Pregnant DH set to fly home after winning appeal

By Vir B. Lumicao

A pregnant Filipina domestic worker who was sentenced to three months in jail for working in her employer’s restaurant was ordered released immediately by the High Court on Aug 2 so she could fly home the next day.

But the appellant, Candelaria Fabroa, was warned sternly by Justice Audrey Patricia Campbell-Moffat to leave Hong Kong on Aug 3, or she would again be in breach of law and returned to jail as her recognizance paper was expiring on the same day.

“Remember that yours is an exceptional case. I’m doing this because you are pregnant,” Campbell-Moffat told the appellant.

The judge took just a short time hearing the case as she had already heard the issues when Fabroa first appeared in court to apply for leave to appeal out of time on July 14.

The judge asked Fabroa to present in court two documents: her pregnancy test result and her plane ticket to the Philippines, before allowing the appeal to proceed.

At the same time, the judge instructed Fabroa to ask Shatin magistrate Colin Wong his reasons for convicting the maid.

Campbell-Moffat upheld Wong’s reasons for convicting Fabroa despite the Filipina’s claim that the magistrate had ignored the weight of her evidence during trial in December last year.

Wong had relied on the testimony of an immigration officer who arrested Fabroa on July 26 last year at the Big Mama restaurant in Shaukeiwan.

The officer, together with a colleague, posed as customers and were served by Fabroa who was then wearing an apron. Not only did she take their order and punched it into the cash machine, she also served their food and took a $100 bill from them as payment. She was also seen by the witness in the act of putting some food in a plastic takeout bag.

In her defence, Fabroa said she was just helping a Filipino staff in the restaurant when the officers arrested her.

But Campbell-Moffat allowed the appeal against sentence mainly because the appellant was five months pregnant and wanted to go home as soon as possible.

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.

Campbell-Mofatt ordered that Fabroa’s three-month sentence be reduced by 44 days, effectively releasing the appellant, who had already served 46 days,

The judge instructed Fabroa to go to the Castle Peak Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun on Aug 3 where she would be given back her passport and escorted to the airport.

Asked whether she had any question, the Filipina said: “I just want to ask if I can work again in Hong Kong after I give birth.”

The judge referred the question to Daryanani, who consulted the Immigration lawyer and then replied 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.

On free passage, food and traveling allowance

By Cynthia Tellez

Free passage

It is clear in the standard employment contract (SEC) that your employer must provide YOU (worker) a free passage from your place of origin to Hong Kong and another free passage to your place of origin once your contract is prematurely terminated or is completed (finished contract).  Free passage is specified under the SEC’s Clause-7(a).

An airfare or an air ticket is the most common and fastest way for you to return to your place of origin. Employers provide an economy air ticket or equivalent cash.

The airfare or the air ticket must be based on your place of origin, which is written on the SEC’s Clause-1.

However, there are instances when employers and/or through agencies provide an air ticket with Hong Kong-Manila route only even if your place of origin as stated in the SEC’s Clause-1 is somewhere else. That is also why it is important that you state your exact home address in the said Clause.

Many times, the agency writes in the contract as your place of origin the place where you stayed as transient during your application, which is either in Metro Manila or the city/town center in your province. This makes it easier for them to process and follow-up your documents for deployment to Hong Kong. Doing so will compromise your right to free passage back to your place of origin. Remember, you must ensure that what is written in your SEC’s Clause-1 as your place of origin should be the address where you reside. This is relevant as well to your daily food and traveling allowance under Clause 7 which will be discussed later in this article.

When settling your entitlements upon end/termination of contract, do take note that when your employer has not paid you all that you are entitled to and you have no other recourse than to pursue your claims through the Labour Department or HK courts, it is not advisable to accept an air ticket yet. Because once you accept an air ticket and you still have not received other payments due you, the air ticket can either expire or you may have to pay a rebooking fee that amounts to a few hundred dollars. As your employer has already fulfilled her/his obligation under your SEC’s Clause 7(a) by issuing you an air ticket that you have duly accepted, you can no longer claim a replacement even if other claims are still under dispute.

Daily Food and Traveling Allowance

It is also clearly stated in the contract that your employer must pay you a daily food and traveling allowance amounting to HK$100 per day, from the date of your departure from your place of origin until the date of your arrival in Hong Kong, traveling by the most direct route. The same payment must be paid to you by your employer on your return to your place of origin, whether your contract is prematurely terminated or completed (finished contract). Daily food and traveling allowance is laid down under SEC’s Clause-7(b).

However, there are instances when employers only pay the worker one way, such as at the end of the contract only. If your employer has not paid you the daily food and traveling allowance of HK$100 when you arrived, you are entitled to claim it.  Oftentimes, this is being overlooked.

If your travel from your place of origin to Hong Kong takes more than a day, and your travel back to your place of origin is the same, it is your employer’s obligation to provide you a daily food and traveling allowance calculated by how many days your travel took. Again, you have the right to claim it. This shows the importance of ensuring that your place of origin is correctly written on Clause-1 of your contract, and why your first day of employment is from the time you took the ride going to Hong Kong.

Start of Contract

It is not unusual that upon your arrival in Hong Kong, the agency takes you to the Immigration Department for registration to get a Hong Kong Identity Card, then to a clinic for another medical check up, maybe, and to many other places to comply with the requirements set either by the employer or by the agency itself. Keep copies of whatever documents you should have (like medical certificate) especially those that you signed. A day or so (sometimes several days) after, your employer picks you up to bring you to their house. Many times, they consider it as the first day of work. This is wrong. Your day of arrival is the first day of the contract. That is your first day of work. Fulfilling the requirements of the Hong Kong government is part of the working days. More so if the days are used to do other requirements imposed by the employer or the agency (remember, the agency is an extension of your employer until you finally are in your employer’s house). Those days are not to be reckoned as unpaid days off.

Never forfeit your right to free passage and daily food and traveling allowance upon arrival from your place of origin and upon your departure back to your home. Know when the contract starts. It is best to read through the clauses in your contract and to understand them. Ask when in doubt. Do not presume. Keep a diary so you will not forget important events and circumstances. Should you have any queries or concerns on the above matters, it is best to consult service providers for migrants such as the Mission For Migrant Workers (tel.no. 2522 8264) or the Labour Department branch near your place of work.

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This is the monthly column from the Mission for Migrant Workers, an institution that has been serving the needs of migrant workers in Hong Kong for over 31 years. The Mission, headed by its general manager, Cynthia Tellez, assists migrant workers who are in distress, and  focuses its efforts on crisis intervention and prevention through migrant empowerment. Mission has its offices at St John’s Cathedral on Garden Road, Central, and may be reached through tel. no. 2522 8264.

Maaga pa para magbalak lumipat sa China

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Ligtas ba ang kababaihan natin kung magpapakatulong sila sa China? Ito ang tanong na naglalaro sa aking isipan matapos ihayag ng isang opisyal ng Department of Labor and Employment na papayagan na raw ng Beijing ang pagpasok ng mga dayuhang katulong.

Bagamat pinabulaanan mismo ni Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ang pahayag na iyon, maraming kababayan natin ang natuwa sa balita dahil sinabi pa umano ni Undersecretary Dominador Say sa kanyang hilaw na pahayag na ang sahod sa mga kasambahay doon ay halos US$2,000 bawat buwan.

Agad nagalak ang marami sa mga OFW sa balitang ito dahil sa mataas na sahod, na halos apat na ibayo ang higit sa buwanang pasahod sa mga katulong sa Hong Kong, at walong beses na mas malaki kaysa sa suweldo sa Middle East.

Isipin mo nga naman, kung ang nagtulak sa iyo para magpakatulong sa Hong Kong ay para makapag-ipon ng pampabahay sa loob ng 10 taon, baka tatlong taon mo lang pag-iipunan iyan sa China at makakauwi ka na.

Ngunit hindi ganyan kadali ang usaping pagpapadala ng katulong sa China. Maraming bagay ang kailangang isaayos ng mga gobyerno ng Pilipinas at China bago sila magpirmahan ng bilateral labor agreement na siyang hudyat ng pagbubukas ng pinto ng China para sa mga dayuhang katulong.

Isasaalang-alang ng magkabilang panig ang mga gabay sa pagkuha at pagpapadala ng mga kasambahay doon, tungo sa ikaaayos ng programang iyon para sa kapakinabangan  ng dalawang bansa.

Tulad ng sa Pilipinas at Hong Kong, mayroon ding mga alituntunin na dapat sundin ng China at Pilipinas upang magiging makinis ang pagpapatupad sa kanilang kasunduan.

Pagkatapos niyan, naririyan ang usapin sa kaligtasan ng mga katulong na ipadadala natin sa China. Ang hantungang iyan ay bago sa mga pantahanang OFW na dahil nanatiling sarado ang pamilihang iyan hanggang sa ngayon.

Malaking usapin ang magiging kaligtasan ng mga kasambahay na Pinoy na pupunta sa China dahil napakalaking lugal ito at hindi natin natitiyak na mababantayan ng mga alagad ng batas doon ang mga dayuhang katulong dahil, katulad sa Hong Kong, titira ang mga ito sa bahay ng mga amo.

Katulad din sa Hong Kong, o kahit saanmang lupalop na pupuntahan ng mga Pinay at alinmang lahi para magpakatulong, hindi nakikita ng mga pulis ang nagaganap sa loob ng mga bahay. Dahil sa ganitong sitwasyon, mahirap patunayan kapag nagreklamo ang isang kasambahay na ginawan siya ng masama ng kanyang amo o iba pang kasama sa bahay.

Naalala ko tuloy ang sinapit ng isang Pinay na pinasunod ng kanyang mga amo sa China kamakailan upang samahan sila habang nakabakasyon doon.

Sumunod ang katulong sa Shenzhen nang Sabado at pagdating ng Lunes ay napabalitang patay na siya – nahulog diumano mula sa bintana ng bahay ng magulang ng amo niya. Hanggang ngayon ay isang palaisipan pa ang nangyari at kasalukuyang sinisiyasat ng pulisya ng China.

Kunsabagay, nangyayari rin ang ganitong trahedya kahit saang lugal na pinupuntahan ng mga OFW, maging dito sa Hong Kong na itinuturing na isa sa pinakaligtas na siyudad sa mundo. Katunayan nga ay mas maraming nagaganap na hindi maganda sa mga OFW na nasa Middle East kaysa sa mga napabalitang trahedyang sinapit nila rito sa Hong Kong.

May tinatayang 200,000 manggagawang Pinoy na nagtatrabaho sa China nang labag sa batas ng bansang iyon, at karamihan sa kanila ay mga kasambahay, ayon sa mga opisyal ng DOLE. Dahil sa palihim ang kanilang pamamasukan doon, hindi nababantayan ng gobyerno natin ang kanilang kalagayan.

Sa ngayon ay maaga pa upang maghangad ang mga OFW na lumipat sa China. Wala pang kasunduan para sa pagpapapasok ng mga katulong na Pinoy doon. Maghintay muna at kung maayos na ang kanilang kalagayan sa Hong Kong o saan man ay baka mas mabuting manatili sila sa kasalukuyang trabaho.

OFWs learn to farm for future survival

By Vir B. Lumicao

As Typhoon Signal 8 sent Hongkongers seeking the safety of their homes and malls and offices were shut down, a group of OFWs was talking green in the conference room of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Admiralty Centre.

The workers, numbering 30, had just graduated from four Sundays of agricultural livelihood training offered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and were discussing growing food as a livelihood when they return home for good.

“The training prepares the workers for their reintegration into the economy when they decide to quit Hong Kong,” explained Rose Perido, a volunteer from Cavite who says there is money in farming. Perido has been training fellow OFWs in the agro livelihood course for the past 12 years.

“We have Lessons 1 to 4, and the first lesson is natural farming in which we teach them how to make different kinds of natural, all organic, depending on how they are going to apply it,” Perido said.

The second lesson is about mushroom growing, which covers various types of the edible fungus, such as the oyster variety.

Perido said the trainees are taught how to produce mushrooms using both natural and laboratory methods, so, if they venture into this, they can choose the option that better suits the environment in their areas.

She explained further that natural mushroom production uses beddings made of natural materials such as rice straw, dried banana leaves, or a mix of sawdust and banana leaves.

“Just make the bed and spray it with water and shortly afterwards mushrooms will grow naturally on the bedding,” Perido said.

She pointed out that in the natural method, beddings are set up in backyards or in farming rooms where they are moistened and laced with mother spawns or implanted with fresh mushrooms that multiply by dispersing their seeds, or spores.

In laboratory production, mushrooms are grown in fruiting bags made of a mix of rice husk and straw and seeded with sterilized spawns made in a controlled environment.

Lesson 3 is organic livestock production in which the trainees learn to raise native chicken and pigs without using commercial feeds, and duck-raising. The last lesson is aquaculture, or fish production.

Perido said she teaches the workers how to start livestock production without a big starting capital.

“We look at the resources around them. For instance, in the provinces you can ask a friend or neighbor for a pair of male and female chicken which you can raise to start a poultry farm,” she said.

She said the main purpose of her teaching is to provide OFWs livelihood skill they can use when they return home because there have been many cases where a worker was suddenly out of job and penniless because she had no savings.

“Everyday a worker is terminated. But, if you are equipped with livelihood skill, you will survive. You can produce food for your family’s consumption. You won’t starve, as long as you are industrious,” Perido said.

The trainer teaches two lessons each on Saturday and Sunday with 30 trainees per four-lesson batch. That means in a month at least 240 trainees graduate from the agricultural livelihood course, and given that the program is year-round, it is turning out an average of 2,880 graduates annually.

This army of OFWs armed with new livelihood skills are indeed prepared to fend for themselves and their families anytime they return home by choice or by fate.

So popular is OWWA’s agro livelihood training that POLO has halted the enrolment in the courses offered because all slots have been filled until mid-December this year.

“The advantage here (OWWA program) is the OFWs learn the skills free of charge. If they enroll in training courses in the Philippines, it would cost them much,” Perido said.

For instance, a one-day mushroom growing seminar that she attended in Manila cost PhP2,500 while she paid PhP6,000 to join a one-day natural farming seminar.

Aside from agro livelihood, OWWA also offers training in basic computer literacy, basic Cantonese language, ribbon folding and macramé handicraft-making, dressmaking and beads craft.

Ex-Chief Justice says Duterte gov’t on track

By Vir B. Lumicao

President Rodrigo Duterte is in the right direction in running the government and Filipinos should wait for results of investigations into alleged extrajudicial killings, according to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

The retired chief magistrate also said Duterte’s anti-corruption drive is on track, with even some of his appointees in government becoming casualties in the campaign

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno (left) presides over the induction of Knights of Rizal China Chapter at the Consulate.

Puno was in Hong Kong over the weekend to induct the new members of the Knights of Rizal China Chapter at the Consulate. “Well, it’s just one year and I would like to think that (the President) is in the right direction and that is evidenced by the overwhelming support of the people,” said Puno, who was appointed as the country’s 22nd chief justice by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in December 2006.

“The government has taken the position that there (is) no such policy of extrajudicial killing, and these allegations of extrajudicial killings are under investigation by the police agencies and by the human rights commission,” Puno said.

He suggested that “perhaps we should await the official results of these investigations” to also find out if there is truth to the criticism that the anti-drug campaign has so far targeted only the minnows and not the big fishes in the illicit trade.

Media reports say that up to 16,000 mostly poor people have fallen victim to EJK. However, government officials like Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano claim the figure is less than 3,000 people killed in police operations presumed to be legitimate and properly investigated.

Puno said Duterte will certainly push a shift to a federal system of government.

“This is one of his campaign promises, and so, he keeps on emphasizing we will have no peace in Mindanao unless we see a shift in our system from unitary to federal,” he said.

He noted progress in this regard, with the Institute of Federalism recently coming up with a draft of the proposed new Constitution and the University of the Philippines Law Center wrapping up consultations on the matter.

POLO eyes moving to Wanchai by October

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office will soon be moving out of Admiralty, and could end up in nearby Wanchai when its current lease expires in October.

This was disclosed by Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre, who told The SUN on Aug. 7 that the rents for two Wanchai properties they are eyeing are nearly half of what they expect to pay if they renew the lease for their current office in Admiralty Centre.

“May nakita na kaming dalawa. One is 14,000 square feet, which is good because we can have more trainings, Filcom meetings, etc,” Labatt Dela Torre said. The other property has a floor area of 10,000 sq ft, he said.

He identified the properties as Easton Tower on Gloucester Road near the Immigration Department’s headquarters; and Sunlight Tower near the Hopewell Centre on Queen’s Road East.

The monthly rent for the 14,000 sq ft property is said to be $32 per sq ft, which would mean POLO paying $448,000 monthly, nearly the same as what it is paying currently for its Admiralty offices.

However, prices in Admiralty Centre are expected to rise to $58 per sq ft, which would mean a monthly rental of twice the asking rate for the Wanchai offices.

But apart from the rent, the building’s strict management practice seen by many as unfriendly to Filipinos, is prompting the move. “Pinapaalis (na) kami rito,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

In June, dela Torre said POLO would move to nearby Lippo Centre where he found an office space that was being offered for $40 per sq ft a month, but the property was eventually leased to another tenant.

Before Lippo, he also tried to negotiate a move back to United Centre where the Consulate is, but the whole-floor unit he saw was due to be vacated last May, and the landlord wanted POLO to move in immediately after. Labatt backed out as that would have meant POLO forfeiting its deposit for the Admiralty Centre office, or paying for two premises from May to October.

With just two months left on its current lease, POLO is hard-pressed to find a new place  not far from the Consulate. and within its budget.

Previously, POLO occupied three rooms at the Consulate rent-free under the “one country, one team” principle.

But on the recommendation of the previous labor attaché Manuel Roldan, POLO opted to move to its own offices in Admiralty Centre, where it is currently paying a monthly rent of close to $500,000.

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