Philippine ambassador to Singapore is new HK congen

By Daisy CL Mandap

Ambassador Tony Morales

Philippine ambassador to Singapore, Antonio Morales, is set to take over as the next consul general in Hong Kong.

This was according to outgoing Consul General Bernardita Catalla, who told The SUN that Ambassador Morales’s nomination has already been endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. He is now just waiting for the exequatur, or a written official confirmation of his appointment, from the Hong Kong government.

Congen Catalla herself is waiting for the agrement, or approval by the Lebanese government of her appointment as the next Philippine ambassador to the country, which could come at anytime. She has served in Hong Kong for the past three years.

Amba Tony, as he is fondly called by Filipinos in Singapore, will be the first consul general in Hong Kong to have previously served as ambassador in another country.

CG Catalla (3rd from left) at farewell lunch with Filcom leaders

However, Congen Catalla clarified that this does not indicate a diminution in rank because one needs to be at least a career minister 2, an ambassadorial level, to be assigned as head of post in Hong Kong. 

A lawyer and veteran diplomat, Amba Tony appears to be highly regarded by his colleagues in the foreign service, especially those who have had the chance to work with him.

His consul general in Singapore, Victorio Dimagiba, Jr., described the ambassador in an email message to The SUN as fair to his officers and staff, and as a silent worker who gets things done.

Dimagiba credited the ambassador with the introduction of changes that paved the way for smoother transactions by the public at the embassy, and for leading the post in recording the second highest turnout in the last overseas voting, next only to Hong Kong.

Another colleague who had the chance to work with him in San Francisco described Amba Tony as “low key but magaling”.

Ambassador Morales, who is in his mid ‘50s, assumed his post as head of mission in Singapore on May 29, 2014, and is expected to serve the remaining part of his standard six-year overseas posting in Hong Kong.

Before being assigned to Singapore, he was deputy chief of mission at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, and consul general in Milan, Italy and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He served as deputy consul general in San Francisco and was previously assigned to Rome and Ankara.

Taking his place as ambassador in Singapore is reportedly a political appointee from a major property developer in the Philippines.

DH jailed 2 months for scalding ward with hair dryer

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to two months in jail in West Kowloon Court on Aug 18 after being found guilty of “ill treatment or neglect of a child” for scalding her six-year-old male ward’s buttocks with a hair dryer.

Julyn E. Almario, 35, had pleaded not guilty to the accusation, saying that the child sustained the injuries accidentally in April.

Almario was the fourth Filipina to be jailed for assaulting their wards in just a month. The cases have prompted Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre to say that he will soon organize seminars on child care for Filipino domestic workers.

On July 18, Carmela Sotto was jailed six months by a magistrate in Eastern Court after being caught on CCTV slapping her employer’s 18-month-old baby twice on June 3.

Three days later, a third OFW, Rochelle L. Dreck was locked up by the same Eastern Court magistrate for two and a half months for assaulting the four-year-old   son of jailed Hong Kong business magnate Carson Yueng.

In the latest case, Almario said she did not intend to harm the child, and that she was in good terms with her employers, whom she had served for the past four years.

But in a video interview, the boy said the maid had deliberately pressed the hot part of the dryer against his buttocks while drying his hair after a shower, scalding his skin.

The defendant denied this, saying that the boy had climbed atop the toilet bowl and slipped while she was drying his hair in the bathroom. The child reportedly fell on her stomach but the Filipina said she did not see the dryer come into contact with any part of the boy’s body.

The boy’s mother gave evidence that when she heard the commotion in the bathroom, she knocked on the door and the helper told her they slipped on the floor and the boy must have come into contact with the dryer’s nozzle, causing redness on his buttocks.

The parents did not immediately report the incident to the police thinking that it was an accident and the redness was not serious. But after three days, when injuries from the scalding appeared, they called the police and the maid was arrested. 

In finding Almario guilty, Magistrate June Cheung said the toddler’s statements were consistent with how he sustained his injury. Even if there were some slight differences in what the boy told his parents and what he said in the video interview, these were immaterial to the case as the point was to show he sustained the injuries.

On the other hand, Cheung said the maid’s evidence was contradictory, indicating she was not telling the truth.

The defense lawyer pleaded for leniency, possibly by way of a suspended sentence, saying Almario, who was separated from her husband and had worked in Hong Kong as a helper for seven years, had a 15-year-old daughter and her parents to support. The lawyer also said the Filipina had a clear record and had good relations with her employers..

But Cheung said a custodial sentence was necessary because the case was serious.

Employers of Filipina who died in Shenzhen arrested

By Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong police arrested Thursday, Aug 18, the employers of a Filipina domestic helper who fell to her death in Shenzhen in July, as her relatives remain doubtful about reports she killed herself by jumping off a residential block.

A sister of the late Lorain E. Asuncion recently told The SUN that she had asked for a private forensic examination of the victim, as it would be more intensive than the tests carried out by the Shenzhen police which ruled out foul play. A letter the police sent in response to a query from the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou stated that Asuncion had fallen from a height.  

In Hong Kong, officers from the Anti-Triad and Organized Crime Bureau reportedly arrested the employers of Asuncion when they showed up at the police headquarters in Wanchai for an investigation.

Local newspaper reports said the male employer surnamed Gu, 47, and his wife surnamed Liu, 32, were arrested on a charge of conspiracy to defraud. They were released on bail and told to return in September for further inquiry.

"They were suspected to have made a false statement to the relevant government department, claiming that the female foreign domestic helper employed by them would work in Hong Kong only,” a police spokesman reportedly said.

It is illegal in Hong Kong for an employer to make his or her helper work in places other than at the address stated in their work contract.

The case has highlighted concerns about Hong Kong employees bringing their domestic workers across the border to work, often against their will.

Asuncion, 28 and single, fell from a building in Shenzhen on July 24 after her employers allegedly sent her to work there at a relative’s home.

Her sister, Jenevieve A. Javier said her sister’s body had not yet been autopsied by the time she and an aunt had to fly  back to Manila because the booking list was long.

“Marami kaming katanungan tungkol sa nangyari", she said.

Javier claimed Asuncion's employers had instructed her to join them in Shenzhen on July 22, but when she got there, she was surprised to find only Liu's father in the house. This was confirmed by the Shenzhen police in their letter to the Philippine Consulate there.    

Javier said she had filed a complaint for human trafficking in her sister's case to Hong Kong authorities.

Police reportedly said Asuncion was taken by her employers to China four times in the nine months that she was in their employ.

Immigration reportedly referred the case to police as a human trafficking case.
Javier told The SUN she hoped the investigation into her sister's case would keep going.
"Sana tuluy-tuloy na,” she said.

Javier and her aunt Susan Escorial who viewed Asuncion's remains claimed the victim's face was intact, with no bruises or other signs of having fallen from the 22nd floor flat of Liu's father.

The two said they were interviewed intensively for two days by Hong Kong police about Asuncion’s communications with them before she died.

After the marathon meeting at the police headquarters, an officer drove the two women to the airport to catch their flight home late on Tuesday, Aug 16. - reports from Vir B. Lumicao and SCMP

Two agencies suspended for recruiting Filipinos to Russia, Turkey

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre

By Vir B. Lumicao

Two Hong Kong employment agencies have been suspended by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office from processing Filipino domestic workers’ contracts in a crackdown on recruiters luring OFWs here with jobs in Russia and Turkey.

The two agencies are Good Family Employment Agency Co Ltd, which has been recruiting OFWs for deployment in Russia, and C.U Consultant & Employment Services, or CUCES, which is offering jobs in Turkey.

“We will not tolerate any wrongdoing of any employment agency accredited with POLO Hong Kong,” Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre told The SUN on Aug 17.

“Third-country deployment is contrary to the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administation) Rules and Regulations, and undermines the sanctity of employment contracts in Hong Kong. Let this be a warning to other accredited employment agencies,” he said.

POEA bans third-country recruitment of Filipinos, saying this exposes workers to risks such as exploitation and human trafficking, as the jobs do not go through the verification process.

Labatt Dela Torre suspended Good Family, which has its offices at Jade Centre, Kennedy Town, on Aug 10 after receiving reports that it was recruiting workers for Russia.

He followed that up on Aug 17 by suspending CUCES, which has been trying to lure OFWs here with “lots of opportunities” in Turkey and eligibility for residence visa after five years of working there.

Two days earlier, Labatt Dela Torre posted on his Facebook page a screengrab of another FB post by CUCES inviting jobseekers to apply for work in Turkey.

The agency also posted on its website a poster inviting jobseekers to an interview and orientation on Aug 20 in its Wanchai office where five Turkish recruiters are to join CUCES owner Ugur Akin in briefing the workers on living and working in Turkey.

The recruiter was offering monthly salaries of US$700 to US$1,000 for nannies plus their “own room and free wi-fi”, amenities that most foreign helpers in Hong Kong can only dream of.  

Support Coins for Bethune 2017
Calling all Filipino community organizations! Please help raise much-needed funds for the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, which is looking after distressed women domestic workers. Save your coins and put them in donation cans that are distributed for free by Bethune House, or make your own container. Just get the stickers for the cans from Bethune to make sure your donation counts. Cans and stickets are available at the office of the Mission for Migrant Workers at St John’s Cathedral from Sunday to Friday. Deadline for submitting the filled-up cans is Sept. 17, 2017 in time for the 31st anniversary celebration of Bethune House on Chater Road. Every coin that you give helps give food and temporary shelter to migrant women in distress, as well as emergency, medical and legal assistance. For enquiries, please call 25322 8264, emailmission@migrants.net or send a message to the Facebook page, “Coins for Bethune Project”.

LET Application Deadline Extended
The deadline for those who wish to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers has been extended by the Professional Regulation Commission to Aug. 20. The LET is scheduled to take place next month. For inquiries, visit the POLO-Hong Kong SAR FB page

Wanted: Proctors for BLEPT
Teachers who passed the Board Licensure Examination  for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) are encouraged to enlist as proctors for the upcoming BLEPT on Sept 24, 2017.
Basic requirements:
Photocopy of passport page with picture
Photocopy of PRC Licence
Transcript of Records (optional)
Submit the documents in person to NOPT at Bayanihan Centre on July 30, Aug 6, 13 and 20 from 9am-5pm
Accepted applicants are required to attend a briefing seminar, the schedule to be announced later.
For further details call the NOPT hotline 5296 0156

Attention: Rugby enthusiasts
We, the Exiles Touch Rugby group are inviting rugby enthusiasts to join the team. We practice every Sunday at the Happy Valley Pitch 8 from 5pm to 8pm at the Happy Valley Pitch 8.  For those interested please contact: Ghelai 65414432 whatsapp/sms or click like on Exiles HK facebook page
 
Wanted: softball players
The all-Filipina softball team is now open for tryouts. Those who are interested, especially those with prior experience in the game, may contact Team Captain Don Gaborno at 5318-5113

An invitation to play volleyball
Calling sport-minded Filipinas who want to play volleyball. A team is being organized by a group led by Shane Key Gonzales to compete in upcoming volleyball leagues in Hong Kong. Interested parties may contact Shane at 54498080.

Attention: Migrants with medical background
The Philippines Nurses in Hong Kong is inviting those with medical training or background (nurses, nursing graduates, caregivers or those who attended 1-day elderly care training seminar) to join our next seminar on  Elderly and Dementia Care. Date and venue TBA. For more information please contact Ms. Maybelle P. Frianeza at 28660640 or send a message at Philippine Nurses in Hong Kong Facebook Page.

Two-day health checks for FDWs
Caritas Asian Migrant Workers Social Service Project will conduct the following 2-day “Health Concern” programs on Sept 10 and 17 and  Sept 23 and 30 for foreign domestic workers. For details, call: :Sisca at 2147-5988.

What's on where

The SUN News Writing Seminar
Aug 20, 1-5pm. Rm 1503 NPAC, 10 North Point Road, North Point. (get off at the last stop of the North Point tram line)
Open to all OFWs who have experience in, or are interested in learning how to write and possibly become contributors of The SUN. Lecturers are all veteran and professional journalists in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Seats are limited.
Call 2541 7869 to book a place.

Dugong Alay ng Pilipino (Blood Donation Drive)
Aug 20, 11an – 6:30pm.
Red Cross Donation Centre: 14/F Plaza 2000, 2-4 Russel Street, Causeway Bay (exit A, Causeway Bay MTR station).
Co-organized by HK Red Cross and the Consulate. To register, email cultural.pcg@gmail.com or call 2823 8503. Give blood, save lives


Financial Health Desk
Aug 20, 1-5 pm (and every Sunday).
PCG Service Area
This is a one-to-one, confidential advice for migrant women with specific money concerns, especially useful if you are in debt or have big financial decisions to make.
Conducted by: Enrich with support from the Philippine Consulate
For appointment, email participant@enrichhk.org or call 2386 5811

CARD HK general assembly and graduation
Aug 27, 1pm to 5:30pm,
Bayanihan Center, Kennedy Town.
General assembly of CARD Hong Kong Foundation and graduation ceremony for its Batch 41 and 42 trainees in its Financial Literacy course.
The next CARD HK financial literacy seminars will be held on Sept 24 and Oct 22, also at Bayanihan Center.
For  registration and enquiries, please call Vicky Reyes Munar at tel. no. 9606 6810, or CARD
at 5423 8196 and 9529 6392.

Selebrasyon ng Buwan ng Wika
Aug 27, 5:30-7:00pm PCG Service Area
By invitation from the Philippine Consulate General
For details, email cultural.pcg@gmail.com or call 2823 8517

Free Mushroom, Rice and Integrated Farming Seminar
Sep 9 (Saturday), 2-4pm, 16th floor Admiralty Centre Tower 1 (take exit A of Admiralty MTR station)
Sept 10 (Sunday), 9-11am; 11am-1pm; 1:30-3:30pm; 3:30-5:30pm (4 batches) at No 3 Lockhart Road, Wanchai
Organized by: Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Department of Agriculture
To register, visit the “POLO – Hong Kong SAR” Facebook page

Making human trafficking a crime in HK pushed

“Hong Kong, being a First World city, has to do more to tackle the problem.”

By Vir B. Lumicao

There were up to 2,000 human trafficking cases in Hong Kong last year, including Filipina job seekers who ended up as sex workers in Wanchai and Mongkok.

The figure was much higher than the 36 cases reported by the government for the same period.

Civil society leaders who held a press conference on Aug 1 at the Legislative Council said this was mainly due to a lack of laws that criminalize trafficking.

They used the conference to introduce a new bill on modern slavery, and launch a petition urging the government and Chief Executive Carrie Lam to “take immediate steps to criminalize human trafficking in all forms”.

The Hong Kong Anti-Trafficking Group also called for providing “appropriate channels for redress for victims against abusers and exploiters.”

Legco Member Dennis Kwok introduced the “Modern Slavery Bill 2017” and said he intends to bring it before Legco for discussion, possibly as a Private Members Bill.

“We will push, if necessary, for a Private Members’ Bill to legislate against human trafficking, and to raise more awareness within the community… so that more people would understand the urgent need for Hong Kong to do more to tackle (the issue),” said Kwok.

“Hong Kong, being a First World city, has to do more to tackle the problem.”

The US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2017 retained Hong Kong on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second year running, indicating that there are problems of human trafficking and forced labor in Hong Kong.

The government has said there are enough laws to deal with the problem.

But human rights lawyer Patricia Ho disputed that, saying these pieces of legislation, such as the Criminal Ordinance, Labor Ordinance and Employment Ordinance and others, deal only with “bits and pieces” of the crime.

She cited Section 129 of the Criminal Ordinance which criminalizes the taking of a person in or out of Hong Kong for the purpose of prostitution, but does not take into account elements of trafficking involved in the act as defined by the Palermo Protocol.

Ho said NGOs focusing on trafficking issues as well as lawyers in the field have been establishing a fairly clear picture of how human trafficking is happening in Hong Kong.

This involves luring women from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela and sending them to Hong Kong via Dubai with huge quantities of drugs, or to work in the sex trade.

Women from the Philippines, Thailand and other Asian countries are enticed with attractive job offers but they end up working as prostitutes in Hong Kong’s red light districts. Even Hong Kong teenagers end up getting caught in this trap, Ho said.

On the other hand, South Asian and Vietnamese men, some of them engineers, are brought to Hong Kong and end up working on farms in the New Territories or in back kitchens in the city.

“In a way, we’re wanting to put to the government that they need to do two things: No.1, that they need to bring traffickers to justice, and, No.2, to protect victims to give them a chance to have a normal life again,” Ho said.

Cynthia Ca Abdon-Tellez, general manager of Mission for Migrant Workers, said the absence of clear legislation led to victims being imprisoned, while their traffickers went scot-free.

Eman C. Villanueva, spokesperson of Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body, said little attention had been paid to the trafficking and abuse of migrant workers, leading to severe incidents of abuse such as the Erwiana case.

Azan Marwah, one of the drafters of the Modern Slavery Bill, said the proposed law comprehensively defines and criminalizes all internationally recognized forms of slavery and human trafficking by amending the Crimes Ordinance (Cap.200).

The bill would also expand the definition of “organized crime” in the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap.455), he said.

Marwah said this would allow law enforcement to target trafficking syndicates and those who deal in the proceeds of slavery and human trafficking.

Mabel Au, director of Amnesty International, said the definition of “trafficking” does not meet the internationally accepted definition in the United Nations’ Palermo Protocol. This creates loopholes in the law, limiting the power of the authorities to target criminals.

Babala sa OFW: Hindi protektado ang mga nag-exit lang sa Macau

Ang St Paul’s Ruins, sa Macau. Naging pntahan na ang Macau ng mga Pilipinong nag-e-exit mula sa Hong Kong para sa bagong kontrata, upang makatipid.

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Bawal sa nasisanteng kasambahay ang mag-exit sa Macau o saan man maliban sa Pilipinas upang maghintay ng panibagong work visa dahil hindi siya dokumentado at walang proteksiyon.

Ito ang sabi ni Engelbert Causing na tauhan ng Philippine Overseas Labor Office o POLO sa ginanap na post-arrival orientation seminar noong Agosto 6, na dinaluhan ng 132 kasambahay.

Sabi ni Causing, may panganib ang pag-exit sa ibang lugar kaya mahigpit itong pinagbabawal.

“Halimbawa, kapag nag-exit sa Macau ang isang terminated na kasambahay at naaksidente at namatay, dahil wala siyang OWWA membership ay walang makukuhang benepisyo ang pamilya niya,” ani Causing.

“Kapag nag-exit kayo sa Macau ay hindi kayo protektado dahil hindi kayo dokumentado. Kaya kayo pinagbabawalang mag-exit sa Macau, na-gets nyo? Dapat may OEC at active yung OWWA membership ninyo,” payo ni Causing.

Sinabi rin niyang bago umuwi ang mga nasisante na may nakuhang bagong amo ay kailangang kumuha muna sila ng overseas employment certificate at magbayad ng OWWA membership para masigurado ang kanilang proteksyon.

Pinaalalahanan din niya ang mga natanggal sa trabaho ngunit may nakuhang bagong amo na kailangang umuwi sila upang doon lakarin sa pinakamalapit na opisina ng Philippine Overseas Employment Administration ang kanilang mga dokumento.

“So, lahat ng naterminate ay kailangang umuwi ng Pilipinas para doon magprocess at maghintay ng visa, ngunit may tatlong exemption,” sabi ni Causing.

Ayon sa kanya, pinapayagan ng Immigration na dito sa Hong Kong magproseso ng papeles ang isang na-terminate na katulong kung: 1) namatay ang kanyang amo na pumirma sa kanya; 2) nawalan ng trabaho ang among nagpapasahod sa kanya; o 3) lumikas sa ibang bansa ang kanyang amo.

Sa labas ng bulwagang ng POLO, sinabi ni Causing sa The SUN na sa palagay niya ay wala nang ahensiya sa Hong Kong na nagpapadala ng mga nasisanteng katulong sa Macau.

Ito ay dahil isang ang isang ahensiya na nahuling nagpa-exit ng mahigit sa 200 na Pilipina sa  Macau ang siningil ng POLO ng bayad para sa OWWA membership ng mga kasambahay na nagkakahalaga ng USD$20 bawat isa.

Labor secretary denies talks with China on OFW jobs

By Daisy CL Mandap

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.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III

“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 on Aug. 2.

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 the secretary 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.

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 Ph
ilippine 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 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 prompted Secretary Bello to call for a meeting on 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.

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 or English teachers. Most of the workers are tourists who extend their visas regularly, or have acquired business visas which allow them longer stay.

Most of the domestic workers reportedly 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 Hong Kong counterparts.

Recently, Guangdong and Shanghai allowed about 100 foreigners to hire domestic workers from overseas, but it is not clear how many Filipinos have been hired under this scheme.

Kasinungalingan ni Mildred

Walang katotohanan. Ito ang nagkakaisang tugon ng isang grupo ng mga Ilongga matapos mapanood ang pagsasadula kailan lang ng programa sa GMA na ‘Magpakailanman’ sa kwento ni Mildred Perez-Bonde, na dating tinaguriang “Honest OFW ng Hong Kong”.

Nakilala si Mildred sa Hong Kong noong 2009 nang sabihin niya sa isang interview na nakapulot siya ng pera halagang Ph2.1 million mula sa basura, at isinauli niya iyon sa may-ari. Pinahanga niya ang marami dahil ayon pa din sa kuwento ni Mildred, namumulot lang siya ng basura sa Yuen Long para may maipantustos sa sarili at sa pamilya habang hinihintay na maresolba ang kasong sexual harassment laban sa kanyang among pastor.

Sa kalaunan ay napatunayan na walang perang napulot si Mildred kundi mga tseke na nakapangalan sa isang kumpanya at hindi niya puwedeng maangkin. Ibinasura din ng pulis ang kaso niya laban sa dating amo dahil walang sapat na ebidensya.

Kabilang sa mga galit hanggang ngayon sa nangyari ay si Lorie Pecasis na nagsabing hindi na sana dinugtungan ng drama sa TV ang ginawang pagsisinungaling ni Mildred.

Ganito rin ang saloobin ni Eleuteria Baligwat, na kabilang sa mga nagbigay ng pera kay Mildred noong minsan na mapadpad ito sa tambayan nila sa may City Hall. Awang awa daw siya kay Mildred noon, iyon pala ay marami itong gamit na naipundar kaya 10 jumbo boxes ang naipadala nito bago umuwi sa Pilipinas.

Si Marion Diaz na ilang taon nang nakatambay sa may City Hall ay nag-abot din ng pera kay Mildred sa awa nito sa kapwa Pilipina na nagsabing walang wala ito.

Nakuha din ni Mildred sa pag-iiyak ang kapwa Ilongga niya na si Ace Jewel Jarollina. Bagama’t galit dahil sa ginawa ni Mildred ay sinisi din niya ang GMA dahil diumano sa pag-uulit nito sa isang malaking kasinungalingan.

Si Aidyll Datorin Quinlat naman ay naalala ang pagbibigay niya ng isang malaking karton ng Tide dahil sa  ang sabi ni Mildred noon ay wala siyang sabon para sa sariling damit; iyon pala ay malakas siyang gumamit ng sabon dahil nilalabhan ang mga damit na pinulot para maitinda bilang ukay-ukay sa kanilang bayan.

Si Neneng Bunda naman ay nagbibigay noon ng pera para pamasahe ni Mildred pabalik sa Yuen Long mula sa Central kung saan inilalako niya ang kanyang pekeng kuwento para makahingi ng limos, at pati pandagdag sa kanyang pambili ng pagkain sa buong linggo. Minsan ay binigyan pa niya ng pambayad para sa extension ng kanyang visa.

Sa lahat wala nang mas inis kundi ang may-akda nito na nagbigay ng pera at naglapit kay Mildred sa maraming tao dahil awang-awa siya rito noon.

Ang lalong ikinainis ng mga Ilongga ay parang ipinalabas ni Mildred na walang kapwa Pinay ang tumulong sa kanya noong panahong kailangang kailangan niya. Hindi naman daw sila naghihintay ng kapalit pero kahit paano sana ay nagpakita ito ng pasasalamat sa mga taong tumulong sa kanya noon. Sana, sabi nila, makaabot ang kanilang reklamo sa GMA at huwag na nilang buhayin at dugtungan pa ang mga kasinungalingan ni Mildred na ikinasira ng mga kapwa niya OFW. –  Merly Terne Bunda

Nilaglag

Nabigla si Elvie nang walang kaabog-abog na sinabi ng kanyang among lalaki na darating na ang papalit sa kanya. Ang pag-uusap nilang iyon ay nagsisilbing isang buwan daw na pasabi pero oras na dumating ang kapalit niya ay kailangan na niyang bumaba. Bibigyan pa rin naman daw siya ng isang buong buwan na sahod na katumbas ng pasabi bilang konsiderasyon.

Halos isang taon pa bago matapos ang kanyang kontrata kaya sadyang hindi niya inaasahan ang desisyon ng amo. Lakas loob niyang tinanong ang amo kung bakit at halos ayaw niyang paniwalaan ang narinig.

Tumawag daw kasi ang dati nilang katulong na tatlong taon nang umuwi sa Pilipinas at nagmakaawang kinausap ang amo na muli siyang kunin. Nagkaroon daw kasi ng malaking problema ang pamilya nito at matindi ang pangangailangan sa pera.

Ang dating katulong daw ang nagpalaki sa mga anak ng amo kaya hindi nila matanggihan ang pakiusap nito.

Bukod dito, matanda na daw kasi ito at baka mahirapan nang makahanap ng ibang amo.

Nangako naman ang amo na ibibigay ang buong suporta sa paghahanap ni Elvie ng panibagong amo. Hindi maalis kay Elvie ang magdamdam pero kailangan niyang tanggapin ang desisyon ng amo. Si Elvie ay dalaga at nagtatrabaho sa Mid-levels. —-Gina N. Ordona

Mahilig makisuyo ang kasamahan

Kapag may nababalitaang uuwi sa Pilipinas si Leona ay hindi ito nawawalan ng ideya ng gustong ipabili o ipadala. Kahit hindi niya personal na kakilala ay nakukuha niyang makisuyo.

Dahil pati ang mga kaibigan ng kasama niya sa bahay na si Mila ay naaabala sa mga kapritso ni Leona,  hindi napigilan ng nauna na kausapin ang huli.

Sinabi ni Mila na hindi tamang obligahin ang ibang tao na gamitin ang nakalaang oras nila sa pamilya para lang mga kahilingan niya gaano man ito kaliit. Pero ang laging sinasabi ay hindi naman siya namimilit. Hindi na rin ipinilit ni Mila ang katwiran dahil ayaw niyang mauwi ito sa alitan.

Kamakailan ay umuwi si Mila at gaya ng dati, mahaba ang listahan ng mga gustong ipabili ni Leona kahit na kung tutuusin ay maari namang bilhin dito sa HK. Subalit maraming kinailangang asikasuhin si Mila at dahil ilang araw lang ang bakasyon niya, hindi nito nagawang bilhin ang mga bilin ni Leona.

Pagbalik sa HK ay nagpaliwanag si Mila, sabay hingi ng despensa at katumbas nito ay ilang araw siyang hindi kinibo ni Leona. Ipinagkibit balikat na lang ni Mila ang nangyari dahil ayaw niyang patulan ang kababawan ng kasama. Sina Mila at Leona ay parehong Bisaya na naninilbihan sa isang pamilya sa Repulse Bay. –Gina N. Ordona

Tikisan dahil kulang sa komunikasyon

Lungkot na lungkot si Missy na taga Yuen Long dahil isang linggo nang hindi nagpaparamdam sa kanya ang kanyang asawa at anak sa Pilipinas. Nagkasagutan kasi silang mag-asawa kamakailan.

Aminado naman siya na naging bugnutin siya nitong mga nagdaang linggo dahil hindi siya nagkakatulog sa kakaisip sa sakit niya sa puso na inililihim niya sa lahat, pati na rin sa amo niya na 14 na taon na niyang pinagsisilbihan. Madalas daw tumaas ang kanyang blood pressure ngayon dahil na rin marahil sa init ng panahon at sa sobrang pagod niya.

Alam naman daw niyang susuportahan siya ng amo niya ngunit ayaw niyang maging dahilan ito para pauwiin siya dahil marami pang tao ang umaasa sa kanya. Bukod sa kanyang sariling pamilya ay itinataguyod din niya ang pag-aaral ng isang pamangkin na mabuti at nakatakda nang magtapos sa susunod na taon.

Dahil sa kakaisip niya sa posibleng mangyari kung patuloy na lumala ang sakit niya ay madaling uminit ang ulo niya at madalas na ang asawa ang kanyang napagbubuntunan. Kaunting kibot nito ay nagagalit siya at napagsasalitaan niya ng hindi maganda kahit alam niyang hindi dapat.

Ayon pa mismo kay Missy, mabait ang asawa niya at maasikaso sa kanilang anak. Dahil sa kanyang kasungitan ay umabot sa puntong naghinala ang kanyang asawa kung mayroon na siyang ibang mahal.

Nasaktan nang labis si Missy sa paratang, kaya sinabi na rin niya sa asawa ang tunay niyang kalagayan. Masakit daw kasi ang loob niya na hindi man lang nagpaparamdam ang mga mahal niya sa buhay tuwing may sakit siya, kaya gabi-gabi na lang siyang umiiyak.

Hindi naman ito napapansin ng mga nakapaligid sa kanya dahil sa panlabas ay masayahin siyang tao at palabiro. Pero pag-uwi daw niya mula sa day-off ay muling bumabalik ang kanyang mga alalahanin. “Ayokong isipin ang sakit ko, at hanggat maari ay tinitiis kong lahat ang pagod ko at nilalabanan ang nararamdaman ko dahil gusto ko na yung pangarap ko na hindi natupad, ang makatapos ng pag-aaral, ay magawa ko ngayon para sa anak ko,” sabi niya.

Dahil hindi niya agad sinabi ang mga saloobin at hinanakit niya sa asawa ay natuloy sa tikisan ang kanilang alitan. Miss na miss na daw niya ang kanyang mag-ama, nguni’t hindi niya alam kung paano sila makakabalik sa dating matamis na pagtitinginan.

Isa sa mga hiningan niya ng payo ang nagsabi na mas maganda siguro kung umuwi muna si Missy sa kanila para magkausap silang mabuti ng asawa’t anak, at para makapagpahinga na rin siya. Mas mahirap kung lalala ang problema niya sa pamilya dahil baka lalong hindi kayanin ng kanyang katawan ito. Hindi din kasi kailanman kayang tapatan ng pera ang kaligayahan na tanging mga mahal sa buhay ang maaaring magdulot. – Rodelia Villar

Matapat sa pasisilbi

Naging parte na ng trabaho ni Erma ang paglilinis ng bahay ng kapatid ng kanyang among babae minsan isang linggo. Matandang binata kasi ito at mag-isa lang sa bahay kaya pinapakisuyo ng amo.

Kamakailan ay nagpunta si Erma sa bahay nito para maglinis. Walang ibang tao sa bahay noon dahil nasa ibang bansa ang may-ari.

Habang nililinis ni Erma ang ilalim ng sofa ay bigla siyang napatigil dahil may bumara sa vacuum cleaner. Dahil ang akala niya ay tissue lang iyon ay kanya itong nilamukos at ipinagpatuloy ang kanyang ginagawa. Ngunit muli na namang may bumara.

Saka pa lamang napansin ni Erma na pera pala ang bumabarang iyon. Sa una ay inakala niya na peke ang mga perang iyon, katulad ng ginagamit ng mga Intsik sa pagpa-paysan. Mahilig din kasi sa mga manghuhula ang amo.

Dahil sa mahirap silipin ang ilalim ng sofa ay ginamit ni Erma ang flashlight ng kanyang cellphone.

Laking gulat niya nang makita na marami pa palang pera sa ilalim ng sofa. Isa-isa niya itong kinuha at binilang. Umabot sa walong libong dolyar ang kabuuang halaga ng natagpuan niyang pera.

Agad naman niya itong pinaalam sa may-ari sa pamamagitan ng whatsapp.  Maging sa kanyang amo ay pinaalam niya ito. Sinabi ng lalaking amo na hindi niya alam kung saan nito nawala ang pera. Ilang linggo na daw itong nawawala at hindi niya makita.

Tinanong nito si Erma kung pitong libo ba lahat ang pera at sinabi ni Erma na walong libo. Laking tuwa at pasasalamat ng amo dahil ibinalik ni Erma ang pera, at sinabing iwan na lamang ito sa loob ng kanyang kwarto.

Si Erma ay magsa-sampung taon nang naninilbihan sa kanyang among Intsik nitong darating na Oktubre. Siya ay tubong Cordon, Isabela. – Emz Frial

Sapilitang pinapirma ng termination letter

Isa si Jane sa mga katulong na may problema sa pagkain. Laging hindi sapat ang pagkain na para sa kanya, o kaya naman ay puro tira ng ilang araw kaya nawawalan siya ng ganang kumain. Tatlong buwan niyang tiniis ang hirap bago naglakas-loob na nagsabi sa amo na kung pwedeng ibigay na lang sa kanya ang kanyang food allowance na nakasulat sa kontrata.

Nagalit ang amo dahil dito at sinabihan sya na mag-empake at gumawa ng sulat na nagsasabi na siya ang kusang pumuputol sa kanilang kontrata at gusto niyang bumaba noong araw ding iyon.

Hindi pumayag si Jane na gumawa ng sulat dahil wala siyang pera. Ipinagpatuloy na lang niya ang pag-eempake pero nang akma na siyang aalis ay hinarangan siya ng amo at sinabing hindi siya maaaring umalis ng hindi nagbibigay ng termination letter.

Dahil hindi sila magkasundo ay tinawagan ng amo ang isang empleyado ng employment agency na nagdala kay Jane sa Hong Hong. Gumawa ng sulat ang taga agency na nagsasabing ang katulong ang kusang bumaba ng araw na yon at pilit itong pinapapirma kay Jane.

Ayaw pa ring pumirma ni Jane dahil alam niyang kapag siya ang nag-terminate ay kailangan niyang bayaran ang amo. Tumawag si Jane sa isang kaibigan at sinabihan siya nito na i-record nang palihim ang usapan nila ng amo at ng taga agency, na ginawa naman niya.

Pagkatapos ay pumayag na si Jane na pirmahan ang kasulatan dahil pinangakuan siya ng taga agency na hahanapan siya ng bagong amo. Pero may pahabol ito na kailangan ni Jane na magbayad ng katumbas ng  isang buwang sahod niya para maibigay sa kanya ang tiket niya pauwi.

Nalilito ngayon si Jane kung ano ang gagawin.

Ipaglalaban ba niya ang karapatan niya gamit ang video na nagpapakita na pinilit lang siya ng amo at ng taga agency na pumirma sa termination letter, o tanggapin na lang ang alok ng agency na huwag nang magreklamo dahil bibigyan siya ng bagong amo? Si Jane ay may asawa at tatlong anak at tubong Mindoro. – Rodelia Villar

Vice Ganda, sabit na naman ang joke

Ni Johna Acompanado

Nakaamba pa rin ang demanda ng beteranong mamamahayag na si Tony Calvento laban sa comedian/host na si Vice Ganda at sa programang “It’s Showtime” kahit naglabas na ito ng public apology , na binasa ni Billy Crawford sa show noong August 12. Hindi nakarating sa kanilang programa si Vice dahil may concert daw ito sa South Korea.
Ang kanyang paumanhin: “Nais ko pong humingi ng paumanhin kay Mr. Tony Calvento sa pagkakabanggit ko sa pangalan niya sa interview ko sa isang semi-finalist sa Tawag ng Tanghalan kahapon. Wala po akong intensyon na saktan o insultuhin kayo, Mr. Calvento. Ang tanging intensyon ko ay magbigay ng payo sa aming contestants na magtiwala sa sarili sa kanyang kakayahan. Again, my sincerest apologies, Mr Calvento, malaki po ang respeto ko sa inyo bilang isang journalist, kaibigan at kapamilya.”
Naganap ang isyu noong August 11, nang sabihin ni John Mark Saga, na isa sa mga semi finalists ng TNT, na nag-a-upload siya ng kanta online, pero hindi niya ipinapakita ang mukha niya dahil takot daw siyang ma-bash. Pinayuhan siya ni Vice na huwag ikahiya ang hitsura nito dahil isa raw itong biyaya. Dugtong pa niya: “Never be ashamed of your face. Yang mukha mo, ikaw ‘yan at maraming pagdadalhan ang mukhang ‘yan. That is a gift... your face. Kahit gaano kalaki ‘yan, kahit kamukha mo si Tony Calvento, mukha mo ‘yan kaya dapat proud ka.”
Pagkatapos ng show, agad naman daw tinawagan ni Vice is Calvento upang humingi ng paumanhin, pero sinabihan daw siya nitong maglabas ng public apology. Ang pahayag ni Calvento: “Yesterday, after using my name in an insulting manner, I threatened to sue the whole Showtime in a civil case and Vice Ganda in a criminal case. Vice called me up and I demanded a public apology to put him in his proper place.”
“Just because you’re a famous host, you can’t make fun of anyone,” dagdag pa ng premyadong broadcast journalist.
Noong Linggo, August 13, nang tanungin kung tinatanggap niya ang apology ni Vice na binasa ni Billy sa It’s Showtime, sinabi ni Calvento mahihintay muna siya dahil sinabi raw ng komedyante na personal itong hihingi ng paumanhin, on air, sa Miyerkules, August 16, pagbalik niya sa Pilipinas.
Si Vice Ganda ay unang nakilala bilang stand-up comedian sa comedy bars, kung saan ay nakasanayan na ang pang-iinsulto at panlalait, bagama’t pabiro, sa mga customers nila.

TONI, MAY TIWALA SA ASAWA
Alam pala ni Toni Gonzaga ang tungkol sa tsismis na nagkakamabutihan na raw ang kanyang asawang si Paul Soriano at si Erich Gonzales. Matagal na kasing laman ng blind items ang dalawa habang nagsu-shooting ng pelikulang “Siargao”, na idini-direk ni Paul, mula pa noong May. Ayon kay Toni, sinabihan na siya noon pa ni Paul na baka ma-tsismis sila ni Erich, gaya nang nangyari sa kanila ni Maja Salvador, nang gawin nila ang pelikulang “Thelma”. Kinausap rin siya ni Erich tungkol sa tsismis dahil marami ang nagagalit sa kanya at nagre-react sa social media dahil daw sa pang-aagaw nito sa asawa niya. Maging si Jericho Rosales na katambal ni Erich sa kanilang pelikula ay nali-link din daw kay Erich. Naniniwala raw si Toni na malakas ang woman’s intuition, kaya tiyak na may mararamdaman siya kung sakaling may ginagawang kalokohan ang asawa. Buo daw ang tiwala niya sa asawa, dahil wala naman siyang nararamdamang kakaiba sa kilos nito sa ngayon. Ipinagdarasal daw niya na huwag sana silang dumaan sa ganitong pagsubok. Maliban sa pag-aalaga sa kanilang anak na si Seve na mag- iisang taon na, abala si Toni sa kanyang TV shows at may tinatapos din silang pelikula ni Piolo Pascual, na pinamamahalaan ni Joyce Bernal. May binuksan din silang negosyo ng kanyang kapatid na si Alex na isang tea house, ang Happy Cup, na matatagpuan sa malapit sa ABS CBN.

ANGELI BEST ACTRESS SA CINEMALAYA 
Best actress si Angeli Bayani para sa pelikulang “Bagahe” sa 13th Cinemalaya Film Festival na ginanap noong August 13 sa CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. Tinalo niya sina Sharon Cuneta, (sa kanyang unang pagsabak sa indie films) na bida sa pelikulang Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha, Angel Aquino (Sa Gabing Nanahimik ang mga Kuliglig) at Anna Luna (Requited).
Ang iba pang nanalo:
Full Length Category
Best Film: Respeto
Best Director: Joseph Israel Laban (Baconaua)
Best Actor: Noel Comia, Jr. (Kiko Boksingero)
Best Supporting Actor: Dido Dela Paz (Respeto)
Best Supporting actress: Yayo Aguila (Kiko Boksingero)
Special Jury Prize: Baconaua
NETPAC Prize winner: Respeto
Short Film Category:
Best Film: Hilom
Best Director: Manong ng Pa-aling
Special Jury Prize: Fatima Marie Torres and The Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25

ARCI, USAP-USAPAN ANG PAGPAPARETOKE
Pinagpi-piyestahan sa social media ang mga larawan ni Arci Munoz, dahil ibang-iba na ang mukha niya ngayon. Halatang-halata na naiba ang ilong niya, at lalung-lalo na ang kanyang mga labi, na mas lalo pang pinakapal. Base sa mga luma niyang larawan, natural na maganda ang mukha ng actress/singer, pero habang tumatagal ay tila naiiba na ang kanyang anyo. Kung kani-kanino siya ikinukumpara dahil daw sa pagkahilig niya sa pagpaparetoke, kaya nakakamukha na niya ang ilong ni Gretchen Barretto, na naiba na rin kaysa sa dati. May mga nagpapayo sa kanya na tigilan na ang pagpaparetoke ng mukha dahil talagang nakaka-addict ito. May mga nagbibiro pa na baka matulad siya kay Michael Jackson, Imelda Papin o kay Madam Auring. Noon lamang Hunyo ay nag-deny pa si Arci na ipinaretoke niya ang kanyang mga labi, dahil kinakapalan lang daw niya ang paglagay ng lipstick, at sinasadyang lampas ang paglalagay nito sa natural na linya ng labi. Kapag tinangggal daw niya ang lipstick ay ganoon pa rin daw ang korte ng kanyang bibig. Minsan ay napikon si Arci at sinagot ang isa sa mga bashers niya na nagkomento ng “your lips look horrible”, kaya sinagot niya ito ng “and so is your face and your attitude!”.

BAYANI, TUMANGGI SA MTRCB
Hindi tinanggap ni Bayani Agbayani ang appointment niya bilang board member ng Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), na ibinibigay sa kanya noon pang nakaraang taon. Ang dahilan ay dahil puno raw ang kanyang schedule dahil sa showbiz projects niyang ginagawa na halos sabay-sabay. Ayaw din daw niyang masabihang sayang ang pinapasweldo sa kanya ng ng gobyerno kung hindi rin naman niya magagampanan ng tama ang kanyang trabaho. Kung tinanggap niya ang alok ay kailangan siyang mag-report sa MTRCB dalawang beses kada linggo, at limang oras bawat araw. Magaan kung tutuusin, pero ayaw niyang magkaroon ng problema kung sakaling masabay ito sa iba pa niyang trabaho. Sa ngayon ay tuloy-tuloy pa ang kanyang Kawasaki provincial tours, at may mga sitcom siyang ginagawa na kasama si Jodi Sta Maria, at mayroon din na kasama naman si Robin Padilla. Si Boy Abunda na ang nagma-manage sa showbiz career ni Bayani ngayon. Ang namayapang si Cornelia “Angge” Lee, ang una at matagal niyang naging manager.

Covers the period Aug. 16-3, 2017

TANDANG Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93
Makakaapekto sa kalusugan ang labis na pag-aalala sa nangyayaring gulo sa pamilya. Mag-isip mabuti upang mapigilan ang panganib na nakaamba sa iyo ngayon. Magandang impluwensya ang love affair mo na labis na nakapagbibigay sa iyo ng saya. May mga hindi magandang senyales sa pagkalusugan. Doblehin ang pag-iingat at umiwas na masobrahan sa lahat ng bagay, lalo na sa pagkain at ibang bisyo. Lucky numbers: 6, 15, 22 at 40.

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94
Huwag mag-atubiling magsabi ng problema sa malalapit na kaibigan dahil matutulungan ka nila. Maganda ang pagbabago sa kalagayan sa trabaho, pero mag-ingat na magtiwala agad sa mga tao sa paligid mo. Pera ang ugat ng away sa malapit na kamag-anak, mag-ingat. Ibibigay mo ang lahat sa taong mahal mo, pero kapag nagka-problema, huwag kang magmukmok at sarilinin ang lahat ng hinagpis. Lucky numbers: 19, 21, 33 at 41.
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BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95
Lahat halos ng bagay ay papabor sa iyo, ang mahalaga ay magamit ito ng tama kaya pag-ingatan ng husto. Aayon ang kapalaran para maabot mo ang iyong ambisyon at makilala ang iyong husay. Malaking tulong ang isang kaibigan o kaanak sa bigla mong pangangailangan. Sa kabila ng distansyang namamagitan sa inyo ng mahal mo, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa, sundin ang intuisyon mo na palaging tama. Lucky numbers: 7, 18, 36 at 44.

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96 
Mapapalawak mo pa ang iyong impluwensya at dadami pa ang mga kaibigan at kakilala. Huwag dibdidbin ang lahat ng bagay, sa konting pag-distansya ay mas makikita mo ang totoong larawan at ang lahat ay magiging maayos. Mahaharap sa problemang mahirap malutas; pakingggan ang nasa puso! Mahal mo ang iyong mga kaibigan, pero may minsan ay kailangang kalusin ang ilan, bago pa maapektuhan ang relasyon sa iba.  Lucky numbers: 11, 29, 31 at 42.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97 
Tamang panahon na gumawa ng desisyon na base sa kutob mo at common sense. Manatiling positibo ang pananaw sa kabila ng mga problema dahil mabilis at kusa din itong maaayos. Sa mag-asawa, mas mauunawaan ninyo ang isa’t isa; maging malumanay sa pagsasalita at bigyan ng atensyon ang maliliit na bagay at malaki ang magagawa nito sa pagsasama. Bantayan din ang mga anak. Pahinga at regular na gawain ang magpapabalik sa iyong sigla.  Lucky numbers: 6, 14, 37 at 38.
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TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98 
Magiging inspirado kang kumilos at maniniwala ka sa kakayahan mo. Hindi mo mapigilan ang gumastos; mag-ingat dahil mahaharap sa malaking gastusin. Huwag gaanong alalahanin ang problema sa love life dahil kusa itong maayos ng ayon sa gusto mo. Nasa tamang direksyon ka upang magtagumpay at walang makakapigil sa iyo dahil sa determinasyon at kumpiyansa mo sa sarili, pero mag-ingat sa mga maiinggit.   Lucky numbers: 5, 17, 23 at 35.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87 
Gawan ng paraan na baguhin ang sarili upang mawala ang pag-aatubili at nang masabi at mailabas ang nararamdaman, dahil inaasahan ito sa iyo. Malakas ang resistensya sa pisikal o sikolohikal na kalagayan. Maghahanap ka ng magmamahal sa iyo ng lubos, huwag nang lumayo pa dahil nasa tahanan mo lang ito. Bawasan ang pamimintas sa kapwa at sa lahat ng bagay. Siguraduhin din na ang pagyayabang ay hindi makakasira sa iyo at maging dahilan na layuan ka ng mga kaibigan. Lucky numbers: 16, 25, 37 at 44.

 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88 
Mapapabilib mo ang mga kasamahan at mabibigyan ka ng dagdag na responsibilidad. Kailangang harapin ang kalaban mo, pero ikaw pa rin ang magwawagi. Mag-ingat sa sports na sinasalihan o kung nagmamaneho ng sasakyan. Huwag makuntento sa mga dating ideya, mag-isip ng bago! Sa pamilya, may nakakabahalang bagay na magaganap, at malinaw mong sasabihin ang nasa saloobin mo, kahit masakit ito sa iba, pero mabuti na ito upang luminaw ang sitwasyon.  Lucky number: 19, 20, 28 at 45.
AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89 
Makakaasa ka sa pagiging prangka at tapat ng mga kaibigan. Pag-aralang mabuti ang mga naging desisyon mo na ipinaglaban mo ng husto. Sa trabaho, nasa rurok ang pagiging  malikhain mo kaya malaki ang tsansang makuha ang hinahangad na promosyon. May magiging problema sa pagsasama. Maging maingat ka sa  paghawak ng pera. Huwag bilhin ang bagay dahil magagamit, kundi dahil kailangan ito.   Lucky numbers: 20, 29, 31 at 45.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90
Alam mong makibagay sa lahat ng pagkakataon kaya malaki ang magiging ganansya mo dahil dito. Sa kalusugan, mababawi mo ng husto ang lakas at sigla mo kaya mawawala na ang dating kalungkutan at kawalan ng gana. Huwag tumiklop sa kaunting sagi sa iyong amor propyo; bawasan ang pagiging emosyonal. Gaya ng pader, dapat maging matibay ka upang ayusin ang bawa’t problemang dumarating sa pamilya.  Lucky numbers: 6, 15, 21 at 30.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91 
Magkakaroon ng magandang pagbabago sa pinansyal na kalagayan dahil kikita ka sa papasukang transaksyon. Kung may karelasyon, kailangang ng seryosong pag-iisip at pag-uusap upang maging malinaw kung saan papunta ang relasyon. Kailangan mong gumawa ng importanteng desisyon agad; higit sa lahat, magpakita ng kabaitan at maging maingat. Pananakit ng ulo at migraine ang mararanasan, iwasan ang matataong lugar at maruming kapaligiran. Magpahinga.

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92
Makakaramdam ng pagiging romantiko dahil sa nakalipas na alaala. Huwag nang buhayin ang nakaraang love affairs kung ayaw mong muling masaktan. Sa trabaho, huwag makisali sa away ng kasamahan. Problema sa pera ang ipag-aalala mo kaya kailangan ng mahigpit na pagtitipid.  Muli ay may lalapit para humingi ng tulong. Huwag nang umasang tatanawin itong utang na loob, pero hindi ito dahilan para ipagkait ang tulong. Lucky numbers: 6, 31, 32 at 44.

Maid jailed for 28 days for hitting 10-year-old ward

By Vir B. Lumicao

Eastern Court

A Filipina who was convicted of hitting her 10-year-old female ward for throwing a tantrum was sentenced to 28 days in jail at Eastern Court on Aug 11.

Emerolyne M. Labii was in tears as Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi read his verdict at the
conclusion of a three-day trial in which the court heard video-recorded evidence from the victim, the child’s grandmother, two police officers and the maid herself.

The magistrate said he found the child’s statement clear and reliable despite her age. In contrast, he said Labii’s evidence was not credible.

“The girl was only 10 years old, she was just a child when you assaulted her,” Cheng said, as he rejected the defense counsel’s plea for a suspended sentence. He said he adopted 28 days as a starting point for sentencing and imposed that jail term fully.

The magistrate acknowledged that the child suffered no permanent injuries, and had reached out to Labii to show that she still cared for the maid who looked after her for three years despite the incident.

Two elderly members of Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints were in court to show support for Labii, and testify to her good character. A letter from one said Labii spent practically all her Sundays off doing volunteer work for the church.

Also in court was Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre, who said after the verdict and sentencing that he may organize seminars on child care for Filipino domestic workers so they could avoid getting into a situation like Labii’s.

The case arose from an incident on March 6 this year when Labii admitted that she hit the girl, identified only as “X”, because she threw a tantrum after her grandmother resisted her plea not to leave the house.

In a video-recorded interview, the victim said the maid grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her continuously then hit her on the back. The girl also said the defendant hit her on the back and tummy and banged her head on the floor.

A medical report showed the girl suffered a bump on her head and marks on her stomach and back.

Labii, giving evidence, admitted she held the girl by the shoulders and pushed her, then slapped her twice on the back because she shouted at her as she was putting the child’s swimsuit in her bag.

“That attitude so upset me that I grabbed her shoulders, pushed her just once and when she turned her back to me, I slapped her twice on her back,” Labii said from the witness stand in response to the defense lawyer’s question.

The helper said the victim was naughty and prone to throwing tantrums. “I wanted to stop her bad attitude,” Labii said. But she said she did not want to hurt X because she loved the child and was sorry she lost control of herself that afternoon.

But the helper denied banging the victim’s head on the floor, and suggested the girl acquired the bump when she was rolling on the floor during her tantrum. She said the girl was good at telling lies even to her parents.

Before the helper gave evidence, two police officers took turns on the witness stand on Aug 10 as they answered questions from the defense and prosecution.

The first officer who responded to the call about the assault said he did not write down the child’s statements but noted them and wrote his report afterwards. The witness said the victim had a mild swelling on the top of her head. But he said did not check for other injuries “because she was a girl”.

The second officer, who was ordered to investigate the case the following morning, said he went to Eastern Hospital where the child was taken by the police team that responded to the 999 call. He confirmed the victim had indeed suffered injuries.

In reaching his verdict, the magistrate said the helper had admitted slapping the victim, notwithstanding her claim that she used the wrong word “hit” instead of “slap” in her cautioned statement.

He added that he had doubts in the maid’s version of the incident, while in contrast, the child’s evidence was clear and reliable. He accepted the victim’s evidence and convicted Labii.

Pinay’s body still in China

Lorain Asuncion

The repatriation of the remains of Lorain Asuncion, a Hong Kong-based domestic helper who fell to her death on July 24 in Shenzhen while joining her employers on a trip to China, remains uncertain more than two weeks after the tragedy.

According to the victim’s sister, Shenzhen police were expected to conduct an autopsy on the remains on Aug 11 or Aug 14.

This was after their parents sent a special power of attorney to the assistance to nationals section of the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou authorizing it to request an autopsy by the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.

Asuncion’s employer met with ATN officers of the Consulate, but details of the talks are being kept confidential.

Asuncion’s sister Jenevieve A. Javier, who flew into Hong Kong on July 30 and went to see the victim’s body in Shenzhen the next day, told The SUN that the employer had refused to meet her.

“He does not want to talk to me face to face, saying he was also a victim of the incident and that this is not the right time for us to meet up,” Javier said.

“Ayaw nila talagang makipag-usap, ewan ko kung bakit. Di man lang sila gumawa ng effort para makipag-usap. Kami pa ang nag-i-insist na makipagkita,” she added.

Relatives of Asuncion have been asking for an autopsy to find out the real cause of the OFW’s death.

“We just want to know the truth so that my sister will get justice,” Javier said. She was hoping to accompany her sister’s body home, unaware that the release process in China would take some time. She was due to return home without accomplishing her mission so she could report back to work.

Meanwhile, Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office had blacklisted Asuncion’s employers, a move that would prevent them from hiring any domestic worker from the Philippines in future. - VBL

Labatt takes up OFW’s fight for compensation under mandatory insurance scheme

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labatt dela Torre

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre has fired off an angry letter to an insurance broker in Manila which rejected a migrant worker’s claim for subsistence allowance under the mandatory insurance law in the Philippines, saying she should have filed it while her case against her employer was ongoing.

Labatt dela Torre sent out the letter dated Aug 13 to PAMIOFW Management Service and Insurance Intermediaries, Inc., taking it to task for rejecting the claim of Mariel F. Tadalan, who recently won a labour case she filed against her Hong Kong employer.

Tadalan, 36, was terminated on Apr 4 this year and was awarded her full claim of $5,568 against her employer on July 7 at Hong Kong’s Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board.

Under Sec 37-A(e) of R.A.10022 or the Migrant Workers Act, she should also have been entitled to a total amount of at least US$300 as subsistence allowance from her Philippine insurer over the three months that she was fighting her labor case in Hong Kong.

On the advice of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office which also certified that she was involved in litigation with her former employer, she filed a claim for subsistence allowance against PAMIOFW. However, the broker turned it down on Aug. 11.

“Please be informed that subsistence allowances (sic) are given if an OFW has an ongoing case or litigation abroad,” said the broker’s letter addressed to Tadalan’s Philippine agency, Angelex Allied Agency. “The insurance company must be notified from the time the case was docketed or from the time that there is a case preceding. In the case of Tadalan the claim was filed to us after it was settled.”

Labatt dela Torre called the response “unprecedented and makes no sense”.

He added, “The reason for the benefit is to afford the worker some kind of temporary relief which can bridge her over some difficult times while the case is pending. It is not diminished by the fact that the case had already been settled or had been resolved in favor of either worker or employer.”

He also noted that the law was still unknown to many migrant workers as it has not been fully disseminated, and so they were unlikely to file a claim as soon as they take their employers to court.

Still, he said, “There is nothing in the law nor its implementing regulations, which requires the worker to file their claim while the case is pending or while the case has not been settled yet. To impose a requirement that is not called for by the law nor its implementing rules is egregious and must not be tolerated”.

Under Section 37-A (e) of RA 10022, a subsistence allowance of at least US$100 per month for a maximum period of six months is payable to a migrant worker “who is involved in a case of litigation for the protection of his/her rights in the receiving country”.

The only other requirement is that the labor attache, or in his absence, an embassy or consular official, issues a certification stating the name of the case and parties, and the nature of the cause of action of the migrant worker.

Sec 37 of RA 10022 also provides other benefits due a migrant worker covered by mandatory insurance, including:
1) Payout of at least US$15,000 in case of the worker’s accidental death;
2) At least US$7,500 compensation in case of the worker’s permanent total disability;
3) Repatriation cost of the worker whose contract is prematurely terminated without valid cause, including the transport of his/her belongings. In case of death, the insurer should pay for the cost of repatriating the worker’s remains;
4) Money claims arising from the employer’s liability which may be awarded to a worker in a settlement of his/her claim with the NLRC. The insurance coverage for money claims shall be at least 3 months for every year of the migrant worker’s contract;
5) Transportation cost for the compassionate visit of a family member to a worker who gets hospitalized abroad for at least seven days;
6) Medical evacuation or medical repatriation of a sick OFW under certain conditions.

A lawyer consulted by The SUN regarding Tadalan’s claim said her insurer must have rejected her claim, thinking it could set a precedent for many similar cases as not a lot of workers seem to be aware of their benefits under RA 10022.

The insurance company might also have banked on the possibility that the migrant worker would just abandon the claim for lack of time or resources.

But the legal expert said that an insurance company that refuses to pay a lawful claim could be blacklisted, or even have its license revoked.