Business confidence down to 3-year low

The central bank’s latest Business Expectations Survey (BES) showed business confidence index for the third quarter of 2017 plunged to 37.9 percent from 43 percent in the previous quarter.

This was the lowest recorded since the third quarter of 2014 when confidence index reached 34.4 percent.

However, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that while businesses have a less optimistic view of the Philippine economy, the overall sentiment remains positive.

According to Mariel Remulla, deputy director of BSPs’ Department of Economic Statistics, said the survey respondents cited the following reasons for the lower confidence level:
• seasonal factors such a slowdown in business activities during the rainy season, reduced demand during the planting and closed milling season, and the closed fishing season in the Davao Gulf from July to September;
• the Marawi crisis and the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, which had affected mobility;
• the peso’s depreciation;
• higher prices;
• stiffer competition; and
• damages and power outages caused by the July 6 earthquake in the Visayas.

“The sentiment in the businesses in the Philippines mirrored the less buoyant business outlook in the US, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Thailand but was in contrast to the more bullish views of those in Germany and Hong Kong and steady outlook in France,” Remulla added.

On the other hand, she said that sentiment for the next three months improved to 51.3 percent from 42.7 percent during the previous survey.

The BSP attributed the increased optimism to the following:
• an expected uptick in consumer demand during the holiday, harvest and milling seasons;
• the rollout of government infrastructure and other development projects;
• continued increases in orders and projects, which would lead to higher production volumes;
• business expansion and new product lines;
• the introduction of new and enhanced business strategies and processes;
• favorable weather conditions for agriculture; and
• a positive impact from the government’s proposed tax reform program. The latest BES, which polled 1,480 companies nationwide, was conducted from July 3 to Aug. 18. The survey results are considered indicative of the direction of business activity.

Health Dept gets aggressive vs HIV

Ubial 

The Department of Health (DOH) is implementing a “test and treat” strategy to make sure that all HIV/AIDS-infected individuals get immediate treatment as cases of infection in the country soar at an alarming pace.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said “risk groups” must get themselves tested for HIV so the DOH could provide them with free anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

She cited a survey done in 2015 that showed only 16 percent of the high-risk population undergoes testing and only 35 percent get treatment.

“We want 90 percent of high-risk tested and 90 percent treated. That’s the only way we can reverse (the) epidemic…This is how other countries are able to reverse the HIV epidemic in their countries,” she noted.

Based on the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Data 2017 report, the Philippines had the highest rate of new infections in Asia and the Pacific from 2010 to 2016 at 140 percent.

The report showed that in 2005, the country documented less than 1,000 cases but the number rose to 4,300 in 2010 and 10,000 in 2016.

Because of this, the DOH decided to shorten the testing procedure to make sure that those who tested positive for HIV would immediately receive ART.

“Before, if the confirmatory test shows positive result, another confirmatory test is done and it takes about a week before the results come out,” Ubial said.

Many infected individuals do not come back for the result of the second test primarily due to the stigma associated with the disease, she noted.

When this happens, they also miss out on ART, a concoction of drugs that do not kill the virus but slows down the progression of HIV into AIDS.

Ubial said that under the new protocol initiated in 2015, results should be released within two to three hours and if there are two positive results, the infected individuals can go to a DOH treatment hub and start treatment.

Aside from this, the DOH also did away with the policy that ART should be administered only on those whose CD4 count is below 200.

Now, anybody who is positive for HIV is given ART regardless of CD4 count.

CD4 or CD4 T-lymphocytes are the cells in the body being attacked by HIV. It is the most important indicator of how well the immune system of an HIV patient is and the strongest predictor of the progression of HIV into AIDS.

The test-and-treat strategy, along with other intervention programs like increasing the correct knowledge on HIV transmission, preventing HIV transmission especially among the risk groups, abstinence and correct and consistent condom use, could reverse the country’s HIV epidemic, Ubial said.

If not for the intervention programs implemented by the DOH during this period, the increase would have reached 177 percent, Ubial said.

DOH data showed that from January 1984 to June 2017, there had been 45,023 HIV/AIDS cases documented in the country. This year, 30 new infections are being seen daily, up from one in 2008; four in 2010; nine in  2012; 17 in 2014 and 26 in 2016.

Fate in 2nd slot as softball season ends

By Emz Frial

Members of Fate,  the only Filipino team in the
Hongkong Softball Association league, celebrate their feat. 

Hongkong Softball Association has ended its season for this year with Fate,  the only Filipino team in the league, ranked second. Joker was in first place, Phoenix  was third, and Astro, fourth.

The last match was played on July 13 at Shek Kip Mei field between Astro and Fate. The Filipinas easily defeated Astro, allowing them to take the second spot. The score was 11-1, in favor of Fate.

Fate started the game as an away team, and went to score immediately. The first inning saw Eunice Locop,  Myra Japitana and Don Gaborno each hitting the mark, with Astro managing to nail its first and only point in the game.

Fate’s Ma. Eva Mendez managed to post the lone score in the second inning.

 In the third inning, Japitana again scored making it 5-1 in favor of Fate.

With the rival team struggling to score, Fate’s team captain Gaborno called for substitution to give other players the chance to play as it was their last game for the season.

This seemed to invigorate the team, with three more points being added to its score, courtesy of Gaborno,  Liezeal Algonez and Romela Osabel.  The fifth inning ended at 8-1.

In the sixth inning,  three more points were added by Emelia Mabaquiao, Mendez and Locop, sealing Fate’s 11-1 win

Fate’s manager Law Wai-ho congratulated his team for a job well done, and treated them to early dinner as reward.

Fate is qualified  to go up to bracket A in the next season because of its strong showing, but Gaborno is planning to keep the team in bracket B, saying some players are not ready yet to play in the top league.

But, Gaborno said the decision is still tentative, as the final decision could only be reached after consulting Law.

Budding OFW entrepreneur holds free tutorials

Eleven OFWs from different provinces of the Philippines joined the first basic weaving workshop organized by Cristina Cayat, a fellow migrant worker who aims to get more Filipinos in Hong Kong interested in the craft.

Participants of the workshop held at The SUN office in North Point on Jul 30 learned the basic step of interlacing strips of cloth over looms made of recycled carton boxes picked up at a  supermarket.

Separately, Cayat, a proud Baguio native, conducted a free workshop on making tribal-inspired necklaces to the clients of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge on Aug. 17.

Both seminars were supported by The SUN, where Cayat has been a longtime contributor of articles.

In keeping with her advocacy of using recyclable materials when possible, Cayat asked the participants in the cloth weaving training to bring old cotton t-shirts which they used as yarn for the weaving practice.

At the end of the three-hour tutorial, participants were able to create colorful looms that they were encouraged to turn into rugs, bags, pot holders, or whatever they fancy.

Their new skill could also be turned into a source of livelihood when they return home.

At the Bethune House, the participants were about 10 migrant workers who are staying at the shelter while pursuing labor and other cases. They were joined by members of a local volunteer group.

Cayat said the main purpose of reaching out to the distressed migrants is to help them develop a new skill that could help them de-stress. But those with a natural flair for creating accessories could also look at it as a potential source of income when they go back home.

The Bethune training was held in coordination with the shelter’s executive director, Edwina Antonio.

Among those who took part in cloth weaving was Lily Diaz from Bicol who is planning to return to her province next year. She said she is very keen on learning to weave because she is looking at it as one of the projects she would want to do on her return home.

Diaz said her grandmother used to weave using a loom, and most of their clothes while growing up were made from her lola’s craft.

Cayat’s weaving workshop has just been added to the Balikatan sa Kaunlaran livelihood projects, in addition to other crafts such as macrame bag, flower and balloon making, ribbon folding, and tocino and longanisa production. - DCLM

464 examinees enlist for LET

By Vir B. Lumicao

Participants in recent LET review.

Aspiring schoolteachers among Hong Kong OFWs should study hard for the special Licensure Examination for Teachers to be held here on Sept 24 so they could improve on the low passing rates posted in the past few years.

This was the advice of Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre during an interview with The SUN on Aug 21.

“Mag-aral silang mabuti dahil nakakahiya, ang baba ng passing rate nila,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

Last year, only 9.77%f the more than 600 examinees from Hong Kong passed the exam given on Sept. 25. The figure was drastically lower than the passing rate of 30% achieved in 2013 and the 50% posted in 2001, a record so far for Hong Kong.

Commenting on Labatt Dela Torre’s remarks, NOPT HK president Gemma A Lauraya said there was nothing to be ashamed about the low passing rate last year.

“Bakit naman nakakahiya? In any examination or assessment meron talaga Passed or Fail,” Lauraya said, adding that the OFW teachers had done their best despite their work conditions.

Even PRC had admitted that at the national level, the results were the lowest in history, she said.

“Hopefully this year, the examinees will perform better than last year at marami kesa dati ang pumasa,” Lauraya said.

She said the organization’s role is to help OFW teachers in Hong Kong take the qualifying exam here because many of them want to go home to avail of the Department of Labor and Employment’s “Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am, Sir” program, aimed at  reintegrating OFW teachers into the academic workforce.

At the end of the online registration on Aug 20, a total of 464 would-be teachers had enlisted for the annual exam, which the Professional Regulation Commission will administer in Delia Memorial School-Hip Wo in Kwun Tong.

Would-be examinees for the secondary-level test numbered 245, while 219 registered for the elementary level.

PRC chairman Teofilo Pilando Jr. extended the registration deadline, originally set for Aug 14, after the labor attaché endorsed the request of the would-be examinees and the National Organization of Professional Teachers of Hong Kong, or NOPT HK.

Lauraya said the fewer examinees this year could be because of earlier reports that there would be no LET this time. Then when the PRC announced that there would be an exam, the registration period set was rather short.

The LET will be held simultaneously with those scheduled for various cities across the Philippines on Sept 24.

The exam for would-be teachers now working in the Middle East will be held on Sept 2, the PRC announced on its website on Aug 11. It was originally set for Sept 1.

Pagsusulit para sa mga narses sa HK, itinakda muli

Ni Lorna Pagaduan

Isang seminar para sa FNA-HK kamakailan.

Malaking tuwa ang namayani sa mga miyembro at opisyal ng Filipino Nurses Association -Hong Kong (o FNA-HK) na nagtipon-tipon sa Bayanihan Centre sa Kennedy Town noong Agosto 13, nang malaman na magkakaroon na muli ng pagsusulit sa Hong Kong para sa mga gustong maging ganap na narses.

Ang balita ay galing sa sulat na ipinadala sa kanila ng tagapangulo ng Board of Nursing sa Pilipinas na si Carmelita Divinagracia,bilang tugon sa kanilang matagal nang kahilingan na isagawa muli ang pagsusulit para mga nagtapos sa kursong nursing pero hindi pa lisensiyado.

Bagama’t may mga kundisyon at wala pang itinakdang petsa para sa napipintong pagsusulit, itinuturing na ng grupo na isang tagumpay ang tugon sa mahigit isang taon na nilang hiling.

Unang isinagawa ang licensure examination for nurses sa Hong Kong noong 2009, ngunit dahil sa hindi magandang resulta ng pagsusulit ay isintabi muna ang plano na sundan ito agad. Nabuhay lang ang kanilang pag-asa na maisagawa itong muli nang mismong si Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre ang nagpanukala nito. Sa kasalukuyan ay mahigit 200 na ang kasapi ng FNA-HK, na mula sa hanay ng mga rehistrado na at iyong mga hindi pa.

Dahil sa nabuhay na pag-asa na dadalhin muli sa Hong Kong ang pagsusulit ay nag-umpisa nang magrepaso ang ilan sa mga miyembro, sa kabila ng tambak nilang mga trabaho sa kani-kanilang mga amo.

 “Sakripisyo lang talaga kung may gusto kang abutin”, sabi ng isang estudyante.

Ayon naman kay Edna Jean Clovez, na isang rehistradong nars at pauwi na sa Pilipinas para doon ituloy ang naudlot na pangarap na magamit ang kanyang napag-aralan: “Kita-kita tayo sa Pilipinas kapag kayo’y RN na.”

Sabi pa niya, mahirap talaga ang magnakaw lang ng mga sandali para makapag-aral, pero “ika nga, kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw maraming dahilan.”

Si Clovez ay pinarangalan sa pagtitipon, kasama ng kalihim sa edukasyon ng FNA-HK na si Ruth Asensi Delvo na nakatakda namang makipagsapalaran sa Canada.

Sa kasalukuyan ay hati ang opinion ng mga miyembro ng grupo tungkol sa kung dapat bang ngayong taon na ganapin ang pagsusulit, ayon sa kanilang liham-kahilingan, o ipagpaliban na muna hanggang sa susunod na taon para magkaroon ng sapat na panahon na magrepaso ang mga kukuha nito.

Nakatakdang lumipad papuntang Pilipinas ang pamunuan ng FNA HK sa susunod na buwan bilang sagot sa paanyaya ng Philippine Regulation Commission- Board of Nursing (PRC-BON), upang mabigyan ng linaw ang mga katanungan at agam-agam ng lahat.

Para sa iba pang impormasyon tungkol sa paghahanda para sa pagsusulit, at upang maging bahagi ng FNA-HK, mangyari lamang na i-like ang Facebook page na “Filipino Nurses in Hong Kong” o di kaya ay tumawag o magpadala ng mensahe sa WhatsApp sa numerong 6162-5584.

PCG allays concern over new requirement to renew passport

By Daisy CL Mandap

The Consulate has downplayed fears that those who are applying to renew their Philippine passports will now be required to present a copy of their birth certificates duly certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly the National Statistics Office or NSO).

According to a report published in the Middle East and shared by many overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, the birth certificate is required for applicants whose indicated birthplace does not include a city or town, but just a province.

The requirement, said to have taken effect only starting August this year, is in line with preparations for the issuance of the new passports with 10-year validity.

However, Vice Consul Fatima Quintin told The SUN that the requirement for the PSA-issue birth certificate is nothing new, as problems over incomplete birth details occurred only very rarely, and mostly with those holding machine-readable passports (MRPs).

Thus, she said they had made it a requirement for those with MRPs to come with their birth certificates when they apply for renewal, to ensure faster processing. “For applicants still with MRPs, we are already requiring them to present a PSA-issued birth certificate as this is mandatory, whether or not their place of birth has issues,” she said.

But, she added MRPs “would have already expired by this time so this should not be a cause for concern for OFWs here in Hong Kong who need valid passports for their stay here.”

That means, she said, those with the new e-passports would have had their places of birth corrected already.

OFW leader Eman Villanueva was among those who first expressed concern over the reported new requirement, saying that if true, it would cause added inconvenience to the already burdened migrant workers.

While welcoming the news that the new passports with 10-year validity will be issued soon, Villanueva and his group are worried that they would cost double the current price of $480. They want the new passport priced the same as in the Philippines, which is currently Php980 for those issued in Metro Manila, and P1,250 in other places.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, as the passport issuing authority, had previously announced the new passports with extended validity would cost twice as much. However, during his visit to Hong Kong in July, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano promised OFWs would have “cheaper, faster” 10-year passports.

Ylagan sued in Philippines

Ylagan by the Niagara Falls in Canada, where she
allegedly offered inexistent jobs to Filipinos

by The SUN staff

Missing employment agency owner Ester Ylagan has been sued for fraud in the Philippines by four of her alleged victims, while illegal recruitment charges against her are being readied. 

This was according to Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre, who disclosed that seven or eight other recruits of Ylagan have been interviewed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Admininistration, which could charge her with massive illegal recruitment.

Separately, an officer of the Consulate said a list of Ylagan's alleged victims in Hong Kong has been furnished to the Philippines' Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, which looks into human trafficking cases.

Vice Consul Alex Vallespin who heads the Consulate's assistance to nationals section said it would appear that Ylagan was still in the Philippines based on Bureau of Immigration records. 

Ylagan was shown to have entered the country shortly after her apparent scam was uncovered in Hong Kong in June last year. But since there was no arrest warrant or hold departure order against her, she managed to get in and out of the country freely. 

About two weeks ago, Vallespin told The SUN that Labatt Dela Torre sent the ATN a memorandum inquiring about the whereabouts of Ylagan.

Vallespin said ATN replied also in a memo, that as early as August last year, when news of the scam broke out, he had asked IACAT executive director Darlene Pajarito about whether Ylagan was in the Philippines.

“We told her we had information that Ylagan returned to the Philippines and asked (Pajarito) to confirm the report. She confirmed it, and reconfirmed to me again this year, that Ylagan’s last departure from the Philippines was July 10 and last arrival was Aug 4,” Vallespin said.

The immigration bureau in the Philippines is now on the watch for Ylagan just in case she tries to slip out of the country, he said.  

Meanwhile, Labatt dela Torre said the four victims recruited in La Union had filed a single case against Ylagan at the Regional Trial Court in San Fernando City.

He said POEA investigators had sought out the other victims in three regions, including Mindanao, based on information provided by their relatives in Hong Kong.

“POEA is now interviewing the victims,” Dela Torre said. “Basta ibinigay ko ang mga pangalan,” (I just gave their names), he said, adding that the cases are now with POEA's  Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch for possible prosecution.

Ylagan was accused by about 200 other OFWs based in Hong Kong and Macau of duping them last year with offers of non-existent jobs in Britain and Canada for which they each paid $10,000 and $15,000, respectively.

Ylagan was part owner of Emry's Service Staff Employment Agency, which used to be the biggest recruiter of Filipino domestic workers for Hong Kong. But for the bogus jobs offer, she used Mike’s Secretarial Services Inc., which was listed solely in her name.

Ylagan has snubbed all tribunal and court hearings since Aug 29 last year of the cases filed by victims against her and Mike’s Secretarial after her failure to deliver on the promised jobs in Britain and Canada.

Before she disappeared, she filed a complaint with Hong Kong Police, claiming an unknown business partner in Britain had cheated her of $2.4 million. The case was cited by officers at the Central Police station in rejecting several attempts by Ylagan’s applicants to file a complaint for fraud against her.

The Small Claims Tribunal heard a total of 129 cases then transferred them to the District Court for consolidation. The tribunal heard the last batch of 72 more cases on Aug 28, but these are also expected to be moved to the District Court before the year ends. 

The District Court heard the initial batch of cases on July 7 but neither Ylagan nor her legal representative from the law firm Wong & Co, which she claimed to have engaged to appear for her, failed to show up.

Ylagan also snubbed twice the scheduled hearings of 23 cases of overcharging filed against her and Mike’s Secretarial at the Eastern Court by the Hong Kong Labour Department’s Employment Agency Administration.

Sagot sa suspetsosang amo

Sa katagalan ni Ella sa kanyang among Intsik ay nasanay na siya sa pagka kuripot nito at suspetsosa.

Minsan, matapos niyang sabihan ang amo na ubos na ang kanilang sabong panlaba ay sinabi nito ang,”I don’t know what you do with the washing detergent, why does it go quickly?”

Sa inis ni Ella sa narinig ay sinagot niya ng, “Madam, didn’t you know? I eat it”. Hindi agad nakaimik ang amo, bago halos pabulong na sinabi ang “chisin” o luko-luko.

Magmula noon ay hindi na muling nagtanong ng may pagdududa ang amo. Si Ella na 54 taong gulang, ay taga Molo, Iloilo, at mahigjt walong taon nang naninilbihan sa kanyang among kuripot. - Merly Bunda

Phl insurer backs down, gives subsistence allowance to OFW

By Daisy CL Mandap

A Philippines-based insurance boker has reversed its decision rejecting a claim for subsistence allowance by an abused Filipina migrant worker in Hong Kong, after coming under fire from Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.

PAMIOFW Management Service and Insurance Intermediaries, Inc. through Angelux Employment Agency, informed Mariel Tadalan  on Aug 17 that her claim for USD300 had already been approved. By mutual agreement, the amount was to be sent to her via Western Union.

Tadalan said she was happy that the insurance company had reconsidered its decision, and thanked The SUN and Labatt dela Torre for taking up the cudgels for her.

“Wow, thanks po sa tulong ninyo. Kasi kung hindi sa tulong ninyo, at ni Sir Labatt na hindi naman ako kilala, baka hindi ko na ito nakuha,” she said in a Facebook message.

The insurer’s change of heart came just four days after Labatt dela Torre fired off an angry letter, saying the insurer’s ground for denying the claim was “unprecedented and makes no sense”. Dela Torre also sent a memo to the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority which could file a case against the insurer with the Philippine Insurance Commission, if need be.

In a letter to Tadalan dated Aug 11, PAMIOFW said the claim could not be granted as the allowance was available only to those with ongoing labor cases. As Tadalan had settled her case against her employer when she filed her claim, she was not entitled to the benefit anymore.

Labatt dela Torre was clearly angered by the reasoning. “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 said in his letter.

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”.

On receipt of his letter, the chairman of the insurance company reportedly berated his staff for denying the claim.

Tadalan, 36, walked out on her job on Apr 4 this year but was still awarded her full claim of $5,568 against her employer on July 7 at the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board. The officer said the employer had effectively terminated their contract from the time the worker was forced to sleep on the terrace outside his house.

Tadalan was also able to show proof of the other abuses she was subjected to during her employment that lasted just over two months, including being fed leftovers and given four hours of sleep.

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 worker.

In line with this, Tadalan was entitled to USD300 for the three months that she spent pursuing her case against her employer.

Sec 37 of RA 10022 also provides other benefits due a migrant worker covered by mandatory insurance, including:
1) A payout of at least US$15,000 in case of the migrant 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 Philippine legal expert consulted by The SUN said that an insurance company that refuses to pay a lawful claim  could be blacklisted, or even have its license revoked by the PIC.

Workers push for laws on food, shelter

Leaders of Asian Migrants Coordinating Body press for their demands at a recent protest in Central.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Asian domestic workers met with Labour Department policymakers on Aug 25 to propose a $5,500 minimum wage, regulation of food provision and accommodation, and a halt to the practice of employers forcing their maids to work in China.

But the Labour officials only lent them an ear and made no firm commitments, a migrant leader said.

Eni Lestari of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body said the meeting at the Labour Department offices at Harbour Building was not a standard discussion but the officials “just listened to us” without offering anything substantial to workers.

She said she was not happy with what she described as “a not so open dialogue, because it doesn’t include many of our fellow domestic workers who cannot join (us).”

The workers demanded a $5,500 minimum wage, but the officials replied they could not commit that much because they had been granting increases in past years.

Lestari said the workers reminded the officials that for the past 18 years, the wage hike was only $450 in total because their salaries in 1998, already at $3,860, had risen to just $4,300 in 2017—a $23 per year increase.

On the accommodation issue, she said Labour was asked to ban certain areas of the flat, such as the kitchen, cupboard, toilet, floor, rooftop, clothes-drying area, laundry area, pet room and other very inhuman places sleeping areas for the workers.

They also asked Labour officials to allow a worker to find a new employer if she is forced to sleep on any of the areas mentioned. She said food and accommodation is the topmost complaint, but these are not considered violations of the contract.

The group also raised the issue of employers taking their maids to China to work in relatives’ houses there, but the Labour officials told them to report to the Immigration Department.

Lestari said the officials were told the number of helpers being forced to work in China is growing, and two have already died there – a Filipina who fell to her death three weeks ago and an Indonesian who was electrocuted while doing housework two weeks ago.  

“We came up with accommodation and food. Practically, in terms of accommodation and food, we want them to regulate, we need them to regulate,” Lestari said.

She said the group asked for a food allowance of $2,500 but if the employers reject it, the Labour Department should regulate and specify the food that bosses provide the workers. Lestari explained that in this arrangement, workers can tell their employers what kind of food the latter should provide under the law. But, she said, the food allowance would be a “more negotiable option”.

But she said the Labour officials could not commit anything, but that they would educate the employers about their obligations to the workers, and to treat their workers well.

Fifteen leaders of workers’ and employers groups and NGOs were invited to the meeting, but only five including Lestari could attend because most were at work.

Others present were Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, general manager of the Mission for Migrant Workers; Edwina Antonio, executive director of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge; and Dolores Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong.

Representing the department in the closed-door meeting were members of Labour’s policymaking body led by Assistant Commissioners Queenie Wong and Rebecca Chan.

The Labour Department said in an emailed reply to The SUN that the meeting was part of its regular consultations on the review of the MAW and food allowance.

The Department reiterated that in reviewing the MAW, the government “takes into account Hong Kong’s general economic and employment situation”.

It added that it hopes to announce the result of its consultations with FDHs and employers (and as a consequence, the new MAW) “as soon as possible”.

POLO freezes 2 more agencies hiring for Russia, Turkey

By Vir B. Lumicao

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

The latest suspensions bring to four the number of agencies hit by POLO’s action for allegedly recruiting Hong Kong-based Filipinos illegally for jobs in a third country

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.

Two other agencies that POLO had suspended earlier for third-country deployment of OFWs here were Emry’s Employment Agency in Central and Wanchai, and Boss Employment Agency in Sham Shui Po.

“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 POEA 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.

Hiring Filipino workers for jobs outside Hong Kong, called third-country deployment, is illegal because it exposes them to risks such as exploitation and human trafficking, as the jobs and work contracts are not verified by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

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 Filipino workers here with “plenty of opportunities” in Turkey and promises of eligibility for acquiring immigrant 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.

The Consulate has time and again warned against the malpractice of recruiting Hong Kong-based Filipinos and deploying them to other countries without going through proper channels.

But agencies in Hong Kong have ignored the ban and are actively and openly recruiting Filipino workers for Russia, Turkey and other places such as Brazil.

In most cases, the agencies let the recruits travel on visitor visas because importation of foreign domestic workers is illegal in their destination countries. Then syndicates in those places get them commercial or even student visas to justify their longer stay.

But after those visas expire or their employers dump them, the workers are left high and dry and forced to stay illegally with friends, or surrender to the Philippine embassies in those countries for repatriation.

On June 28, the embassy in Moscow repatriated 20 Filipinos who ended up as illegal migrants after their initial tourist or commercial visa there expired. The repatriation was described as “the highest monthly figure so far” of OFWs deported by Russia.

They were among some 100 victims of a Russian visa agent who vanished with their money and passports. The incident forced the OFWs to return home rather than stay in Russia illegally and risk arrest and heavy penalties, the embassy said in a press release.

Third-country deployment illegal, risky: Labatt

By Vir B. Lumicao

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre has reiterated that third-country deployment or the placement of Hong Kong-based OFWs for jobs in other countries such as Turkey, Russia or Brazil, is contrary to Philippine laws.

The top labor official made the remarks as the Turkish government said its labor market is open to foreign workers seeking jobs as nannies and elderly caregivers.

In response to an emailed inquiry last month, the The Turkish Consulate in Hong Kong said: “The Republic of Turkey extended its ‘Overseas Foreign Worker’ policy around three years ago. With this extension of the legislation, foreign nationals can apply for nanny and elder care positions in Turkey.”

But Labatt dela Torre said directly sending our workers there from Hong Kong is a violation of the rules of the Philippine Overseas Labor Administration (POEA).

“It’s illegal per POEA rules and regulations because it violates our framework of protection (for OFWs), one of which is the pillar of verification,” Labatt Dela Torre told the SUN on Aug 21.

“There’s no way that the job order or the existence or nonexistence of a job or an employer can be verified kasi wala tayong POLO sa Turkey, Russia, et cetera, et cetera. So, whether or not this employer or this job order is genuine can only be authenticated and verified if there’s a POLO there,” he said.

“But there’s no way of checking that, kasi hindi dumadaan sa atin bago sila umalis. So most probably they will come into harm’s way and it’s the government who will get the blame.”

Dela Torre said there’s also a need for the worker’s contract to be checked and verified to ensure that its provisions are in accordance with the minimum standards set by the POEA.

Reports from OFWs who had worked in Hong Kong and were deployed by illegal recruiters to Russia, Turkey and other countries in Europe spoke of lack of protection from oppressive working conditions, premature terminations, or inexistent jobs.

The recruits were sent to those countries mostly on a tourist visa and later applied for commercial visas, claiming to be managers or professionals hired by companies in the destination countries.

The Consulate, and POLO in particular, has time and again warned Filipinos working in Hong Kong against taking the bait of agencies recruiting them for jobs in other countries without processing their papers through POEA.

Labatt dela Torre said POLO’s approach must be proactive so that OFWs are warned well in advance about the risks of being recruited illegally.

Labatt warns OFWs on new London job scam

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre has warned against a new Britain-based jobs scam reminiscent of the rip-off that victimized hundreds of Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong in 2016.

His warning came in the form of a Facebook post he shared on Aug. 14, which was posted originally by his counterpart in Britain, Rey Conferido.

The scam reportedly involves the use of work documents purportedly verified and authenticated by labor officials attached to the Philippine embassy in London, complete with their signatures and chops.

The blue-collar jobs being offered, along with fat salaries and other perks, came from a company calling itself Bailey Consultants Ltd, and purportedly run by its sole director, a Mrs. Michele Bailey.

The jobs included those for truck drivers, electricians, carpenters, masons and painters at a salary of £2,500 each; and £3,000 for concrete machine mixers, all supposedly tax-free.

The package included a British visa and work permit, a five-day work week, free board and lodging, free Wifi, annual vacation leave, free air ticket “to and flow”, overtime pay, free medical attention, and eligibility for residency in five years.

Bailey Consultants Ltd purportedly needed 105 of these worker categories, 30 of whom would be carpenters and 25 painters who would be paid £2,500 a month.

The company said hiring would be carried out by its Philippine partner employment agency KYR International Manpower Services located along EDSA, Quezon City.

The SUN sent an email message to KYR on Aug 20 asking it to comment on its alleged partnership with Bailey, but has yet to get a reply. The package was similar to that offered by employment agency owner Ester Ylagan to lure thousands of OFWs to apply for jobs in Canada at $15,000 each; and in Britain at $10,000 each.

Conferido, who exposed the scam and whose alleged signature appeared on the documents, warned jobseekers against falling for the latest scam.

“Mag-ingat sa walang tigil na scammer na ito!!! Babalaan ang publiko laban dito. Fake ang mga dokumento at ang mga pirma dito. Yung ‘Faith Recruitment Agency’ na supposedly nagre-represent sa ‘Bailey Consultants Ltd’ ang notorious na nag-umpisa nito,” the labor attaché warned.

“Doon sa mga pinapadalhan nito, i-report ninyo sa mga government agencies na may anti-cyber crime function. Sana atakihin din ito ng mga good hackers,” said Conferido.

Bailey Consultants put its address as 5 Burstock Road, London SW15, with a certain Mrs Michele Bailey as its lone director.

It claimed to be listed in https://beta-companieshouse. gov.uk, an online listing of firms registered with Companies House, a registrar of companies and executive agency and trading fund of the British government.

A check with Companies House showed Bailey is a private limited company incorporated in June 2010 with a share capital of 100 shares, with an aggregate nominal value of £75.

The company is classified as active but there is no mention of what business it is into, and apparently it is plainly a shelf company. – Vir B. Lumicao

Himalang gumaling

Sobrang kinabahan si Elsa noong may tumubo na namang bukol sa kanyang kanang binti pagkalipas ng dalawang taon. Naging matagumpay naman ang operasyon niya noon pero hindi siya nakalakad ng tatlong buwan na siyang ikinababahala ni Elsa sa pagkakataong ito dahil kung maooperahan siyang muli ay baka mawalan siya ulit ng trabaho.

Natatakot man siya sa kanyang natuklasan ay pinili pa rin niyang maging tapat sa bagong amo. Payo kasi sa kanya ng dati niyang amo na kaibigan ng pinapasukan niya ngayon, kailangan niyang magtapat sa kung ano man ang kanyang nararamdaman para maagang maagapan kung ano may sakit mayroon siya.

Noong una kasi ay hindi niya agad sinabi sa amo ang nararamdaman hanggang ang kapatid nito mismo ang nakapansin na mas malaki ang kanyang kaliwang binti kaysa sa kanan. Noon lang niya ipinagtapat na nahihirapan na siyang lumakad at tumayo, at kumikirot nang husto ang kanyang binti kapag napapagod siya.

Nang marinig ito ng amo ay agad siyang pinapunta sa doctor para masuri. Ayon naman sa doctor ay kailangan niyang magpa MRI, at dahil mahaba ang pila para dito sa pampublikong lugar ay sa isang pribadong ospital siya dinala ng amo. Tumataginting na $5,800 ang ibinayad ng amo para sa pagsusuri.

Tatlong araw pagkalipas ng MRI ay sinabi sa kanya ng doctor na hindi naman cancerous ang bukol sa kanyang binti. Gayunpaman, kailangan pa rin niyang ituloy ang pagpapasuri dahil baka lumala ang kanyang bukol.

Nitong sumumpong uli ang pagsasakit ng binti niya ay masigasig niyang sinunod ang lahat ng payo ng doctor, at pati ng mga kaibigan niya. Uminom siyang madalas ng pinakuluang dahon ng guyabano at pati mga food supplements na sinasabing nakakawala ng bukol. Nagtapal pa siya ng iba-ibang produkto na galing ng Hapon at Tsina, pero parang walang epekto.

Mabuti naman at nagbakasyon ang kanyang mga amo kamakailan kaya nakapahinga siya ng matagal-tagal, na sinamantala din niya para makapagdiyeta. Tatlong araw siyang panay ang inom ng tubig, at isang pirasong tinapay lang ang kinakain bawat oras. Nagpunta din siya sa mga simbahan hanggang sa Macau para manalangin na gumaling siya.

Paggising niya noong Hulyo 16, isang araw bago bumalik ang kanyang mga amo ay naramadaman niyang magaaan ang kanang binti niya. Hinaplos-haplos nya ito at ganoon na lang ang kanyang tuwa dahil wala na siyang makapang bukol. Napalundag siya ng ilang beses nang makita na wala nang nakaumbok sa kanyang binti, at pati ang kirot ay wala na rin.

Pagbalik ng kanyang amo ay napayakap siya sa kanila sa sobrang tuwa. Muling sumigla ang kanyang buhay at nabura lahat ang masasamang pangitain sa kanyang isip. 

Ayon kay Elsa, napatunayan niya na walang imposible sa Panginoon basta magtiwala ka lang. Laking pasasalamat din niya sa mga amo dahil sa ipinakita nilang kabaitan at pag-aalala sa kanya. Sa katunayan bago sila umalis para magbakasyon noong isang buwan ay binilhan pa siya ng bagong laptop para hindi siya malungkot habang wala sila. Kaya naman para masuklian ang kabaitan ng mga ito ay dobleng sipag niya ngayon, at sinasarapan pa lalo ang pagluluto ng kanilang pagkain.

Si Elsa ay isang Ilokana na tubong Cagayan Valley at kasalukuyang naninilbihan New Territories. – Marites Palma

Ingat-ingat lang sa kalusugan

Halos maiyak sa biglang pagsakit ng kanang binti si Kuya Pepe, 55 at Kapampangan, kamakailan.

Kakaparada lang niya ng kotse noon matapos sunduin ang anak ng amo niya  nang maramdaman niya ang matinding pananakit ng kanyang binti. Halos hindi siya makalakad dahil sa bawat hakbang niya ay kumikirot a g sakit. Napaupo na lang siya sa lobby ng tirahan ng amo niya sa Shatin sa takot at kaba. Agad niyang naisip ang kanyang pamilya na umaasa sa kanyang kita.

Hindi naman siya nagpabaya at agad kumunsulta sa isang doktor sa Tsim Sha Tsui. Isinailalim siya sa x-ray, paharap at patagilid, sa leeg at balakang, dahil talagang matindi ang sakit na nararamdaman niya. Pagkatapos ay pinaupo siya ng doktor at pinataas-baba ang kanyang paa, bago minasahe siya ng bahagya.

Sa bandang huli, sinabi ng doktor na “nerve pain” lang iyong nararamdaman niya. Binigyan siya ng tableta para sa kirot  at ointment na nagsasanhi ng kaunting pag-iinit ng balat kapag ipinahid.

Laking tuwa ni Kuya Pepe nang mawala ang pananakit ng kanyang binti matapos inumin sa loob ng apat na araw ang tabletang inireseta ng doktor. Mantakin mo naman daw na bigla ka na lang mistulang paralisado, at paano kung bigla ka na lang di makalakad? Napaisip siya na talagang kailangan na maging mas maingat sa pagpapanatili ng kalusugan. - George Manalansan

Laging may dalang ka-dinner

Inis na inis si Nadia, 38 at Ilokana, dahil mahilig magsama ng bisita ang amo sa kanilang bahay para maghapunan ng walang pasabi.

Minsan ay sasabihin ng amo na dalawa lang silang kakain, tapos pagdating ay apat pala sila. Sa ganitong pagkakataon ay si Nadia at ang kanyang kasamahan ang nawawalan ng kakainin, kaya nagbubukas na lang sila ng de lata.

Ang mas masama ay talagang kulang lagi ang kanilang pagkain, kaya minsan ay iminungkahi niya sa amo na bigyan na lang siya ng food allowance, pero hindi ito pumayag. May pagkain naman daw sila ng kasama niyang kasambahay.

Ang totoo ay kulang na kulang ang ipinapakain sa kanila lagi. Pati ang laman ng sopas na wala nang lasa dahil sa kakapakulo ay pinapakain sa kanila. Naisip ni Nida na lagi na lang siyang magluto ng sobra, para kung may biglaang bisita ay hindi sila gutumin ng kanyang kasama. Tutal, pwede naman nilang kainin kinabukasan ang anumang sobra. - George Manalansan

Envoy to Singapore is Ambassadornew HK congen

By Daisy CL Mandap

Ambasador Tony Morales is set to take over
ConGen Bernie Catalla's HK post

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, by 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.

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.

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.

ConGen Dimagiba, whose first overseas posting was Hong Kong, also said Amba Tony is a silent worker who gets things done.

“He cares for the comfort of our Pinoys in SG (Singapore) that he pushed for the expansion of the consular area as well as introduced faster means for our public to have a smoother transacting experience. He of course led us to have the second highest turnout for the OAV in 2016, next only to HK,” he said.

Further, ConGen Dimagiba said his ambassador makes an effort to attend Filipino community events and has a healthy relationship with everyone.

“You will like him,” he said.

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.

At the home office, he served as special assistant at the Office of the Undersecretary for Ocean and Special Concerns, executive director at the Office of Consular Affairs, director at the Authentication Division of the Office of Consular Affairs and acting director at the Office of European Affairs. 

Maids told: Report employers who force you to work in China

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre.

Filipino domestic workers should complain when their Hong Kong employers bring them to China for work, according to Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre.

At the same time, he said Hong Kong Immigration should not tolerate the illegal practice by some Hong Kong employers of making their helpers work on the mainland.

Labatt dela Torre was reacting to reports that the employers of Filipina domestic worker Lorain E. Asuncion who died in Shenzhen last month had been arrested by the police in Hong Kong last Thursday, Aug. 17. The couple was held on a charge of conspiring to defraud HK Immigration by claiming that their domestic would work only in the territory.

Police reportedly found out that the Filipina had been taken across the border by her employers four times in the nine months that she was in their employ.

Asuncion, 28 and single, reportedly fell from a building in Shenzhen on July 24 after her employers allegedly sent her to work there for the father of her female employer. The exact cause of her death is still being investigated.

“Bringing domestic workers to China for work shouldn’t be tolerated by the Immigration Department because it constitutes a continuing breach of condition of stay,” dela Torre told The SUN in an online message. “I don’t think she (was) being brought there to enjoy the sounds and sights of China”.

On the other hand, he said Filipino domestic workers should do their part in averting the commission of the said illegal act.

“Our domestic workers shouldn’t allow themselves become an unwilling party to the immigration offence. They should report to Immigration that the employer has plans to bring them to China,” dela Torre said.

While some domestic workers are allowed to accompany their employers abroad for a vacation, the labor official said a distinction should be made. “If the intention is to make them work,” he said HK Immigration should not allow it.

His call echoed that made earlier by Indonesian Consul General Tri Tharyat, who called on the Hong Kong government to crack down on the practice.

“We have to stop this practice now,” Consul General Tri told the South China Morning Post in an interview. “I don’t think we need to wait for someone else to die because of this.”

Indonesia’s top diplomat said it was not realistic to expect the helpers to report to the authorities on such cases because they are scared of losing their jobs.

“I think we should work on a policy level and operational level. There should be more stern measures taken by the Hong Kong government against these employers who employ their helpers in more than one address ... I really hope there are more sanctions,” Tri reportedly said.

Anyone found to have provided false information to Immigration could be prosecuted and face a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment of up to 14 years.

However, until Asuncion’s death, no employer had been arrested or held liable for breaching the law against bringing a domestic worker to China for work. In a few cases reported to The SUN, it was the Chinese authorities which rejected visitor’s visa applications made by employers for their foreign domestic helpers.

Anak ang turing sa kanya

Gulat na napanganga si Edna nang malamang $1,705 ang kailangan niyang bayaran sa isang pribadong ospital kung saan siya pinapunta ng kanyang amo dahil sa impeksiyon sa kanyang kanang tainga.

Kahit pinabaunan siya ng amo ng $2,500 ay hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala na ganoon kamahal ang pagpapatingin sa ospital kung saan siya pinapunta ng amo.

Pero laking pasasalamat ni Edna dahil agad na bumuti ang kanyang pakiramdam. May isang linggo na kasi siyang nilalagnat at masakit ang tainga at kahit binibigyan siya ng mga amo ng gamot ay hindi siya gumagaling.

Sabi ng doktor, “severe infection” ang kanyang naging sakit at kailangan talaga niyang magpatingin para maresetahan ng gamot at gumaling.

Isa si Edna sa mga masuwerte sa amo dahil hangad nila ang kanyang mabuting kalusugan at hindi nanghihinayang sa kanilang gagastusin para masigurado na nasa mabuti siyang kalagayan. Sa katunayan ang amo pa mismo ang nagpapaalala kay Edna kung napatakan na niya ang kanyang tainga ng gamot na nireseta ng doktor.

Ayon sa among babae, “You are one of my children I need to take care of. My three kids, sir and you”.  Sabay na nagtawanan silang dalawa dahil sa tinuran ng amo. Si Edna ay tatlong taon pa lang nagtatrabaho sa mga among taga Discovery Bay. - Rodelia Pedro