sa baboy at hipon. Kahit takam na takam na ay itinago muna niya sa refrigerator dahil alam niyang matapang ang amoy nito at baka hindi magustuhan ng mga amo.

Saka lang niya ito inilabas at ininit nung kakain na siya ng tanghalian mag-isa. Ang kaso ay nakita siya ng alaga at sumalo ito sa kanya. Nilantakan ng bata ang bagoong at ang sabi pa ay, “very yummy, auntie”.

Hindi inaasahan ni Ana ang biglang pagdating ng kanyang among babaeng habang ang kanilang bahay ay nangangamoy pa ng bagoong.

Agad na ibinida ng bata kung ano ang kinain nito, na sinundan ng ina ng malakas na halakhak. Ang sabi pa nito, “Thats great. You can survive if you want to go with your Auntie Ana to the Philippines.” Si Ana ay isang Ilongga at dalaga. - Merly Bunda

Napaglipasan ang mag-tiya

Si Athea ay isang dalaga at matagal na rin nagtatrabaho sa abroad. Labindalawang taon siya sa Middle East at magtatatlong taon na sa Hong Kong.

May isa siyang tiyahin dito na malapit sa kanya bagamat bihira silang magkita dahil parehong marami ang lakad tuwing Linggo. Pero palagi naman silang nagtawagan o nag-cha chat kapag pareho silang libre sa oras.

Minsan sa kanilang kuwentuhan ay nasabi ng tiyahin na baka mapaglipasan din siya ng panahon kagaya nito. Panay ang tulak ng kanyang tiya na maghanap ng nobyo, o pumili na kung may nanliligaw sa kanya.

Ang sabi naman ni Athea ay hindi pa huli ang lahat para sa kanila.

Kamakailan ay tinawagan ni Athea ang tiya at tuwang tuwa na ibinalita na may kaibigan siya na nagpapahanap ng mapapangasawa ang kanyang kapatid na isang marino at may mataas na posisyon. Sabi niya sa tiya ay magkaidad lang sila nung lalaki. Tawa lang ang isinagot ng kanyang tiya.

Nang maka chat niyang muli ang kaibigan ay sinabi nito na may nakita na siyang babae na inireto sa kanyang kuya.

Ayon naman sa kanyang tiya, hayaan na lang niya dahil kung may para sa kanya ay darating na lang ito ng kusa. Kung wala ay wala na din tayong magawa, sabi ng tiya. Nagtawanan na lang ang dalawa na parehong hindi pa rin sumusuko sa pag-ibig. - Merly Bunda

Sumaya pa si Gemma nang materminate

Na-terminate man ay nakuha pa ring magpasalamat ni Gemma na anim na buwan lang ang itinagal sa mga among taga mainland China.

Lagi kasi siyang gutom, lalo na kung pumupunta sa China ang kanyang mga amo, at hindi siya iniiwanan ng food allowance. Minsan ay inabot sila doon ng isang buwan kaya hindi biro ang inabot na gastos ni Gemma para masigurong hindi siya magugutom.

Ang dahilan na ibinigay ng amo ay hindi siya marunong magluto, na ikinabigla ni Gemma dahil ayaw naman siya nitong magluto ng pagkain nila. At sa kakuriputan ng mga ito ay wala naman halos mailuto sa bahay nila.

Ora mismo ay pinababa siya ng amo noong hapon ding iyon, at binayaran ng lahat ng dapat. Umaasa si Gemma na makahanap ng bagong amo bago umuwi sa kanila sa Iloilo, at sana ay hindi naman kasing kuripot ng dati ang makuha niya. - Merly Bunda

Pinilit na isabay ang bakasyon niya sa mga amo

Si AJ ay mahigit tatlong taon na sa mga amo sa New Territories. Ibig sabihin, nagustuhan naman ang kanyang unang dalawang taon na pagtatrabaho sa kanila kaya siya pinirmahang muli. Sa kabila nito, may video camera pa rin ang lahat ng sulok ng bahay ng mga amo kaya palaging de-numero ang kilos ni AJ.

Medyo nagsisisi na nga siya at pumayag pa siyang pumirma ulit ng kontrata. Ang mas masaklap nakatakdang magbakasyon ngayong Agosto ang kanyang mga amo, at ang gusto ay umalis siya sa bahay nila habang wala sila.

Pinamili siya kung gusto ba niyang manatili sa Hong Kong o umuwi sa Pilipinas, sa kundisyong ang sapilitang pagbabakasyon niya ay ikakaltas sa kanyang annual leave.

Bagamat napipilitan ay sinabi niyang mas gusto niyang manatili sa Hong Kong dahil wala siyang malaking ipon para magbakasyon sa Pilipinas.

Ngayon ay napag-isip isip ni AJ na parang hindi tama na ipagtabuyan siya ng mga amo gayong wala pa naman siyang balak magbakasyon, at ang gusto niya ay sa piling panahon niya gugulin ang kanyang annual leave.

Sa kanyang pagtatanong, may nagsabi kay AJ na hindi niya dapat sundin ang utos ng amo na magbakasyon siya. Dapat ay magkasundo silang pareho kung kailan niya gustong gamitin ang mga araw na itinakda para sa kanyang pagbabakasyon.

Nagdesisyon siya na pumunta sa Philippine Overseas Labor Office at manghingi ng tulong o sulat na maaari niyang maipakita sa mga amo para malaman nilang labag sa kanilang kasunduan ang gusto nilang mangyari. Si AJ ay dalaga. —
DCLM

iDOLE card hangs in air amid fee issue

By The SUN staff

Overseas Filipino workers and Philippine labor officials abroad remain in the dark over the new OFW ID that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said would be distributed soon following its launch on June 12 in Manila.

Bello initially said the card would be distributed starting July 31, but the plan appears to have been put on hold after a controversy erupted on whether the card would be free as promised.

A statement issued by Malacanang during its launch said employers will have to pay for the card, and employment agencies should ensure that the fee is paid.

In the wake of the outcry that followed this announcement, Bello was interviewed by pro-government blogger Mocha Uson where he reiterated that the card will be given free.

However, he no longer set a date for its distribution.

In Hong Kong, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre has said he has yet to receive guidelines on issuing the OFW ID, which is meant to replace the much-criticised overseas employment certificate.

On the other hand, OFW leaders to whom Bello promised a free iDOLE card are outraged over plans to charge a fee to employers.

Dolores Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong-Migrante, said: “Now, it is revealed that (the iDOLE) is not actually free, and it is our employers who will pay for it. This is an outrage! ... He’s reneging on his promise.”

She said not all employers are kind-hearted enough to agree to pay for the card so OFWs would be forced to pay the fee themselves just to keep their jobs.

Her secretary general, Eman Villanueva, said the iDOLE had turned out to be another moneymaking instrument of the government.

Unifil-Migrante HK scheduled a march in Central on July 23 against the iDOLE and the new governmennt policy on balikbayan boxes, but cancelled at the last minute as the typhoon signal 8 was hoisted over Hong Kong.

The protest action had been reset for Sunday, July 30.

Meanwhile, the POEA issued a notice in Filipino titled “Paglilinaw tungkol sa OFW ID” on its webpage to clear the confusion over the new ID.

The agency that would manage the distribution has a three-point advice to the public:

   * Hindi pa po nagbibigay ng OFW ID sa ngayon. Hindi pa po tapos ang guidelines tungkol dito (The OFW ID is not yet being issued. The guidelines on this are not yet ready)

    * Habang wala pa ang ID, sa bmonline.ph pa rin po ang exemption o appointment para sa OEC ng mga balik-manggagawa (While the ID is not yet available, please use bmonline.ph to apply for exemption or set an appointment for OEC for returning workers)

      * Hintayin po ang mga susunod na announcement para sa tamang proseso ng pagkuha ng ID ng mga OFW (Please wait for the next announcement on the correct process of securing the OFW ID)

No mention was made about a fee being charged for the card.

Bello said DOLE would soon issue the guidelines for issuing the OFW card, which he described as President Duterte’s “best gift” to millions of OFWs.

The card is promised to ensure easy transactions between OFWs and government and private agencies.

He said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration would upload the names of duly registered OFWs to the DOLE cloud, then download them for printing.

“All the unique IDs will be delivered to them, whether they are in the Philippines or overseas,” Bello said.

He said that the OFW ID will undergo a three-month pilot run before it can serve as the OFW’s automated OEC, and airport and immigration ID pass. But this time around, he gave no date on when the card would be issued.

Nag-negosyo pagkatapos mag-for good (Part 2)

Marami ang mga events na
kailangan ng catering service, gaya ng binyagang ito. 

Ni Cristina Cayat

Paano na ang buhay pagkatapos mag-Hong Kong?

Ang mga sumusunod ay kasaysayan ng mga ina, kapatid at anak na nagsakripisyong iwan ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay upang makamit ang kanilang mga pangarap.

Pero sa pag-usad ng panahon sa dayuhang lupa, maraming pagsubok ang kanilang naranasan, at marami din silang natutunan. Sadya ngang ang puhunan sa pangingibang-bansa ay tibay ng loob para makamit ang mga pangarap sa kabila ng maraming pagsubok.

Ang mga manggagawang ito ay nakabalik na sa Pilipinas ngunit dala pa rin ang maraming aral na natutunan para patuloy na magsikap tungo sa tagumpay.

Isa sa kanila si Josephine Campos na mas kilala sa palayaw na Jo at ngayon ay bantog na rin bilang si JC The Foodie, na regular na nagsusulat ng column tungkol sa pagkain para sa The SUN at ngayon ay may sarili na ring blog.

Ang kanyang hilig sa pagluluto ang siyang dahilan kung bakit negosyo sa pagkain ang naisipan niyang pasukan pagkatapos bumalik sa piling ng kanyang mga mahal sa buhay noong Disyembre ng nakaraang taon.

Sa kasalukuyan ay tinutulungan niya ang pamangking chef na si Mae Maghirang-Tovera sa catering business nito, habang inaayos pa nila ang plano para sa isang negosyo na may kinalaman din sa pagkain.

Abala din si Jo sa pag-aahente ng bigas at itlog sa ilalim ng EDJ Enterprises, isang negosyo na itinatag nila ng mga kaanak na sina Edwin at Dothy Cortez. Ang pangalan ng kumpanya ay hango sa unang letra ng kani-kanilang mga pangalan.

Matrabaho ang negosyo dahil kailangan nilang bumiyahe madalas sa Bulacan para mamili ng bigas, at sa Teresa, Rizal naman para sa mga itlog na dinadala nila sa mga kliyente nila na karamihan ay mga restaurant. Kasama sa

trabaho ni Jo ang paghawak sa koleksiyon na pera at ang paghahanap ng mga bagong kliyente.

Pero ang talagang pinaghahandaan niya ngayon ay ang balak niyang pagtatayo ng catering business kasama muli ang pamangking si Mae na tatawagin nilang JC The Foodie. Ayon kay Jo, ito ang negosyo na pumasok agad sa isip niya pagkabalik pa lang niya sa Pilipinas. Pero kinailangan muna niyang pag-aralan ang mga bagong "trend" o uso sa industrya bago niya umpisahan ang pangarap na negosyo. Sa kanyang pag-oobserba, nakita niya diumano na malakas ang kumpetensiya lalo na sa food trucks at food parks sa Cainta at Marikina City kung saan siya naninirahan.

Sabi ni Jo ay nakita niya na marami naman din palang pwedeng gawin sa Pilipinas basta matiyaga ka lang. Dati kasi ay takot siyang umuwi dahil ayaw niyang maging pabigat sa pamilya. Kaya naman umabot siya ng 31 taon sa pagtatarabaho sa Hong Kong. Ang nasa isip niya noon ay magpatuloy sa pagtatrabaho bilang domestic worker hanggang kaya pa ng katawan niya.

Ngunit nagbago ang kanyang isip nang maging madalas ang kanyang pagbabakasyon. Nakita daw niyang  hindi naman ganoon kahirap ang buhay sa Pilipinas basta’t marunong ka lang dumiskarte.

Sa dami ng kanyang pinagkakaabalahan ay parang wala ng oras si Jo para mag-isip ng iba pang negosyo. Pero hindi, dahil ang talagang pangarap niya bukod sa sariling catering ay ang magtayo ng restaurant dahil hilig daw niya talaga ang magluto.

Kuwento niya, una siyang kinumbinsi ng mga kapatid na umuwi na dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan para sa balak nilang magtayo ng isang kainan. Pero hindi agad ito natuloy dahil kinailangan pa nilang magsaliksik sa kung anong klase ng kainan ang papatok. Ngayon ay mas kampante na sila kaya malapit nang matupad ni Jo ang pangarap na ito, sa tulong ng kanyang pamangkin na si Mae na tapos ng culinary arts sa Enderun Colleges.

Kahit naging masaya naman sa kabuuan ang kanyang buhay sa abroad, masaya din daw siya sa desisyon niya na umuwi na. Ang tanging pinanghihinayang niya ay naiwan ang kanyang mga matatalik na kaibigan, pero alam daw niya na magkikita din sila balang araw sa Pilipinas.

Kung si Jo ay ang pagnenegosyo sa pagkain ang piniling pasukan, si Erlin Feliciano Chi naman ay umuwi upang ipagpatuloy ang kanilang family business na pag fossilize  ng mga bulaklak. Matapos ang 20 taong pangingibang-bansa ay nagpasya siyang umuwi na sa Pilipinas noong Pebrero ng taong ito. Ang amo niya sa nagdaang walong taon ay nagpasyang pumunta  ng Canada, kaya  si Erlin ay sa Pilipinas naman nagdesisyong bumalik. Aniya, tama na ang 20 taon na pangingibang bansa. Palagay na daw siya sa kalagayan ng nag-iisang anak dahil nakapagtapos na naman Ito ng pag-aaral at may sarili ng buhay.

Marami ang nagbago sa takbo ng buhay niya ngayong nasa Pilipinas na siya. Una, mula sa pagiging isang kasambahay ay boss na siya sa kanyang anim na empleyado. Pangalawa, ngayon lang daw niya nararamdaman ang lungkot sa pagkamatay ng kanyang asawa ilang taon na ang nakakaraan. Dahil nasa Hong Kong ay hindi daw niya masyadong naramdaman ang lungkot noon, pero ngayong nasa Pilipinas na siya ay ramdam na ramdam niya ang pangungulila.

Ito daw ang pinakalaking "challenge” sa kanyang pagbabalik, ngunit hindi siya pwedeng magpapadala sa lungkot lalo na at nasimulan na niyang maglagay ng pondo sa negosyo niyang Flower Queen Enterprise sa Barangay Gamis, Sagunday, Quirino. Ito na ang nagbibigay sa kanya ng lakas at nagtutulak upang siya ay gumalaw at sumunod sa agos ng buhay.

Marami din daw mga pagsubok sa negosyong kanyang pinasok, kabilang na ang mga order na hindi itinuloy na kinuha at hindi rin binayaran ng nagpagawa. Sabi ni Erlin mabuti na lang at hindi nabubulok ang kanyang mga bulaklak kaya pwede pa nilang magamit sa ibang mga order.

Ang isa pang maganda sa kanyang negosyo ay hindi siya nahihirapan sa pagkuha ng mga bulaklak dahil marami ang supply, at hindi rin seasonal o depende sa panahon ang kanyang kita. Gayunpaman, mas malakas ang negosyo tuwing araw ng mga puso, araw ng mga patay at tuwing naka bakasyon ang mga mag-aaral.

Hindi siya nahirapan na simulan ito dahil alam na niya ang pasikot-sikot ng negosyo bago pa siya umalis ng bansa.

Hindi nga lang daw naipagpatuloy ng kanyang mga magulang noon. Nang makapagtapos siya ng Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship training ng Ateneo ay nagkaroon siya ng lakas ng loob na ituloy ang negosyo

Kamakailan lamang ay nagbigay siya ng libreng workshop sa Davao sa paraan ng pag fossilize ng mga bulaklak. Kabilang sa mga dumalo ang 60 katao na mula sa iba-ibang tribo sa Davao, at 50 mula sa Wimler Foundation, na siya ring umako ng kanyang gastos sa pagpunta at pagtira doon ng halos isang linggo.

Sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng Overseas Workers Welfare Administration sa Davao ay nagbigay din siya ng kaaalaman sa mga manggagawa na nagbalik ng bansa mula sa ilang taong pagtatrabaho sa ibayong dagat.

Ayon kay Erlin, masaya siyang nakapagbigay ng dagdag kaalaman sa mga taga Davao. Sana ay nakatulong din siya para makapag-umpisa sila ng kanilang pangkabuhayan.

Departing welfare officer eyes expanded PDOS

By Vir B. Lumicao

Filipino families should discuss thoroughly plans of either parent to work abroad in a strengthened pre-departure orientation seminar way ahead of deployment.

This, said departing social welfare atache Elizabeth Lim Dy, would boost family ties and values, and help keep the family intact during the long separation.

Dy, the first welfare attache to be assigned in Hong Kong, is set to leave at the end of her three-year posting on July 31. Her office, which has been providing counseling to four to five OFWs daily, will shut down until a new attaché takes over.

She should have left in May but was given an extension by her new boss, DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo

“Sana, bago sila (OFWs) umalis, meron na silang self-realization ng kung anong maaaring mangyari,” Dy told The SUN in an interview on July 21.

She is pushing for pre-departure education of both the OFW and their families that ideally starts at the local government level, saying the workers do not seem ready to cope with the likely impact of leaving their loved ones.

“Isang bagay na inirirekomenda namin ay to strengthen the pre-departure orientation na kasama talaga yung welfare cases services para maintidihan (ng mga pamilya ng OFWs). It’s not that easy to just leave your family, your country, then go to another country and you’re not ready, not prepared, and eto yung magiging mangyari sa iyo,” Dy said.

“Iba kasi ang preparation sa family eh. When you leave your country... ang pinakaunang iniwan mo, hindi lang yung country, yung family mo, sarili mo,” Dy said.

Hong Kong is one of seven foreign posts where the DSWD has a presence, the others being Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Qatar.

There used to be another in Korea but it has since closed down, and Dy says she is unsure whether it was for good.

Dy said Taguiwalo wanted to know what the needs of the various posts are and asked for an assessment. “It’s either na magdagdag o (bawasan) yung posts, kung ano yung kailangan,” she said.

Dy considers Hong Kong the hardest of the seven foreign posts due to the predominance of female OFWs here. She recalls that she noticed the big number of Filipina inmates doing time for drug-related offenses when she arrived here in 2014.

“Perhaps they didn’t realize the seriousness of what they got themselves into, especially drug-related problems,” Dy said.

She was also appalled by the many cases of abuse committed by employers on maids

But the most common OFW problem that the Social Welfare unit deals with in Hong Kong is family issues, including extramarital relations and child abuse.

She said workers often focus only on seeking greener pastures without seeing the need to talk with the family about the possible adverse impact of the long separation.

If the husband and wife are physically far apart and one does not know how to manage the situation, child abuse, even rape, could set in.

“Soon they realize that even the children are abused to the extent of bein raped by their own father, family member, or somebody from the community,” Dy said.

The resulting stress could lead a worker to depression, but Dy said her unit could manage that with collaborative effort and support from the host government.

“Ang goal natin ay maayos man lamang yung kanilang pamilya , o yung sariling worker natin or, at least, yung social functioning man lang niya maaayos through psychosocial intervention to help her pull herself together and find a way to help her family,” Dy said.

When necessary, Dy would refer cases to Hong Kong’s  Social Welfare Department and the International Social Service , or forward them to the DSWD in Manila. Some of these were juvenile-related welfare cases, while others involved inter-country adoption.

In some of these cases, temporay shelter had to be secured for pregnant OFWs who did not want to return to the Philippines because the chid they were carrying were from an illicit affair in Hong Kong.

“So, they ask the DSWD for a shelter until such time that they are prepared to face their families”, Dy said.

With her unit about to close down, many troubled Filipinas in Hong Kong and Macau, which has been part of Dy’s coverage, will now have to turn somewhere else for help and comfort.

30th anniversary concert ni Regine

Isang malaking selebrasyon ang inihahanda  ni Regine Velaquez para sa kanyang ika-30 taong anibersaryo sa showbiz, sa tulong ng Viva Entertainment, kung saan ay muli siyang pumirma ng management contract. May bagong album siyang ginagawa, isang 3- volume set na kabibilangan ng bagong version ng mga dating bestseller niya, mga paborito at bagong awitin. Magkakaroon din siya ng malaking solo concert na pinamagatang “R3.0” na gaganapin sa MOA Arena sa October 21, kaya puspusan ang kanyang ginagawang pagpapayat at pagpapakondisyon ng katawan dahil 30 awitin ang kakantahin niyang mag-isa sa loob ng dalawang oras.

Sa kanyang concert, inaasahang muli niyang aawitin ang ilan sa nga pinasikat niyang mga kanta gaya ng Urong Sulong, Dadalhin, You Are My Song, On The Wings of Love, Ikaw, at ilang komposisyon ni Ogie Alcasid gaya ng Sa Piling Mo, Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka, Hanggang Ngayon at Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang, at marami pang iba, kabilang ang mga bago ring awitin.

Noong July 26, nagpost ang kapatid at manager ni Regine na si Cacai Velasquez- Mitra: “In just ONE day, PLATINUM Left & Right, VIP A Left & Right, VIP B Left & Patron sections only 12 tickets remaining!”Malinaw na malakas at sold out agad ang mga tickets sa R3.0 concert, at patunay ito na sabik nang mapanood at mapakinggang muli ang reyna ng mga mang-aawit sa Pilipinas.

Matagal-tagal na ring napahinga sa pag-awit si Regine, na maituturing na isa sa mga pinakamatagumpay na mang-aawit sa Pilipinas. Siya pa rin ang may hawak sa record na best selling artist of all time sa Pilipinas (bumenta ng 7 million units sa Pilipinas at 2 million units sa ibang parte ng Asia). Nagtamo rin siya ng iba’t ibang karangalan sa pag-awit sa Pilipinas at ibang bansa, kabilang na ang pagiging grand champion sa Asia Pacific Singing Contest na ginanap sa Hong Kong noong 1989, at MTV Asia’s Favorite Artist noong 2002 at 2003.

Isang “kontesera” mula pagkabata, marami siyang sinalihang mga amateur singing contests, hanggang napanood at makilala siya nang publiko nang manalo siya sa singing contest na  “Ang Bagong Kampeon” noong 1984, sa gulang na 14 taon at gamit ang pangalang Chona Velasquez (Regina Encarnacion Velasquez ang tunay niyang pangalan). Nang maging panauhin sa “Penthouse Live” show nina Pops Fernandez at Martin Nievera noong 1986, iminungkahi ni Martin na palitan niya ang pangalang Chona, at gamitin ang pangalang Regine Velasquez, bilang performer. Sinunod niya ito, at tuluyan na nga siyang sumikat bilang si Regine.

Tinaguriang Asia’s Songbird, tila siya ang nagpauso ng “pag-birit” ng mga kanta dahil sa taas ng kanyang boses, kaya ang mga sumunod na sumikat na babaeng singers ay pawang mga biritera din, gaya nina Sarah Geronimo, Rachelle Ann Go, Angeline Quinto, Lani Misalucha at Jona Viray. Kilala rin si Regine sa pagiging mabait at mapagbigay sa mga kapwa niya singers, lalo na sa mga baguhan.

Isang all around artist, hindi lang sa pag-awit mahusay si Regine, dahil naging stage, TV at film actress din siya, at tumanggap ng acting awards. Naging Box Office Queen din. Ang sa hindi malilimutan niyang pelikula ay ang Wanted: Perfect Mother, Dahil May Isang Ikaw, Of All the Things, at Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.

Nakaplano na rin ang paggawa niya ng bagong pelikula sa susunod na taon.
Sa ngayon ay napapanood siya sa Sarap Diva at Mulawin vs. Ravena ng GMA Network. Nakatutok din siya sa pag-aalaga sa anak nila ni Ogie na si Nate, na ngayon ay limang taong gulang na, at pagtulong sa stepdaughter niyang si Leila na kasama na nila ngayon sa bahay.

SARAH, HANDA NANG MAGPAKASAL?
Usap-usapan ang balak daw ni Sarah Geronimo na magpakasal na sa kanyang boyfriend na si Matteo Guidicelli. Nasa hustong gulang na sila, nag-29 na si Sarah noong kanyang kaarawan noong July 25, at si Matteo ay magtu-28 na. Nilinaw ni Sarah na totoong gusto na niyang mag-asawa, pero sa ngayon, palagay niya ay hindi pa siya handa.

“I don’t want to be selfish sa partner ko. Kasi hindi ba, para mahanap mo ang ‘Mr. Right’ mo, kailangan maging ‘Ms. Right’ ka muna?”, ang paliwanag ni Sarah. May mensahe rin siya sa kanyang magiging asawa: “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving you and sana maging patient ka sa akin, kasi late-bloomer talaga ako. Kahit na mag-29 na ako, parang nasa early 20s or parang teenager pa nga rin ata. So sana ikaw iyong sobrang lawak ng pag-iintindi mo, pagpapasensya mo, at ng pagmamahal mo sa akin.”

Sa ngayon ay marami pang pinagkakaabalahan ang mahusay na singer/actress dahil may regular shows siya, ang ASAP tuwing Linggo, at The Voice Teens, na nasa final round na. Abala rin siya sa pagpo-promote ng pelikula nila ni John Lloyd Cruz na “Finally Found Someone” na nagbukas sa mga sinehan noong July 26. Ito ang pang-apat na pelikula nilang pinagsamahan, at inaasahang kikita rin ito ng husto sa takilya gaya ng mga nauna nilang tambalan.

Noong nakaraang Linggo sa ASAP ay natumba si Sarah at napahiga sa kalagitnaan ng kanyang birthday production number, kung saan ay umaawit siya at sumasayaw. Pero napahanga niya ang lahat nang nakangiti siyang bumangon at parang walang anumang nagtuloy-tuloy pa rin ang kanyang performance. Kinalaunan, sinabi niya na kulang siya sa tulog kaya nangyari ito. “Kasi nag da-The Voice ako, nagda-dub ako for the movie, at kung anu-ano pa. So medyo kulang ng tulog, kulang ng preparation for the birthday prod pero ginusto ko talagang gawin yun dahil siyempre, mahal ko talaga ang pagpeperform. Pero natutunan ko na dapat hindi kino-compromise yun, e. Meron talagang enough time to prepare. ‘Yun, medyo nagkulang sa balance at mabigat din yung fur coat kasi hindi rin na rehearse at kulang ng tulog.”

Dagdag pa niya: “Actually hindi yun ang first time na nahulog ako sa stage o nadapa, e. So okay na yun sa akin, bawi na lang next time.”

Pagkatapos ng The Voice Teens ay nakatakda niyang simulan ang solo film niya para sa Viva Films.
Sa dami ng kanyang trabaho, tila malayo pang maisingit ang kanyang pag-aasawa, na balitang tinututulan din ng kanyang mga magulang sa ngayon.

CELESTE, BINIGYAN NG TRIBUTE SA ASAP
Binigyan ng tribute ng ASAP si Celeste Legaspi para sa kanyang naging kontribusyon sa pagpapaunlad ng OPM (Original Pilipino Music). Ang mga mahuhusay na singers na umawit ng mga kanta ni Celeste ay sina Gary Valenciano, Jed Madela, Zsazsa Padilla, Maya Valdez, Isay Alvarez, Bituin Escalante, Lyca Gairanod, Elha Nympha at Lea Salonga. Ilan sa inawit nila ay ang mga awiting Saranggola ni Pepe, Mamang Sorbetero, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal at Tuliro.

Si Celeste ang unang naging presidente ng Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) na nabuo noong 1986. Siya ay anak ng pamosong painter na si Cesar Legaspi na isang National Artist. Bukod sa  pag-awit, naging aktibo rin siya bilang isang stage actress, at lumabas din sa ilang TV series at pelikula.

Naging espesyal ang tribute sa paglabas ni Lea, na siyang umawit ng Tuliro, na isang espesyal na awitin para kay Celeste dahil ginawa ito ng kanyang asawang si Nonoy Gallardo para sa kanya. Hindi raw pinapagamit ni Celeste ang awiting ito sa iba, pero pumayag siya na ipakanta ito kay Lea, na lumutang na naman ang husay sa kanyang performance.

Ibinahagi ni Lea na malaki ang utang na loob niya kay Celeste dahil tinawagan nito ang ina niya noon at pinilit na mag-audition si Lea para sa Miss Saigon. Ito ang nagbukas ng malaking pagkakataon para makilala si Lea bilang isang world class performer.

Filipina in coma after collapsing on Shek O beach

Shek-O beach (photo by Vir Lumicao)

by The SUN team

A 34-year-old Filipina domestic worker is reported to be in coma early this morning (Aug 7)  at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan, hours after she collapsed on Shek O Beach while picnicking with friends.

The woman’s friends suspect the victim, identified as Mae Catin Paborada, suffered a heatstroke on yet another sweltering day in Hong Kong. However, police recorded it as a “drunk person” case.

Paborada reportedly collapsed on the beach at 3:55pm on Sunday while having fun with a group of friends.

A spokesperson for the Police Public Relations Bureau told The SUN that the woman was conscious while being taken to the hospital. He declined to give her name.

A friend took this photo
of  Paborada in hospital

However, friends who visited Paborada at the hospital last night said she was unconscious at the ICU, and was attached to a life support system. Doctors reportedly told them that the patient was in coma.

One of her friends who resides on the same block in Sai Wan Ho as the victim said in a post on Facebook that Paborada had been drinking red wine with a group of Filipinas at a barbecue party.

The group reportedly went swimming, but as soon as Paborada got out of the water, she collapsed on the beach.

One of her friends sent out an appeal for prayers for Paborada, who is reportedly from Tapaz, Capiz. 

Pinay, Pakistani BF jailed for drug offenses

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 33-year-old Filipina tourist who overstayed for six years in Hong Kong and her Pakistani boyfriend were each sentenced at at the High Court to more than five years in jail after they pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.

Michelle Datu, 33, a recognizance holder, was sentenced to five and a half years in jail by Judge Remedios D’Almada.

The defendant’s boyfriend,  Saleem Javed, got five years and four months for trafficking. He received another 18 months for drug possession, but the sentence was to run concurrently.

The prosecution said in a report that Datu, Javed and another woman named Lam were walking at the corner of Shantung and Shanghai streets in Yaumatei at 1:25am on Nov 19, 2016 when police stopped them for a check.

Datu and Javed threw away milk boxes that they were each carrying. When police inspected the milk boxes, they found that the one dumped by Datu had 27 grams of crystals while Javed’s was empty.

The drug found in Datu’s milk box turned out to be methamphetamine hydro-chloride, also known as “ice”.

The officers then searched a flat at 997 Canton Road where the two were staying and found 7.6g of ice in a room occupied by Javed. They also seized three small bottles with 0.007g of the drug and an electronic weighing scale.

The drug seized from the pair had a total street value of $10,962.

In mitigation, the defense counsel said that Datu, a single mother who has a 16-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son, came to Hong Kong as a tourist in January 2011 to visit her British boyfriend who sired her son.

The two lived together but separated in 2013 when the Briton discovered she was hooked on drugs. Datu had a New Zealander boyfriend next, but he also left her when he found out her addiction.

In 2014, she met Javed, an asylum seeker and Hong Kong ID holder who provided her accommodation, food and drugs in exchange for sex and housecleaning, the defense lawyer said. He did not give her a key to his room and told her not to enter it without his permission.

Datu was a victim who was not allowed to leave the house or meet friends, the lawyer said. Sometimes he allegedly assaulted her and hit her in the head.

When he gave her the milk box on Nov 29, 2016, she did not ask why it was full while his was empty because she was afraid he would hit her, the lawyer said.

But Javed through his lawyer said that when he was working at some construction site, Datu would be in Wanchai “prostituting” because she needed drugs. At one time he caught her letting a Caucasian man into the flat, the lawyer said.

The judge, however, said that what went on between the two had no bearing on the charges to which they pleaded guilty. She gave Datu a discount of 5 years and three months for pleading guilty, but added three months for committing an offense while on recognizance by Immigration.

Scholarship anomalies cited

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found anomalies in the various student scholarship and financial assistance programs implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) funded with billions of pesos by the government.

Among the inefficiencies noted by the audit body were the payments of scholarship or financial assistance to the same students twice in a semester, payments to scholars who were not enrolled in the priority courses earlier identified by CHED and
payments to scholars with failing grades.

In its annual audit report recently published on its website, the COA said the efficient implementation of CHED’s Student Financial Assistance Programs or StuFAPs “was disturbed by the deviations from the established criteria” set under CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 13 series of 2014 as amended by CMO No. 44 series of 2016.

The COA also noted the release of scholarship funds to the CHED Regional Offices  despite the lack of supporting documents and the delay in the processing of the scholars’ claims resulting in the expiration of the checks.

The audit team found that 203 grantees in six CHEDROs were given “either two types of scholarship/financial assistance or paid twice for the same type of scholarship in a semester” totaling P1.471 million.

The erring CHEDROs identified by COA were Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 4-B (MIMAROPA), Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) and Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN).

The COA further put CHED to task for the payment of scholarship benefits totaling P2.570 million to unqualified students.

The audit body said P133,500 of the amount was paid to scholars with failing grades while P1.520 million were paid to those who were not enrolled in the priority courses identified by CHED itself.

Also, a total of P22,500 were paid to scholars who transferred to a higher educational institution (HEI) or academic program without prior approval from their respective CHEDROs while P342,000 was paid to students whose names do not appear in the billing statement submitted by the HEIs.

The COA recommended the refund of the excess/double-payments to the unqualified scholars and to require the concerned HEIs to liquidated the funds transferred to them.

Maid seeks $100k after beating by boss’ wife

By Vir B. Lumicao

Jen-jen Gambol shows her bruised face.

A Filipina helper is claiming a total of $106,630 from her former employer after his wife allegedly beat her up on the sixth day of her employment for damaging a blouse she was pressing.

The Labour Tribunal is set to hear on Aug 11 the claim filed by Jen-jen Gambol, 24, against her male employer, W.H. Tang.

Gambol said she took her case to the Tribunal after an meeting with Tang at the Labour Department on July 13 ended in a stalemate when the employer insisted on paying her only $1,900 for her plane ticket to Manila.

The Filipina is claiming a full month’s salary in lieu of notice, saying her having been physically assaulted by her female employer amounted to a constructive termination of her contract.

She is also seeking compensation for her injuries and loss of earning capacity.

The mother of a boy aged 5 and a girl , 3, from Nueva Vizcaya arrived in Hong Kong on June 12 for her first overseas job as domestic helper.

From the airport, she was taken by her Hong Kong agent,Sunlight Agency, to its shelter in North Point.

She started working for Tang on June 15, the day he fetched her from Sunlight and took her to his home.

“I came to work here for the future of my children. I didn’t expect this would happen to me,” Gambol, the wife of a construction worker, told The SUN.

She said she applied at Ascend recruitment agency in Ermita, Manila, in January and paid a total of Php48,000 for training, enhancement, medical, and photo-video fees.

In her police statement, Gambol said she was ironing clothes in the bedroom at around 7pm when she unintentionally burned a blouse belonging to her employer’s wife.

“I was scared. I went out to the living room to show her the damaged blouse and told her, ‘Ma’am, I’m sorry I burned your blo use. Please deduct it from my first salary,” she said.

Mrs Tang, said to be a teacher, allegedly rose and pulled her hair and slapped her a number of times. The woman then ordered her to the bedroom but followed her and allegedly struck her head with a mobile phone. The maid blocked some of the blows with her hand, but injured her ring finger. She also suffered bruises on her left cheek and left upper arm.

The employer’s wife then reportedly told her to hand-wash more of her clothes. She obeyed, but while she was washing, the employer again ordered her to iron more clothes.

“When I asked her to teach me how to do it so as I won’t damage them, she again flared up and grabbed my hair and banged my head on the bathroom wall,” Gambol said.

The next day, when Mrs Tang went to work, her mother reportedly arrived in the flat and noticed Gambol couldn’t wash the laundry fast enough. The maid said she showed the elderly woman her injuries and told her about the incident.

The other woman allegedly told Gambol she should tell her male employer, who was asleep, but the maid said he might get angry so she had better tell the employment agency.

The helper then went downstairs and met another Filipina maid who noticed her injuries and helped her call 999.

The officers who responded took photos of her injuries then told her to lead them to her employer’s flat to pick up her important belongings.

They took her to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yaumatei afterwards for a medical checkup.

Gambol said the police who questioned Mrs Tang were still investigating.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office has blacklisted the employer and helped the maid prepare for her Tribunal appearance.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration gave her money for her visa extension.

VP Robredo launches program for HK OFWs

Vice President Leni Robredo with community leaders who sent her off at the airport.

By Daisy CL Mandap

“If the other camp hurls invectives and negativity, we must do the opposite.”

This was what Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo told a small group of supporters who managed to catch her at Hong Kong’s airport on July 16, just before she flew back to the Philippines following a weekend visit.

Vice President Robredo arrived in Hong Kong the previous day, accompanied by middle daughter Tricia and a male staff member who took video clips of a new project she launched that focuses on overseas Filipino workers who have triumphed over adversities.

The country’s second top leader moved around without any bodyguard, personal assistant or even a protocol officer from the Consulate, in sharp contrast to what has become common practice among Philippine government officials going on trips abroad. Her predecessor, Jojo Binay, for example, used to summon the Consulate’s top officials to the airport even during short layovers in Hong Kong.

“Private visit naman kasi ito, e”, she said when asked if she does not ask for protocol assistance.

But despite her efforts at keeping her visit low key, VP Robredo’s usual detractors went to town with just a picture they managed to secure of her having a casual dinner with her daughter and staff. The peg was, if it was true that she didn’t have the money to pay for her counter-protest to the electoral challenge filed by her bitter rival, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, how could she afford to take a short weekend trip to Hong Kong?

Robredo just shrugged off the usual vicious post, saying she and her daughters have learned to ignore the bile thrown at them on a regular basis.

But for the record, she and her party flew Cebu Pacific, which does not have first class or business class seats, and their air tickets were bought at the promo price of Php2,900 each.

“Mas mura pa kaysa pumunta ng Naga (her hometown),” she said with a smile.

Even the mention of a fancy Korean-buffet style dinner they were supposed to have had the previous night was apparently based on false reports.

“That was Teawood,” she said, again in her usual calm voice. The Taiwanese food chain serves full meals at no more than $100 per person. “Mga $60 nga lang yata yung inorder namin,” she said.

For breakfast the next day, they went to Ikea, which was near the hotel they stayed at in Causeway Bay. Here, one could have delicious Swiss meat balls or hotdog sandwiches for less than $10, the only catch being you have to stand while eating.

From there, she went to nearby Victoria Park and sat on a bench while interviewing OFWs for her new project, “Istorya ng Pag-asa”, after which she joined them in a simple lunch.

“We want to interview ordinary people who have gone through difficulty and triumphed,” she said. “We want to feature inspirational stories, just to change the conversation.”

It is, she said, her way of trying to “making good use of social media”, meaning, turning it into a tool of hope, instead of hatred and discord.

It is a topic obviously close to her heart, having been subjected to so much viciousness since she agreed, after much hesitation, to contest the second highest post in the land.

Even her three daughters are regularly dragged into the muck, even if all they do is accompany their mother on official events and focus on their studies. To their critics’ obvious chagrin, the children have all done exceedingly well at school. Eldest Aika is  now doing her master’s at Harvard University, Tricia is in Ateneo’s college of medicine, and youngest Jillian is in Philippine Science High School.

Asked how they react to the unprovoked bashing, Tricia replied with a smile, “Nasanay na ho kami”.

Still, it is obvious the VP is aware of at least some of the nastiest brickbats thrown her way, including lately, her supposed love for luxury things. In a particularly vicious post, Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy attacked the VP for allegedly wearing Ferragamo shoes while visiting an impoverished community.

Referring to this, Robredo casually took off the shoes she was wearing, saying they were those referred to in Badoy’s post. Though they looked a bit like the iconic model from the designer label, the shoes were definitely not the real thing, and the VP was not embarrassed to show them all worn-out, with the label hardly legible.

Ultimately, what seems to anger her detractors even more is their inability to crack Robredo’s inner calm.

With her looming court battle with Marcos, Robredo still manages to keep a positive outlook.

“Bongbong doesn’t have anything, wala siya talagang basis. Yung mga witnesses niya ay witnesses din namin, at hindi nga nila alam bakit sila isinali sa kabila,” Robredo said.

Still, she acknowledges that one cannot be too complacent with everything that’s  happening in the Philippines right now.

“Ipagdasal pa din natin,” she said.

Judge cuts pregnant Filipina’s sentence so she can go home

By Vir B. Lumicao

High Court judge says appeal "exceptional" 

A High Court judge has agreed to cut the sentence of a pregnant Filipina domestic worker who was convicted of working illegally in her employer’s restaurant so she could go home.

Candelabria Fabroa flew back to the Philippines today, Aug. 3, after Justice Audrey Patricia Campbell-Moffat cut her sentence from three months to 44 days yesterday. As she had already been detained for 46 days, she was immediately released from custody.

Fabroa, who is five months’ pregnant, also tried to have her conviction overturned but was unsuccessful.

Judge Campbell-Moffat told her: “Remember that yours is an exceptional case. I’m doing this because you are pregnant.”

The judge warned Fabroa to leave Hong Kong today as her visa was expiring on the same day.

The appeal hearing did not last long as the judge had already heard the arguments on July 14 when Fabroa first appeared in court to apply for leave to appeal beyond the allowed period.

The judge told Fabroa to return to court with two documents: her pregnancy test result and her plane ticket to the Philippines. The Filipina was also told to ask Shatin magistrate Colin Wong his reasons for convicting her of the offence.

Fabroa was arrested in July 26 last year after she served two immigration officers who posed as customers at the Big Mama restaurant in Shaukeiwan owned by her employer. Fabroa, who was wearing an apron, took their order, served their food and accepted their payment. But when questioned, she said she was just helping a Filipino staff in the restaurant at the time.

She was charged with breaching her conditions of stay but was allowed bail after spending time in detention.

The judge was moved to help after learning that the Filipina was turned away by Hong Kong hospitals when she needed a checkup because she had no Hong Kong ID, just her recognizance paper by Immigration.

Before her release, Fabroa was asked if she any question, and she said she wanted to know if she can work again in Hong Kong after giving birth.

An immigration lawyer who was in court said it was possible for long-term employees but on a case-by-case basis. He cited as precedent a convicted maid who was allowed back by Immigration because she had been taking care of an elderly man for a long time.

Militants stress value of organization

Representatives of various organizations show their colors.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong’s biggest group of migrant workers looked back at its long history of struggle for workers’ rights as it marked its 32nd year on July 16 with a program on Chater Road.

Leaders of United Filipinos in Hong Kong stressed during the the gathering the importance of organizations, which they credited for the gains achieved by migrant workers.

These included getting the Consulate to open on Sundays, the abolition of forced remittances, and the annual review of domestic workers’ salary.
“
Ang mga tagumpay na ito ay hindi mararanasan ng Unifil Hong Kong at hindi niya magagawa nang siya lang mag-isa. Hindi niya po iyan magagawa kung hindi kasama ang karamihan ng mga migrante na naninindigan sa tama, na naninindigan sa hustisya, at naninindigan na dapat magkaroon ng tunay na pagbabago sa ating bansang Pilipinas,” group chair Dolores Balladares told some 300 workers who braved the intermittent rain to attend the program.

“Sapagkat ang mga nangyayari dito sa atin sa Hong Kong at maging sa ibang bansa, ang mga paghihirap na dinaranas ng ating mga migrant worker, ay resulta lamang ng malalim na mga problemang nagaganap sa Pilipinas,” Balladares said.

Unifil secretary general Eman Villanueva urged the workers to continue fighting for their rights and to join organizations to strengthen their ranks because the Philippine and Hong Kong authorities would not have listened to them individually.

“Dahil meron tayong organisado, progresibo, militanteng samahang namumuno sa ating pakikibaka para sa ating karapatan, sahod, at hustisya, nagtatagumpay tayo sa ating pakikipaglaban,” Villanueva said.

“Iyan ang halaga ng ating mga organisasyon. Kaya kung meron pa sa inyo diyan na hindi miyembro ng mga organisasyon, sumapi na kayo,” he exhorted the audience.

Reviewing the past three decades, Balladares said Unifil, with 29 workers’ groups under its wings, opposed the two-week rule introduced by the Immigration Department in 1987 as a new condition of stay.

“We were able to get the Hong Kong immigration to grant special consideration to specific cases and allow terminated workers to process new contract,” she said.

In the second decade, she said the migrant workers successfully drove the Philippine government to require employment agencies to return money they collected illegally in the guise of fees for various services.

The celebration started with a holy mass at 9:30am led by Fr Dwight dela Torre of the Philippine Independent Church.

Workers take advantage of the Mission for Migrants
Workers’ “Give Care to Caregivers” outreach on
Chater Road that coincided with the Unifil-Migrante
anniversary celebration on July 16. 

The mass was followed by cultural presentations by various groups, including Indonesian and Nepalese performers who awed their fellow workers with their folk dances.

Sporadic rain across Hong Kong on that day forced most migrant workers to spend their day off in the malls, bridges and passageways in Central while the hardy ones stuck to their positions on Chater Road.

But two events went ahead as set on Chater, the other being the Mission for Migrants’ quarterly “Give Care to Caregivers” program.

Philippine labor secretary quashes talks about China job for Pinoy domestic workers

(EXCLUSIVE)

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labor Secretary Bello says no talks held
on jobs for Filipino domestic workers in China

Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has denied being in talks with Chinese officials about a supposed plan to hire Filipino domestic workers in China for as much as Php100,000.

“I haven’t talked to anyone from China, much less agreed to meet with anyone next month on this,” said Secretary Bello in a phone interview with The SUN.

He said he was not aware of anyone from the Chinese embassy in the Philippines visiting his Undersecretary, Dominador Say, and disclosing any such plan. Neither has Bello been told of a plan for a follow-up meeting next month.

“How could there be a follow-up meeting when there was no initial meeting in the first place?”, Bello said. 

Ambassador Sto Romano says there
signs China wants to let OFWs in 

In Beijing, Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sto. Romana said there had been indications that China plans to open its door to Filipino domestic workers. However, he said he was not privy to what Undersecretary Say disclosed to various newspapers in Manila, including the widely circulating Philippine Star.

“I am not in a position to confirm this report in the Philippine Star, talks are still exploratory at this stage, but there are indications that Chinese authorities are interested in opening the door somewhat to Pinoy household service workers (HSW). Shanghai & Guangzhou authorities have recently announced an experiment to grant work visas to Pinoy HSWs, these are pilot projects that could pave the way to more work visas for Pinoy,” said Ambassador Sto. Romana.

However, he said the Department of Labor and Employment may have more information on the matter as it is the lead agency on the Philippine side.

Labor Undersecretary Say prompted the comments after he told reporters in Manila earlier in the week that a delegation from the Chinese embassy had approached him about Beijing’s supposed plan to open its doors to Philippine domestic workers.

The Philippine Star quoted Say as saying that the salary to be given was Php100,000 (US$1,980), but he later told the South China Morning Post that the reported salary offer was not accurate.

However, he stuck to his original statement that he discussed the plan with Chinese embassy officials.

Say also said that China wants to hire 100,000 foreign domestic workers, but not all would come from the Philippines. Further, he said the scheme will be put in place in five major Chinese cities, including the capital, Beijing, and Shanghai.

But his statements were immediately dismissed by the acting head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), further causing confusion.

In an interview with ABS-CBN, Undersecretary Bernardo Olalia said it was not true that there were 100,000 jobs available for Filipino domestic workers in China. The only jobs there now are reportedly only for teachers and call center agents.

"Lahat ng klase ng trabaho nasa website [ng POEA], kung wala, that job is nonexistent," Olalia was quoted as saying.

The conflicting statements from his two undersecretaries have prompted Secretary Bello to call for a meeting tomorrow, Aug. 3, to try and sort out the issue.

“I don’t know why my two undersecretaries are saying two different things,” he said.

But he reiterated that what was clear was that he had not met with anyone from the Chinese government on the reported plan.

Say’s statements caused a stir in Hong Kong, with many domestic workers saying on social media that if the reported salary was true, they would prefer working on the mainland instead.

Villanueva says OFWs
will go where pay is better

Several migrant workers have also started asking how they could apply for the China jobs, completely disregarding reports that the scheme, even if true, was still in the drawing board. 

Eman Villanueva, spokesman for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) said it was just natural for Filipino workers, being economic migrants, to go where the pay is better.

“It just shows that the salaries of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong are no longer competitive,” said Villanueva. “Why else would our workers choose to go to a place where the labor laws are not as defined as in Hong Kong?"

He also said that sending more Filipino workers abroad was not desirable, as it shows the Philippines is not sincere about its promise to curb its labor export policy.

The Philippines has no bilateral labor agreement with China, although up to 200,000 Filipinos are believed to be working on the mainland, many as domestic helpers. Most of the workers are there as tourists, but some have managed to secure business visas which allow them a longer stay.

Most domestic workers are known to get between 6,000 and 7,000 yuan a month, which is far higher than the minimum allowable wage of HK$4,310 a month paid to their counterparts in Hong Kong.

Recently, Guangdong province and Shanghai have reportedly allowed foreigners to hire domestic workers from overseas, but it is not clear how many Filipinos have been hired under this scheme.

China to hire Pinoy maids at US$2k, says PHL labor official

Filipino maids in HK earn only a quarter of the
reported salary of their counterparts in China

China has reportedly taken the first steps to opening its doors to Filipino domestic workers at a monthly salary of nearly US$2,000.

This was according to Philippine Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say, who told newspaper reporters in the Philippines yesterday, July 31, that Chinese embassy officials had visited the Department of Labor and Employment to discuss the matter.

The initial deployment will reportedly be limited to five major cities in China, including the capital, Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.

However, reports in Hong Kong indicate Shanghai has already allowed foreign residents to hire foreign domestic workers as early as July 2015. The first FDW to be hired was reportedly a Filipino, who was paid US$1,000 a month.

USec Say said that the Chinese delegation was “looking at the possibility of a Php1000,000 monthly pay” for the FDWs to be hired.

He also said a delegation from China will visit the country in September for further negotiations on the matter.

Philippine Labor Attache to Hong Kong Jalilo dela Torre told The SUN he has not been officially informed about the Chinese delegation’s visit.

His office has long been besieged with complaints from Filipina domestic workers who are brought into China by their Hong Kong employers to work there illegally.

On July 24, a Filipina hired in Hong Kong reportedly fell from a building in Shenzhen, two days after her employers took her back in the city for a holiday. The helper’s kin said the Filipina maid resented being brought there and had planned to break her contract.

Interviewed separately by the South China Morning Post, Say reportedly said he could not remember the name of the leader of the Chinese delegation, but that “he should be a commercial counselor, who came for his research.”

He also told SCMP that China was looking at hiring 100,000 FDWs every month, but that would include not just Filipinos, but also workers from other countries.

Say told reporters in Manila that the reason the Chinese want to hire Filipinos is because of the latter’s English proficiency. Say also said the Filipinos are seen to be “peaceful” compared to other nationalities.

The Chinese visitors also reportedly mentioned improving ties with President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration for the decision to hire Filipinos instead of other nationals.

“They will not have approached us if they are not serious with their desire to hire Filipinos,” Say reportedly said.

He said labor officials would wait for the outcome of the September meeting with the Chinese delegation to determine when the deployment can start.

During an earlier visit to China, Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello IIII said an estimated 200,000 Filipino domestic workers were working illegally on the mainland.

China does not allow foreigners to take up jobs in the country as domestic workers, so most of the illegal workers enter on tourist visas that allow them to stay up to 14 days each time. Others manage to secure business visas which cost more but allow them to stay longer.

Those who overstay their visas face fines of between 5,000 and 20,000 yuan (US$743-2,973), and in the more serious cases, even imprisonment of between five and 15 days. – from reports in Manila and Hong Kong