It’s final: POLO will move to Wanchai in December

Mass Mutual Tower on 38 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, will be the site of the new offices of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office when it moves out of Admiralty Centre Tower 1 in December, for which the monthly rental will be just over $500,000.

This was disclosed on Sept 21 by Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre, who told The SUN that POLO had already paid rental deposit for the property.

He said the move would take place in December as renovation work would take two months.  In the meantime, POLO will extend its lease on its offices at Admiralty Centre Tower 1.

Clinched at a monthly rent of $42 per square foot, or $504,000 for the 12,000 sq ft space, the Mass Mutual property unit will have more space for training programs and the long queues for the overseas employment certificate exemptions, Labatt Dela Torre said.

Mass Mutual Tower is about 8 minutes away by foot from Admiralty, where POLO and the Consulate are both located neighboring buildings.

People who need to go to the new POLO offices will have to walk from the Admiralty MTR station, or take the tram to the stop next to the Hong Kong Police headquarters on Arsenal St. then walk north to Gloucester Road.

For those going or coming from the Immigration Tower, the new POLO site will just be a few blocks away, as Mass Mutual stands midway between Admiralty and the Immigration.

Earlier, Labatt Dela Torre said the site selected was Sunlight Tower on Queen’s Road East, but the deal fell through because the property agent was asking for a bigger fee and management was not prepared to handle big crowds of people.

However, the rent Sunlight could have been cheaper than Mass Mutual, at $38 per sq. ft. or $440,800 a month.

POLO’s first choice was, however, the more upmarket Lippo Tower, also in Admiralty. But it was snapped up by another tenant after POLO failed to pay the required deposit on time.

Labatt dela Torre chose not to renew the lease on its 11th and 16th floor offices in Admiralty Centre because the current monthly rent of more than $500,000 is projected to rise considerably on renewal.

Many visitors to its present offices also complain about the rough treatment they get from security officers in the building, especially on Sundays. - VBL

Phl solons seek HK Pinoy’s inputs on divorce bill

By Daisy CL Mandap

A group of lawmakers from the Philippines is set to hold a landmark public consultation with Filipinos in Hong Kong on Oct. 1 on divorce bills currently pending before the House of Representatives.

Those who will lead the consultation set between 5 and 7pm at the Philippine Consulate’s public area are members of the House Committee on Population and Family Relations, led by Deputy House Speaker  Pia Cayetano (Taguig City, 2nd dist).

Also in the list are Reps. Gwen Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district); Sol Aragones (Laguna, 3rd dist); Geraldine Roman (Bataan, 1st dist); Teddy Baguilat (Ifugao, lone district); Ranie Abu (Batangas, 2nd dist); Lourdes Aggabao (Isabela, 4th dist); Aniceto Bertiz III (ACT-OFW party list) and Emmie de Jesus (Gabriela party list).

The bills that would be presented for discussion were authored by various House members, with the most comprehensive coming from Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st dist). The bill brings out the surprising fact that divorce used to be allowed in the Philippines from as far back as the Spanish rule, and was outlawed only when the Civil Code was passed in 1950.

Lagman suggests carrying over all the grounds for obtaining legal separation and annulment under present legislation to the new law on divorce.

The most liberal is the draft bill submitted by Rep. de Jesus which allows divorce when the spouses have been physically separated for at least five years.

Filcom leaders largely welcomed the consultation, the second in as many months by a Congressional delegation, with many saying they are in favor of divorce being legalized in the Philippines.

Leo Selomenio, chair of Global Alliance said: “Coming from a predominantly Catholic country, I should probably oppose a divorce law. However, the reality in our country these days suggest we must have divorce to give justice and respect to battered wives and victims of infidelity by the other spouse. While marriage should remain sacred, reality dictates that there should be a way out for those in an abusive situation.

Marites Palma, adviser of the Roxas Group of Migrants and contributor of The SUN, agreed that the time is ripe for divorce to be allowed in the Philippines.

“In favor po ako sa divorce dahil naniniwala ako na kung wala ng pag-ibig sa puso mo para sa asawa mo ay wala ng dahilan para ituloy ang pagsasama,” she said.

This alienation, according to her, could be the result of the other spouse’s infidelity, irresponsibility, and substance abuse which puts the whole family’s security at risk.”

“Mas mainam na mawala ang bisa ng kasal para malagay na sa tahimik ang buhay ng bawa’t isa.”

A prominent Hong Kong resident and outspoken leader, Daphne Ceniza-Kuok, said she is also in favor of divorce, but a law allowing it should not be passed only because it favors high-ranking officials known for their philandering ways.

Last month, another congressional delegation led by Rep, Winston Castelo (Q.C., 1st dist) held a public consultation on issues confronting overseas Filipino workers.

DHs’ monthly pay raised by $100, food allowance by $16; workers call it insult

Migrant workers groups asked for a minimum monthly wage of $5,500

By The SUN Staff

Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong who sign new contracts from Sept 30 onward will see their monthly salary increased by $100 (2.3%) to $4,410 from the previous $4,310. Those who are given food allowance will get an increase of a mere $16 (1.5%) – from $1,037 to $1,053

The new rates were announced by the Hong Kong government earlier today, Sept. 29.

Villanueva

Militant migrant workers’ leader Eman Villanueva called the meager increase “an insult and a clear proof that the Hong Kong government is promoting slavery.”

“We laid down the basis of our demand for a $5,500 monthly minimum wage during the public consultations but the government simply ignored our demand. Obviously, it is clear that the government is not sincere about the public consultations,” Villanueva, chairman of Bayan Hong Kong & Macau said when asked for a comment. 

He said the levels of increases are not realistic and send a message that the government does not care about migrant workers.

“The $100 increase is only a token pay hike to appease the workers,” he said.

Militant workers’ groups are now reportedly consulting each other to set a date for any action they will take against the slight salary increase.

A government press release reiterated that several factors were taken into consideration in coming up with the MAW.      

“The government reviews the MAW for FDHs regularly. In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong's general economic and labour market conditions over the past year, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including the relevant income movement and price change in this year's review,” a government spokesman said.

“Moreover, the government has taken into account Hong Kong’s near-term economic outlook, as well as affordability for employers on the one hand and the livelihood of FDHs on the other, in reaching the decision on the above-mentioned adjustment.

“The government has also reviewed the food allowance in lieu of free food, and decided to increase the allowance level.”

Most FDWs are asking to get the allowance instead of being given free food by their employers, claiming that many are not given enough to eat each day, or get only leftovers.

The government announcement said contracts signed on Sept 29 or earlier at the existing salary of $4,310 a month and with food allowance of not less than $1,037 a month will still be processed by Immigration provided the applications reach the department by Oct 27.

This arrangement is meant to give employers enough time to send the signed contracts to Immigration to complete the application process.

POLO makes farm training quarterly event

By Vir B. Lumicao


Seminars on farming will become a regular part of the livelihood training program of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong for overseas Filipino workers.

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre told The SUN at the sidelines of last weekend’s two-day integrated mushroom-rice farming seminar at POLO that he would make the highly popular organic farming and livestock raising seminars a quarterly event.

Resource speaker  Jo Johnson Munoz.

“We will make this a continuing program for our workers. We’ll invite experts from the Department of Agriculture to conduct the training sessions to prepare our workers for reintegration into the economy when they return home,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

He said the regular seminars will be held at the new POLO offices on Queen’s Road East in Wanchai when they move there by December.

On Sept 9 and 10, a total of 532 OFWs attended the seminars conducted by farming experts Josephine Muñoz and Lowell Rebillaco of the DA Region 3 office in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

Resource speaker Lowell Rebillaco.

These were a follow-up of the successful mushroom-growing seminars on June 24-25 at POLO’s 16th floor office in Admiralty Centre and Boys and Girls Auditorium in Wanchai which had a total of 858 participants.

Labatt Dela Torre was pleased with the unexpected overwhelming interest from the Filcom in the agriculture training program.

In fact, the two-day seminars complement the already regular agri-livelihood training sessions being offered every Saturday and Sunday by POLO courtesy of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

POLO’s rationale for the extra focus on farm production is that OFWs who return home for good might not be able to rejoin the labor force in the country, where the official unemployment as of April was at 5.1%. So, the training program will ensure that returning OFWs won’t starve when they go home.

“Food security is a paramount national concern. We’re glad to be able to contribute our 5-cents’ worth through this farming seminar series,” Labatt Dela Torre said separately in a post on his Facebook page after the latest seminars.

“The objective is to open the eyes of 1,427 potential and actual OFW farmers that agriculture through the farming technologies now available may be profitable, and may prod them to reunite with their families,” he said.

He said that the feedback gathered after the seminar indicated that many participants wanted to return home and farm again. Even while still in Hong Kong, some of them are already actively engaged in farming or slowly investing in their farms until their contracts run out.

The labor official said coming up next in the livelihood series are balut, salted egg and food processing seminars sometime in December, and livestock production early next year.

In the latest seminars, Rebillaco presented “Palayamanan”, his masteral thesis featuring the zero-tillage method of rice farming that aims to maximize resources, reduce farming risk, enhance sustainability, productivity and profitability, improve economic stability and build a better relationship among family members.

“Yung ating maliit na lupa sa Pilipinas, gawin nating pagkakakitaan sa pamamagitan ng konseptong ‘Palayamanan’,” Rebillaco said.

He said key to this is maximizing resources by integrating organic rice farming with vegetable, fruit, cash crop, livestock and fish production in which excess output can be sold in the market or exported to earn income for the farmer.

Muñoz gave a presentation on organic mushroom farming that OFWs can start on a low capitalization and can turn into an income and employment-generating community livelihood activity.

She said demand for mushroom in the Philippines is so big that current production fills just a small percentage of that output.

Nakababahala kapag umatras ang isang biktima

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Sa limang pagkakataon sa nakaraang dalawang buwan ay may nagpatulong sa aming mga OFW dahil pinagmamalupitan sila ng kanilang mga amo o ng kapamilya ng mga ito.

Hangad naming mabigyan sila ng hustisya kaya inilapit namin sila sa mga kaukulang  opisyal ng Konsulado na makatutulong upang ilaban ang kanilang mga karapatan at makakuha ng karampatang kabayaran sa perhuwisyong ginawa sa kanila.

Ngunit sa huling sandali ay isa-isa silang sumuko dala marahil ng takot sa ganti ng amo, nainip sa mabagal na proseso ng hustisya, o nabalisa sa katotohanang di sila puwedeng magtrabaho o maghanap ng bagong amo habang nakabinbin ang mga kaso nila.

Ang pinamasaklap na maaaring nangyari ay ang nakipag-areglo sila sa kanilang mga amo para iurong ang mga isinampang reklamo, o ang mas masama, ay bumalik sila sa panunungkulan sa mga amo.

Ang ganitong desisyon ay mahirap intindihin. Nakapagtataka dahil may malakas silang ebidensiya laban sa pananakit ng kanilang mga amo nguni’t naisipan pa rin nilang bumaligtad.

Magkakaiba ang mga dinanas ng mga maid na itatago namin ang mga tunay na pangalan. Ang una, si Beatrice, ay inilapit sa amin ng isang kaibigan dahil sinasaktan siya ng maliit na anak ng kanyang “amo”. Ngunit inamin niya nang makausap namin na hindi pala niya tunay na amo ang ina ng batang nanakit sa kanya.

Ayon kay Beatrice, ang lolang nakatira sa ibang bahay na may kalayuan sa tirahan ng ina ng bata sa Yuen Long ang siyang dapat pinaglilingkuran niya. Ngunit nang dumating siya sa Hong Kong noong nakaraang taon ay ipinasa siya ng matanda sa anak at doon na rin tumira ang Pilipina. Araw-araw ay pinaglingkuran niya ang matanda at ang anak, na siyang nagtatakda ng mga gawain niya sa maghapon.

Napuno siya nang baliin ng alagang bata ang kanyang hinlalato dahil inawat niya ito sa pakikipag-away sa nakababatang kapatid. Napasigaw at naiyak sa sakit si Beatrice ngunit siya pa ang pinag-initan umano ng ina ng bata at binantaang sisisantihin.

May usapan kami ni Beatrice na sasamahan siya sa Konsulado upang ireklamo ang mga  amo ngunit nagbago ang isip nang takdang araw at hindi na raw magrireklamo dahil nagkaayos na sila ng ina ng bata. Di nagtagal ay nabalitaan naming na-terminate siya.

Iba naman ang kaso ni Josie, na halos araw-araw ay kinakagat ng asong alaga ng amo niya. Minsa’y ipinakita sa amin ang mga bagong kagat at mga pilat sa kanyang mga binti.

Nang sabihin niya na magpapatusok siya ng anti-rabies ay hindi siya pinayagan ng amo dahil may bakuna naman daw ang aso. Tinanggihan din siyang iniksiyunan ng  pinuntahang ospital dahil naitawag na raw ng amo na may bakuna ang asong nangagat.

Pinayuhan naming magtungo sa Konsulado at sa Immigration si Josie upang ireport ang nangyayari sa kanya para payagan siyang mag-constructive termination, o yung umalis sa amo ng walang pasabi dahil sa pagmamaltrato sa kanyan, pero hindi siya nakinig. Pagkaraan ng dalawang buwan ay nabalitaan naming sinisante siya at pinauwi kaagad ng amo.

Si Lindy naman ay matagal nang nagrireklamo sa pagmamaltrato ng kanyang mga amo, kabilang na ang pagpapagawa sa kanya sa bahay ng amo at sa matanda nang ina nito.

May kasulatan pang pinapirmahan sa kanya ng amo na hindi siya puwedeng umalis sa trabaho hangga’t di natatapos ang kontrata niya.

Nang hindi nakatiis, nagsumbong siya sa Labour Department. Ipinaalam din siya sa Immigration na aalis na siya dahil sa mga paglabag ng amo sa kanilang kontrata.

Nang ipatawag ng Labour ang amo, hindi ito humarap, kaya iniakyat sa Labour Tribunal ang kaso. Hindi naman ito sinipot ang Pilipina. Kinalaunan ay sinabi ni Lindy na iuurong na niya ang kaso dahil nag-usap na raw sila ng amo at bumuti na raw ang trato sa kanya. Iyon pala’y nilansi lang siya at tinanggal dahil padating na ang kapalit niya.

Ang pinakanakakabahala ay ang pang-apat na kaso. Isang Pinay na ilang buwan pa lang sa Hong Kong ang binugbog isang gabi kamakailan ng isang napakayamang among lalaki. Humingi siya ng tulong dahil gusto na siyang dalhin sa airport ng amo at pauwiin noon din.

Pinayuhan naming tumawag kaagad sa 999, kaya sinundo siya ng mga pulis at pina medical, at pagkatapos ay kinunan ng pahayag sa presinto. Itinawag namin sa Konsulado ang kanyang kaso upang dalhin siya sa shelter, ngunit hindi siya dumating sa POLO sa itinakdang meeting nila ni Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre.

Iyon pala’y iniurong na raw niya ang kasong pananakit laban sa amo at babalik na ito sa bahay ng bumugbog sa kanya.

Pananakit din ang inireklamo sa pulisya ni Dolly laban sa kanyang among babae at malakas ang kanyang kaso dahil mga pulis mismo ang nagligtas sa kanya. Ngunit nang umabot na sa husgado ang mga kasong isinampa niya ay saka siya nagkipag-areglo. Mabuti na lang at binayaran siya.

Nalungkot at nainis kami sa pangyayaring ito. Pilit naming inuunawa ang dahilan nila sa pag-atras. Sa kabila nito, alam namin na ang ibubunga ng mga ganitong pagtalikod sa karapatan ay ang palakasin ang loob ng mga amo na saktan at pahirapan lalo ang kanilang mga katulong.

Beware. Be Aware.

By Cynthia Tellez

The Mission is currently assisting victims in filing cases against the owner of an agency who promised them jobs in another country that turned out to be inexistent. Sadly, many of our fellow migrants are lured by catch phrases such as “permanent residency” and “you can petition your family”.

Swindlers prey on such simple dreams of migrant workers. Of course, if there is just the slightest chance to bring their family with them abroad, most would grab at such a “golden opportunity”. Unfortunately, this often leads to misery because all that the worker gets is an empty promise from a recruiter who knew how to target their most vulnerable spot.

The usual scheme is to place advertisements or distribute promotional materials convincing potential applicants to apply for placement in other countries. Other agencies or recruiters offer another route: via student visa application. However it is done, the best rule of thumb to protect oneself is to always determine the authenticity of the job offer.

This article aims to provide some pointers for migrants to avoid being victimized. Here are some steps they can take:

1) As the usual warning goes, always verify if the recruitment agency has a valid license to conduct business, particularly for job placements to the countries they cite. The license issued to any business is usually very specific and shows the kind and scope of business and operations it is allowed to do. For example, their license may not allow them to recruit for overseas work, but is only limited to domestic (or local) placement.

2) Verify the authenticity of the job orders (if any). If no job order is shown, beware! It might be just a scheme to swindle money from applicants. Usually, job orders are authenticated by receiving governments. This is an added information that applicants need to know aside from the business permits issued by the local government where the agency is principally based. In sum, applicants should know the authenticity of both the business permit and the job order issued by the country destination.

3) There are times when the arrangement is with a school or a registered institution in the country destination. For example, it can be a school or a college that can issue a student visa but with an additional incentive like giving permission to work at certain number of hours while studying. Again, it has to be verified whether such a policy exists because in some destination countries a foreign student’s right to work has already been revoked or substantially curbed, yet unscrupulous agencies still actively promote the revoked policy.

4) It would be an additional assurance for a job applicant to get a relative, friend or trusted person to verify the job order in the destination country. This way, the applicant will know right away if the job offer should be pursued.

5) In the absence of friends and relatives, applicants may approach church-based or non-church based service providers or NGOs who may have counterpart service providers in the country destination. Or these groups might have individual contacts in the target countries who can be mobilized to help secure the needed information.

6) Do not be enticed by sweet talk. No matter how nice the job prospect being peddled to you, the final decision is still yours. Before making a decision, be sure that you have considered and studied, as much as possible, all angles before accepting the offer.  Remember that your decision will have a lasting effect on your future as well as with your family and loved ones.

7) In case you were already recruited but are still in doubt, be sure to gather enough evidence or proof before making the final plunge. This way, you will not jeopardize your chances of filing a case should it become necessary, and the dubious recruiter will not have a chance to cover up his or her misdeed.  Do not be selective when gathering evidence. It might even be just a piece of paper with hand written instructions by a staff or employee of the agency, a phone number of contact person, or an address in the country destination as their contact. Text messages from the recruiter or agency staff about arrangement, especially pertaining to mode of payment, are also very telling. Gather the contact numbers of fellow applicants as potential witnesses or co-complainants if ever.

It would be good to ask a friend or a willing witness to go with you in the succeeding visits to the agency or appointment with the recruiter. The witness will play a very important role in case the transaction is determined to be fraudulent and you need to file a claim or case against the recruiter.

Before taking any legal action, it would be good to ask for assistance from service providers you know. They will help you seek legal or professional advice, or advise you where to file your case, or what steps you could take to speed up the proceedings. Remember that if you took the wrong steps or procedure in acting on your complaints, you may not be able to take them back anymore. It’s good if corrective measures are still possible; if not, you might have already lost your case before it could begin.

If you decide to seek assistance from a service provider, be sure to bring along all the evidence you gathered as well as your witnesses (if more than one) for proper assistance in making a statement. All these pieces of evidence and witnesses’ statement(s) will be evaluated by lawyers in determining the proper steps to take.

Fraud or scheme to deceive people for monetary gain is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. Service providers like the Mission are prepared to provide assistance. Lawyers must be consulted every step of the way in filing civil claims or criminal cases. But the success of the  victim’s case lies in the preparation, from collecting all possible documentary evidence to preparing witnesses, even before deciding on what cases should be filed against the erring recruiter or agency. Bear in mind that recruiters know what they are doing and are usually prepared for any eventuality.

Prevention is always better than cure. So beware of fraud. Be aware of the techniques of swindlers and illegal recruiters. Be aware also of ways to protect yourself.

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.

Filipina in viral window-cleaning photos files landmark case vs employer

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The Filipina domestic worker pictured cleaning windows from outside a high-rise in Repulse Bay at the height of a typhoon is seeking 13 months’ pay for her alleged illegal sacking.

M.R. Sta. Cruz, 37, filed the landmark claim for the remaining portion of her contract on Aug. 31, citing her employer’s alleged violation of the Hong Kong government’s policy against unsafe window cleaning by foreign domestic workers.

She was terminated on Apr. 29, a few days after a concerned neighbor took pictures of her cleaning the taped-up windows of her employer’s first-floor flat in Grand Garden.

The pictures that were uploaded on Facebook by Elpie Elba, were allegedly taken on Aug. 23, shortly after typhoon signals were lowered from 8 to 3, as Hato, one of the strongest storms to hit Hong Kong in years, was still making its presence felt in the city.

According to the Mission for Migrant Workers’ Edwina Antonio, the Labour Department accepted the claim after being furnished copies of the pictures that garnered more than a thousand likes on Facebook and were shared by dozens of people.

“The officer who took the complaint did not say anything when we said the claim was for M’s salary for the remaining period in her contract,” Antonio said.

On top of the 13 months’ wage claim, Sta. Cruz is also seeking reimbursement for the plane ticket she bought in July this year, after her employers allegedly forced her to take her annual leave while they went on a vacation in the United States.

She is also hoping that the Immigration Department would allow her to process a new work contract after her claims against her employer had been resolved.

Sta. Cruz told The SUN in an earlier interview that her employers told her to clean their windows daily. When she asked if that was allowed, her employers reportedly said that the window-cleaning prohibition did not apply to them as they were still bound by the old contract that did not have this provision.

Sta. Cruz, who is on her first overseas employment, said she and her employer signed the old green-colored contract in August last year, but she arrived in Hong Kong to start working for his family on Oct 15.

The new blue contracts that were issued starting Jan. 1 this year contain a provision that stipulates that, “when an employer requires the helper to clean the outside of any window which is not located on the ground level or adjacent to a balcony (on which it must be reasonably safe for the helper to work) or common corridor, this must be performed under the following conditions:

(i) the window being cleaned is fitted with a grille which is locked or secured in a manner that prevents the grille from being opened; and

(ii) no part of the helper’s body extends beyond the window ledge except the arms.”

The prohibition was imposed in the wake of debates sparked by Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre’s unilateral decision to require employers of Filipino domestic workers to sign an undertaking not to order their helpers to clean windows from the outside.

He took the move shortly after Filipina helper Rinalyn Dulluog fell while cleaning the windows of her employer’s flat in a high-rise on Lohas Park on Aug. 9 last year

Earlier, Sta. Cruz also got the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to put her employer on its blacklist for willfully violating their employment contract.

With help from the Mission and POLO, she also filed a claim for subsistence allowance from her insurers in the Philippines while she pursues her case in Hong Kong. Under the terms of the insurance, she could claim US$100 for every month that she is involved in litigation, for a maximum period of six months.

According to Sta. Cruz, her employers kept prodding her to write a termination letter after she questioned them about her window cleaning. She was reportedly told that if she was unhappy working for them she could leave, but she did not budge.

In retaliation, she was given a termination letter and told to leave the house shortly after midnight on Aug. 29. She was given her unpaid salary, a month’s pay in lieu of notice, and air ticket.

Kahalagahan ng pagpaplano, tinalakay

Ni George Manalansan 

The CARD HK team.

Ang kahalagahan ng isang epektibong “business plan” ang naging sentro ng talakayan sa  pinakahuling entrepreneurship seminar na isinagawa ng CARD HK Foundation noong ika-23 ng Setyembre sa Bayanihan Centre sa Kennedy Town.

Naging espesyal na panauhin si Jackie Lou Tayaban, na pinadala pa ng CARD MRI sa Pilipinas para gabayan ang mga sumali sa seminar.

Ayon kay Tayaban, ang pangunahing hakbang para sa tiyak na paglago ng isang negosyo ang pagkakaroon ng isang epektibong business plan, o ang pagbalangkas ng mga gustong maisakatuparan sa negosyo sa loob ng itinakdang panahon.

Idiniin din niya na hindi lang pangsarili ang pagtatayo ng negosyo kundi  pampamilya din at panlipunan dahil malaki ang maitutulong nito para mabawasan ang bilang ng mga walang trabaho sa Pilipinas. Malaking kasangkapan din ito para magpatuloy ang daloy ng serbisyo at produkto sa merkado.

Naging katuwang ni Tayaban sa pagpapaliwanag si Vicky Munar na lead trainor ng CARD HK. Itinuro ni Munar kung paano gumawa ng business plan, bago nagbigay ng aktuwal na pagsasanay para dito.

Ang mga kalahok naman ay halatang pursigido na matuto kung paano makapag-uumpisa ng negosyo, at ano ang gagawin para lumaki ang tsansa na umangat ito at lumago. Para sa kanila, ang pagnenegosyo ay isang paraan para makauwi na sila sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya, at nang hindi na maging kasambahay pang muli.

Ang seminar ay kabilang sa mga libreng pagsasanay na ibinabahagi ng CARD HK para matulungan ang mga Pilipinong migrante na mapangalagaan ang kanilang kinikita, at maplano nang maigi ang kanilang pagbabalik sa bansa.

POWA feeds and gives

Officers and members of the Panay Overseas Workers Association celebrated their second anniversary by holding a feeding and gift-giving program in their hometown in the last two weeks of July.

Led by their president Lindy Paclibar, the POWA group feted 80 senior citizens from Sunfuan, Teslar, Traciano and  Dumarao towns in Capiz on July 16, and 26 indigent children from Sitio Hanayac Barotac Viejo, Iloilo on Jul 23.

The kids each received a school bag packed with paper, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and toys. The feeding program was the group’s first project in their hometown. Paclibar expressed heartfelt gratitude to the donors, individuals who contributed to the success of their fist ever mission. – Marites Palma

‘Idulog kay Atorni,’ babalik sa Oktubre

Muling darating sa Hong Kong sa Okt 7 ang mga abogado ng Integrated Bar of the Philippines Central Luzon Chapter upang magbigay ng libreng konsultasyon sa mga OFW rito ukol sa mga problema nila sa Pilipinas.

Ang misyon na tinawag na “Idulog Mo Kay Atorni – 5”, ay handog ng Konsulado sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng IBP Central Luzon, at gaganapin sa PCG conference room sa ika-14 na palapag ng United Centre sa Admiralty.

Dalawang araw na magbibigay ng libreng konsultasyon ang isang pangkat ng mga abugado mula sa nasabing sangay ng IBP upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga OFW na ilapit ang kanilang mga usaping legal.

Ang unang konsultasyon ay isasagawa mula ika-10 ng umaga hanggang ika-4 ng hapon sa Sabado, Okt 7. Susundan iyon ng isa pang sanggunian mula ika-9 ng umaga hanggang ika-3 ng hapon sa Linggo, Okt 8.

Marami namang bagay-bagay ang tatalakayin ng mga abogado sa Legal Forum mula ika-4 hanggang ika-5:30 ng hapon.

Sa mga nagnanais dumalo, maaaring magpalista at magtakda ng appointment sa
pamamagitan ng telepono 2823-8537 (Cholo) o 2823-8511 (Charlene).
Maaari ring magpadala ng email sa cru.pcghk@gmail.com.

Kapehan sa Paoay, naka 3 taon na

Ang mga opisyal at kasapi ng Kapehan Sa Paoay Association habang nagdiriwang ng kanilang ika-3 anibersaryo.

Ni Marites Palma

Umabot sa halos 100 na mga OFW mula sa Paoay, Ilocos Norte ang nagsama-sama noong ika-3 ng Setyembre sa Chaterhouse sa Wanchai upang ipagdiwang ang ika-tatlong anibersaryo ng kanilang grupo na tinawag nilang Kapehan sa Paoay Association.
Nagsayawan at nagkantahan ang karamihan sa mga miyembro at bisita ng grupo, kasabay ng pag-aalay ng musika ng bandang Rock and Play. Ang tinaguriang Ilocano Singing Diva na si Louvelin Addu ay nagpaunlak na kantahan ang mga dumalo, na lalong nagpasaya sa lahat
Naging panauhing pandangal si  Joel C  Almeda, na siyang pinuno ng BDO remittance sa Hong Kong at Macau. Ayon kay Almeda, kabilang siya sa Philippine Association of Hong Kong na ang pangunahing layunin ay matulungan ang mga kababayan na hikahos sa buhay, kaya saludo daw siya sa mga taga Paoay sa ginagawa nilang pagtulong din sa mga nangangailangan.
Ayon naman kay Jessie Quevedo na pinuno ng grupo, nag-umpisa sila sa pamamagitan ng pagsasama-sama sa isang “closed group” sa Facebook ng mga taga Paoay sa Hong Kong. Dahil marami ang aktibo sa grupo ay napagsang-ayunan nila na gawin itong asosasyon.
Nang itatag na nila ang grupo noong ika-9 ng Setyembre, 2014, umabot na sa 259 ang mga miyembro ng kanilang closed group.
Pangunahing layunin daw ng grupo ang mabigyan ng pinansiyal na suporta ang mga kababayan sa Hong Kong na biglaang nawalan ng trabaho, at nagbibigay din sila ng tulong sa mga namatayan. Ngunit ang talagang pinagtutunan nila ng pansin ay ang pagtulong sa mga batang may kapansanan sa Paoay.
Bukod dito, nagbibigay din sila ng mga regalo sa mga mahihirap sa kanilang bayan tuwing Pasko sa tulong ng kanilang katuwang na organisasyon sa Paoay na isang puericulture.
Bukod kay Quevedo, ang iba pang opisyal ng grupo ay sina Rose Acang-pangalawang  pangulo; Risalie Pacariem-kalihim; Rodrigo Ragusante Jr.-pangalawang kalihim; Zenaida Natividad- ingat yaman; Pamela Acar-pangalawang ingat yaman; Gay Marie Langman- tagasuri; Marie Alegre Gutierrez- pangalawang tagasuri; Maribel Pacol-PRO; Reynalyn Galapia-punong tagapangalakal; Leonardo Agcaoili-sports coordinator; Denden Agdeppa, Benny Valido-tagapamayapa. Advisers: Lina Asuncion, Regie Rosal, Precila Nefalar, Melacina Lacbayan, Carolyn Alegado, Lourdes Cac, Esperanza Almasan, Leticia Dafun, Josephine Acdal, Sol R. Abrajano. At Atty Cielita Catubay.
Ang mga asosasyong nakisaya sa pagdiriwang ang mga sumusunod: Annak ti San Nicolas Association, Laoag City International Hong Kong, Sarrateneos Ass’n of Hong Kong, Filipino Image Society, Annak ti Ciudad ti Laoag Ass’n of Hong Kong at ang Annak ti Dingras Association.

Saya, hikbi, pagkakaisa sa pagtatapos ng Buwan ng Wika

Si Congen Catalla (naka luntian), kasama ang mga nagtanghal sa programa at ibang lider-Pilipino sa HK.

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Ang wikang pambansa ay tanda ng pagkakaisa ng mga mamamayan.

Ito ang sinabi ni Consul General Bernardita Catalla sa kanyang huling pakikipagdiwang sa mga manggagawang Pilipino sa Hong Kong nang idaos sa Konsulado ang nabalam na paggunita sa Buwan ng Wika dito noong Set. 3.

Nakipagsaya, nagtinikling, at sa bandang huli ay pinigil ni Catalla ang paghikbi sa isang maikli ngunit makahulugang pagdiriwang na tinampukan ng magkakaibang pagtatanghal na handog ng tatlong samahan ng OFW sa papaalis nang opisyal.

“Siguro nagtataka kayo, bakit ipinagdiriwang pa natin (ang Buwan ng Wika)? Kasi nagta-Tagalog naman tayo o nagpi-Pilipino,” ani Catalla.

Ipinaliwanag ng konsul heneral, na nahirang kamakailan bilang sugo ng Pilipinas sa Lebanon, na ang wikang pambansang Filipino ay binubuo ng iba’t ibang salitang ginagamit ng mga tao sa iba-ibang panig ng bansa.

Mahigit 100 mga opisyal at kasapi ng iba’t ibang mga samahan ng mga Pilipino ang dumalo sa pagdiriwang na ipinagpaliban nang isang linggo dahil sa paghataw ng bagyong Hato sa Hong Kong noong Agosto 27.

Ginising ng awiting “Ako ay Pilipino” na inihandog ng Federation of Luzon Active Groups ang damdaming makabayan ng mga dumalo sa pagtitipon sa bulwagang pampubliko ng Konsulado.

Sinundan iyon ng isang makulay na katutubong sayaw ng mga B’laan sa saliw ng tugtuging likha ng kulintang at agung na itinanghal ng South Cotabato Overseas Workers Association.

Panghuling pumagitna ang mga mananayaw ng Tinikling Group of Migrants at nagpakita ng kanilang husay sa katutubong sayaw ng Katagalugan na sinasaliwan ng masayang tugtog ng mga instrumento at lagapak ng mga bumbong ng kawayan.

Lalong sumaya ang pagdiriwang nang anyayahan ni Bise Konsul Robert Quintin, ang punong-abala sa gabing iyon, ang mga panauhin na hamunin sa pagsayaw ng tinikling ang nagtanghal na grupo.

Ilang malalakas ang loob ang tumalima sa pamumuno ni Catalla, na nagpamalas ng husay at bilis ng mga paa sa pag-iwas na maipit sa nagbabanggaang kawayan.

Pagkaraan niyon, nagpasalamat si Catalla sa lahat ng tumangkilik sa kanya upang maging maayos ang pagpapatakbo sa Konsulado, sa paghahatid ng mga serbisyo, sa pagtulong sa mga kababayan, sa pagtataguyod ng negosyo at pamumuhunan sa Pilipinas, at sa pagpapasulong sa kulturang Pilipino.

“Sa mga organisasyon, maraming salamat sa pagtanggap sa akin sa tatlong taon na nandito ako. May mga pagkukulang ako,” sabi niya at bahagyang naudlot dahil nahihikbi. “Pero sana naintindihan po ninyo.

Sinabi ni Catalla sa mga OFW na nanggaling sa Lebanon na malamang na higit na malaki ang hamong haharapin niya sa nalalapit na paglipat sa Beirut bilang sugo ng Pilipinas.

“Napakaayos ang paninilbihan ko rito, magiging mas challenging yung doon sa Lebanon, dahil karamihan sa atin ay legal na pumasok bilang manggagawa sa Hong Kong,” aniya, di tulad sa Lebanon na bawal ang mga dayuhang katulong ngunit may 28,000 OFW roon na pumasok bilang mga turista.

“So, hindi rin sila protektado ng batas dahil di katulad dito sa Hong Kong na may standard contract,” aniya.

Global Alliance leads Filcom farewell to CG Bernie

Congen Bernardita Catalla (in pink), who leaves HK to become Ambassador to Lebanon, is flanked by Filcom leaders.

There were tears as well as laughter when Filipino community leaders threw a surprise farewell party on Sept 10 for Consul General Bernardita Catalla, who expects to move to her new assignment as Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon by the end of the month.

The public area of the Consulate was filled with community leaders who turned up at the potluck gathering organized by Global Alliance Hong Kong, which is chaired by Leo Selomenio.

Also honored with a send-off was Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, who is moving to Guam for the second half of his six-year overseas tour of duty.

Congen Catalla was teary-eyed as she thanked the Filcom leaders as well as her staff for the support and love they gave her during her three-year stint in Hong Kong.

She said Hong Kong has the best support system, from both the host government and the Filipino community, that’s why she felt more relaxed here than when she was posted in  Malaysia and Indonesia.

Selomenio injected a light moment into the program by saying his first impression of the congen was that she was “mataray, maldita and unapproachable”, to which the diplomat gamely said yes, much to the delight of the audience.

But Selomenio said that impression soon vanished, as he realized the kind of person Congen Catalla truly was.

Selomenio said his respect for the Congen grew even more during the party, when he realized how intelligent and kind-hearted she really was.

“We witnessed her heart melting as we dedicated a community song for both (Congen and VC Vallespin) of them. We will be missing the both of them especially Ambassador Bernardita Catalla,” said Selomenio.

VC Vallespin also thanked the community leaders, and expressed how happy he was to have worked in Hong Kong.

All the other consular officers, including Deputy Congen Deric Acosta and VCs Timmy and Bob Quintin, also delivered speeches about their past experiences in the foreign service, particularly while posted abroad.

Filcom leaders also took turns honoring the two departing officers with speeches and tokens of appreciation, while their members offered dance numbers.

A highlight was the presentation to Congen of a framed collage of greetings and signatures by Filcom leaders.

HK OFWs mark martial law anniversary with anti-Duterte rally

Protest was against Duterrte's 'rising tyranny'

By Vir B. Lumicao

About 60 militant overseas Filipinos and their local supporters called for an end to brutal killings and condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged drift towards tyranny as they marked the 45^th year of the declaration of martial law by Ferdinand E. Marcos.

The protesters who wore black shirts like their counterparts in Manila, vowed to resist Duterte’s threats to impose martial law nationwide in an hour-long noontime rally at the Consulate in Admiralty under the watchful eyes of about a dozen policemen. 

“We did our part in resisting the old tyrant, we shall do our part in resisting the rising tyranny of the Duterte government. We say no to Duter-tyranny!” declared Eman Villanueva, chairman of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Hong Kong and Macau Chapter.

He also said, “Duterte is on his way to becoming the new Marcos!”

The rally was in response to calls for protests by the Movement Against Tyranny, which spearheaded a massive rally at Rizal Park on the same day.

Joint statement by Filcom leaders is presented to a PCG rep

Towards the end of the protest, a joint statement signed by various Hong Kong-based organizations and individuals expressing opposition “to the rising tyranny and threats of nationwide martial rule” by the Duterte administration was presented to a Consulate representative.

The signatories included prominent church leaders and human rights advocates in the community.

They said Duterte’s path to tyranny is shown by the following acts:

-          the unabated killings by the police and the armed forces of up to 13,000 people, mostly in the name of the war on drugs

-          the declaration of martial law in the whole of Mindanao

-          the attacks on the judiciary and the “immobilization” of the Commission of Human Rights

-          the declaration of an end to peace talks with the leftist National Democratic Front of the Philippines

-          enabling the return of the Marcoses to power, including allowing the burial of Ferdinand Marcos in the ‘Libingan ng mga Bayani”

“We are united in condemning the senseless deaths due to the mindless war on drugs. We are united in safeguarding the gains of the Filipino people in the long struggle against the former dictatorship of Marcos. We are united in stemming the new tide of tyrannical rule that grips the country,” said the joint statement

The rally’s first speaker, Fr Dwight dela Torre of the Philippine Independent Church, said the government is mandated to protect people’s lives yet its war on drugs had already left more than 13,000 mostly poor victims of extrajudicial killings.

He said there were “unabated killings of peasants, indigenous people and human rights, justice and peace advocates and political activists” suspected to have been carried out by police and vigilantes.

All rally speakers including Eni Lestari of the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body and Hong Kong trade union leaders and human rights advocates said Duterte’s all-out war against communist rebels was victimizing civilians, peasants, and indigenous peoples.

Villanueva said protests will continue in the Philippines and in various cities and countries around the globe for as long as Duterte takes “the path of martial rule and puppetry to foreign powers.”

“Duter-tyranny, as with the fascism of Marcos, will face the resistance of Filipinos everywhere. It did not triumph before and will surely not triumph now,” he concluded.

Would-be teachers hopeful, nervous at this Sunday’s exams

 By Virgilio B. Lumicao

The exam venue

A total of 435 Filipino workers in Hong Kong and Macau will sit this Sunday, Sept 24, for this year’s Special Licensure Examination for Teachers to be administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.

The examinees will troop before 6am to the test venue, the Delia Memorial School–Hip Wo in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, for the various categories of exams that will begin at 8am and finish at 6:30pm at the latest.

The PRC requires the takers to come before 6am and assemble in their assigned room for general instructions and filling out of forms before the actual test.

The final list of examinees announced by the PRC was 29 short of the 464 people who registered online for the exam in August. The number of takers this year is also 34.5% fewer than the 664 who sat for the test a year ago.

Nevertheless, what will count is the percentage of takers this year who will hurdle the exam that will qualify them for a professional license to teach.

Last year, the takers didn’t fare well in the exam with barely 10% of them passing. That has prompted Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre to challenge this year’s batch of examinees to do better.

“We just hope for the best results,” Gemma A. Lauraya, president of the National Organization of Professional Teachers Hong Kong, told The SUN.

Lauraya said the would-be teachers are expecting better results this year than in previous editions of the exam.

“Teachers are open-minded, they take (Labatt Dela Torre’s remark) as a challenge because it is their dream to become licensed professional teachers,” Lauraya said.

The examinees are mostly excited while the others are nervous even if they are repeaters because they do not know what the contents of the test items will be, she added.

An examinee must obtain an average rating not lower than 75% and must have no rating below 50% in any of the tests in order to pass the exam, the PRC said.

Asked what could be the reason why 29 online applicants did not make it to the final list, the NOPT leader said these registrants might not have met the PRC’s standard requirements, as all of them have to be vetted by the commission’s assessors.

She said others might have claimed to have questionable units they had purportedly earned, especially if they were not education graduates.

“So far, none of the NOPT applicants and reviewees had been denied the exam,” Lauraya said.

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong has brought the annual exam to the SAR in cooperation with the PRC, in response to the clamor of former teachers and education graduates who wish to teach when they return home for good.

The complete lists of registered examinees for both the elementary-level and secondary-level tests can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1455550037895676.1073741843.806966486087371&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1455552447895435.1073741844.806966486087371&type=3

NDF still optimistic peace talks with gov’t will resume

By Vir B. Lumicao

The top peace negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, Fidel Agcaoili, is still optimistic talks with government will resume despite President Rodrigo Duterte declaring that the negotiations are over.

Agcaoili, who visited Hong Kong recently, told The SUN in an interview that he considered the talks in a “suspended animation” in the absence of a formal declaration from Malacañang ending the peace process.

“We are still hopeful and optimistic,” said Agcaoili. “Duterte said na ayaw na niya, pero under the terms of the JASIG (joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees), kailangan magpadala sila ng formal letter terminating the talks.”

He said government peace negotiators Silvestre Bello III and Jesus Dureza themselves had told him Duterte had not yet sent them such letter.

Under the terms of the JASIG, the government must give the NDFP 30 days to bring its consultants to safety.

Duterte declared the peace talks ended on July 21 after a series of clashes between the New People’s Army and soldiers in Negros, Samar and Davao left several fatalities on both sides.

In the latest incident, four of Duterte’s own security men were wounded in a clash at an NPA checkpoint in Cotabato on July 19. Agcaoili blamed that on the Presidential Security Group, which raided an NPA camp in a rebel-held area.

The two sides would have held their fifth round of talks in The Netherlands on May 27-June 2, but Duterte told the government panel to stay away until there were clear signs “an enabling environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace” can be had.

Backchannel consultations were being held to try to work out a resumption of the talks, said the NDF leader, who left Manila on Aug 10 and returned to Hong Kong on Aug 26.

On other key issues, Agcaoili said the NDFP’s views were:
• West Philippine Sea: The government should not abandon the Philippines’ victory at the International Court of Arbitration. “China may not recognize it, but to not assert it, to not fight for it is unpatriotic,” he said.
• Economy: Duterte is lucky to be riding on the economic growth triggered by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s development initiatives that Noynoy Aquino continued.
• Extrajudicial killings: “These have got to stop…No one can just kill 13,000 Filipinos and say wala kang problema. Ang issue ay due process. Hindi puwedeng sabihin ni Duterte na ‘Due process? Wala iyan’.” Agcaoili said.

Labatt warns against multi-level selling

By Vir B. Lumicao

Foreign domestic workers who engage in multilevel marketing in Hong Kong, whether physically or online, may be in breach of their conditions of stay.

This was the warning aired by Hong Kong’s Immigration Department and Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre on separate occasions recently.

Labatt dela Torre first spoke out against the practice in a speech to participants at a forum co-organized by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Bulacan Chapter and Global Alliance on Sept 3.

“Multilevel marketing companies may be legal in the Philippines, but OFWs may be breaching their visa conditions if they engage in remunerative work (for pay) other than what is in their contracts,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

There are multilevel marketing companies that target migrant workers in Hong Kong and elsewhere to sell their products, which are mainly expensive cosmetics or wellness merchandise.

The OFWs are encouraged to join the networks, often through social media, with promises of good returns if they recruit other members, in addition to enjoying the benefits of products they sell.

The Immigration Department echoed the warning, in response to an inquiry by The SUN. Immigration reiterated that foreign domestic helpers cannot do part-time work, including online marketing, because it is against the law.

“FDHs can only provide full-time domestic service,” the Immigration official said.

“They cannot take up any part-time work because they may breach their conditions of stay and, if they do, we will prosecute them.”

Labatt Dela Torre said he had been warning OFWs about this offense at POLO’s post-arrival orientation seminars.

“Every PAOS is an occasion for me to warn them, not only about pyramiding and multilevel marketing, but about illegal work in general,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

Pyramiding, which is often disguised as a quick cash investment scheme, is illegal because it promises huge payback but sells no products and members get their investment back only if they can add more members to the network. The pyramid eventually collapses when no new recruits are found.

Dela Torre said pyramids are illegal per se, while multilevel marketing, whose business model is based on a pyramid, could be legal because products are sold.

“Even then, engaging in online business while in Hong Kong may be considered breach of condition of stay,” he said.

Ex-HK OFW, pumanaw na

Ni Merly T. Bunda

Inilibing noong Set. 16 si Gemma P. Albacete, 37, at dating domestic helper sa Hong Kong, sa bayan ng Duenas, Iloilo, tatlong linggo matapos mamatay dahil sa cancer sa dila.

Una nang naibalita sa The SUN na dinala si Albacete ng kanyang amo sa ospital noong mga unang buwan ng kasalukuyang taon dahil hindi gumagaling ang kanyang sugat sa lalamunan matapos siyang matinik sa isda. Sa isinagawang pagsusuri ay nakitang may bukol na tumubo sa kanyang lalamunan, at ito ay cancerous.

Nang matapos ang kanyang unang kontrata among Intsik noong katapusan ng Abril ay gusto sana siyang pirmahan pang muli para maipagpatuloy niya ang pagpapagamot dito, nguni’t nalaman nilang hindi na siya puwedeng pa-insure dahil sa kundisyon niya.

Pagbalik niya sa kanilang bayan sa Dingle, Iloilo ay ilang beses siyang naglabas-masok sa ospital nguni’t patuloy na lumala ang kanyang kundisyon.

Labis ding nagpalungkot kay Albacete ang balitang ang dati niyang alaga na matanda sa Hong Kong na isang retiradong empleyado ng gobyerno ay namatay na.

Naulila ni Albacete ang kanyang asawa at apat na anak na nasa elementarya at high school pa lang.

Ipinaabot ng kanyang pamilya ang pasasalamat sa lahat ng mga kaibigan at kakilala ni Albacete para sa kanilang mga dasal at pakikiramay.

Ayaw sa ilegal

Sa unang kontrata ni Rosing, 35 at Bulakenya,  malaking pasakit ang dinanas niya sa amo dahil sa pagpapatrabaho sa kanya sa ibang bahay. Noong  una ay ang bahay ng magulang ng among babae ang pinalinis sa kanya at sa dalawa pang katulong na mula sa kapatid ng kanyang amo.

Tatlong palapag ang bahay at dalawa ang kuwarto sa bawat palapag. Dahil walang katulong ang mag-asawa ay napakarumi ng bahay, lalo na ang kusina na nanggigitata sa mantika. Maghapong naglinis ang tatlo kaya pagod na pagod sila.

Pero kahit plastado na ang katawan ay kinailangan pa niyang magtrabaho sa bahay ng amo dahil may inimbita pang bisita ang mga ito para sa hapunan.

Sa una ay “pakisama ko na lang” ang pumasok sa isip ni Rosing, tutal ay binayaran naman siya kahit di sapat. Inisip niya na pang-allowance man lang niya ito tuwing Linggo.

Ang kaso ay hindi lang ito naulit, kundi nadagdagan pa, dahil ang bahay naman ng mga magulang ng lalaki ang pinalinis. Mas malaking hirap ito dahil ni hindi siya binayaran, at ilang beses ding naulit.

Ayon kay Rosing, naisip niyang kailangan na niya ang tulong ni Gabriela Silang para matapos na ang kahangalan ng mga amo. Nang patapos na ang kanyang kontrata ay gumawa na siya ng aksyon para maputol na ang hindi makatarungang pagpapatrabaho sa kanya, lalo at may kasama siyang dalawa pa na napipilitan ding lumabag ng batas.

Isang buwan bago siya matapos sa kontrata ay kinausap niya ang amo ng tapat, at sinabi ang : “Ma’m I want to continue working with you. But.. sorry I don’t want to work anymore outside your house, with or without pay. If this will cause you not to sign a new contract with me, I’m okay with it”.

Natulala daw ang kanyang amo dahil gusto nila si Rosing kasi ito ay masipag at maasahan.

Kinabukasan ay hinarap siya ng mag-asawa na nakangiti, at sinabing, “Please stay with us, we will sign a new contract.” Nagpasalamat naman agad si Rosing, sabay dasal na sana ay tumupad sa pangako ang mga amo. — George Manalansan

Masuwerte sa amo

Mapalad ka kapag kasing bait ng amo ni Jenny 42, ng Cotabato, ang pinagsisilbihan mo. Nitong huling uwi niya sa Pilipinas ay nabuntis nang hindi inaasahan si Jenny, at tuwang-tuwa ang kanyang pamilya, lalo na ang kanyang panganay na 15 taon bago nasundan.

Kabilang sa mga natuwa ang kanyang mga amo na siya pang nagpayo na dito na sa Hong Kong manganak si Jenny dahil libre. Bukod dito ay doktor ang kanyang amo kaya mas mababantayan siya.

Hindi naging madali ang pagbubuntis ni Jenny dahil na rin siguro sa kanyang edad. Tinamaan siya ng thalasemia, isang klase ng sakit sa dugo na ang kapupuntahan ay anemia kapag hindi naagapan. Dahil alaga siya ay nakita agad ang sakit niya sa ikaapat na buwan niyang pagbubuntis, kaya nagpalipat-lipat siya ng pagpapatingin sa Prince of Wales Hospital at isang klinika sa Shatin.

Tumaas din ang kanyang blood sugar kaya apat na beses siyang kinukunan ng dugo sa isang araw.

Ngunit dahil na rin sa alaga siya sa patingin ay nailuwal niya ng maayos ang bunso, dangan nga  lamang ay may jaundice ang bata, yung naninilaw ang balat. Kinailangan niyang iwan ang sanggol sa ospital ng tatlong araw para mapasinagan ng espesyal na ilaw para gumaling.

Pag-uwi ng mag-ina sa bahay ng amo ay sa kuwartong bakante pa sila pinatulog. Binigyan pa ng maternity leave si Jenny hanggang  lumakas silang mag-ina at pwede nang sumakay ng eroplano. Bago umuwi ay binigyan pa ng mga amo ng pera ang bata, at inalok na i-sponsor nila sa pag-aaral.

Laking pasasalamat ni Jenny dahil umulan ang biyaya magmula nang siya ay magbuntis at manganak. — George Manalansan