What's on where

FBC-HK 6th Anniversary Celebration
Nov 5, 11:00am-4pm, U-Banquet 5th Floor, Lee Theater Plaza, Causeway Bay. By invitation only. Contact: Jenny Gafate, 9854 9724

Cinema screening: The Helper Documentary 
Nov. 3, 7:50 pm (final screening), AMC Pacific Place. For ticket prices and other details check the FB Page, The Helper Documentary

La Vie En Rose 
A free 3-hour workshop with noted artist Rose Gisbert on the basics of acrylic painting, color mixing and brush techniques
Nov 12, 9m – 12nn, 2-5 pm (two sessions) PCG Gallery. Organized by: Pintura Circle and PCG. Admission and materials are free. Limited slots available. Priority to be given to those who were accepted to the earlier session on Oct 15 that got cancelled because of T8. Check Pintura Circle’s Facebook page for any updates, or to send a message

Sportsfest at Repulse Bay
Nov. 12, 8am onwards. Organized by Extremers and other group of hikers. For details call Jessie Quevedo @ 96116023.

Massage Therapy Graduation (Batches 21, 22 & 23)
Nov. 26, 1-4pm, PCG Conference Room. Organizer: United Migrants Entrepreneurship & Livelihood Association (Umela)-HK. For inquiries on how to join Umela’s training, call Maellen Lupera, 5535 2165; Opalyn Albidas, 61387357 and Emma Capal, 9859 5023

Simplicity. Power: Exhibit of traditional Cordillera Art
Dec. 1, 2017 – Feb. 4, 2018, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

2017 Migrants’ Health Matters
Dec 10, 10am-6pm. Kik Yeung Football Pitch, Kik Yeung, Yuen Long. Fun-filled community health day with free health information and basic screenings for migrant workers. Hosted by: PathFinders and Christian Action and sponsored by Operation Santa Claus. Participating groups: Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, Equal Opportunities Commission and many other migrant support groups. For details, contact PathFinders at Tel 5621 8329 or email infor@pathfinders.org.hk

Nagka-TB dahil sa kapupuyat

Isang katulong na Pilipina ang ginagamot ngayon sa isang isolation room ng Grantham Hospital sa Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, dahil sa sakit na tisis, o tuberculosis.

Inilipat si Warren B. sa nasabing pagamutan mula sa Queen Mary Hospital noong Okt 19, pagkatapos siyang suriin ng mga duktor at hindi pinayagang umuwi sa bahay ng amo. 

Dinala ng mga kapwa-OFW sa Queen Mary si Warren noong Okt 15 habang nakataas ang Typhoon Signal 8 sa Hong Kong sa kasagsagan ng bagyong Khanun dahil napansin nilang hinang-hina ito, namumutla at namamaga ang mga paa. Madalas din siyang umubo at pabalik-balik ang lagnat.

Bago siya isinugod ng mga kababayan sa ospital ay itinawag diumano nila sa assistance to nationals section ng Konsulado ang kalagayan ng Pilipina. Sinabihan sila umano ni ATN officer Danny Baldon na dalhin ang maysakit sa Queen Mary. 

Pagdating sa ospital, ipinailalim ng duktor ang pasyente sa iba’t ibang pagsusuri at maraming itinanong sa kanya. 

Sinabi ni Warren sa mga tumulong na malamang ay nagkasakit siya dahil palagiing kulang sa tulog. Ang pinakamaaga raw na pagtulog niya ay alas-11 sa gabi at madalas ay hanggang 2:30 ng madaling araw ay gising pa siya. Ayaw daw kasi ng amo na matulog siya nang hindi pa natatapos ang mga gawain niya. 

Dahil umano sa hirap na ang kanyang katawan ay nagsabi siya sa kanyang among babae noong Septembre na ayaw na niyang mag-renew ng kontrata.

Kinukunsulta niya ngayon sa mga nakakaalam kung may habol pa ba siyang kabayaran mula sa amo dahil malamang na ang sanhi ng kanyang sakit ay sobrang pagtatrabaho at kakulangan sa tulog. Wala naman daw iba pang dahilan ang kanyang pagkakaroon ng TB, na isang nakahahawang sakit. -- Merly T. Bunda

Bawal ang maghugas ng buhok

Si Jessa ay Ilongga na tubong-Dingle, Iloilo.  Sa unang amo niya sa Tsuen Wan ay wala siyang naging problema sa paliligo at paghuhugas ng katawan at buhok. Nakaapat na taon siya sa amo na hindi siya pinagbawalan sa paliligo. Kaya lang hindi na siya pinapirma ng panibagong kontrata dahil ayaw magbayad ang amo ng long service pay.

Bago umuwi sa Pilipinas ay nagpunta si Jessa sa agency at nagpa-interview.  Masuwerte naman siya at may pumirma agad sa kanya, kaya umuwi siya muna sa Iloilo at doon hinintay ang kanyang visa.

Pagbalik niya noong Set. 16 ay dumiretso siya sa tirahan ng kanyang bagong amo na isang government housing unit na may dalawang kuwarto at isang banyo. Simpleng pamilya ang kanyang bagong amo na isang matandang binata at tatatlo sila sa bahay, kabilang na ang ina ng amo.

Noong unang mga araw ay naglinis siya kaagad ng mga kabinet pero nag-text ang pamangkin ng kanyang amo na huwag galawin at linisin ang mga kuwarto ng kanyang tiyuhin at lola. Masyadong nakababagot tuloy ang kanyang araw dahil nakaupo lang siya palagi kapag walang kinakalikot.

Nagtext din ang pamangkin ng amo na may pamahiin pa umano ang kanyang lola na puwedeng maghugas ng katawan araw-araw pero hindi puwedeng maghugas ng buhok. Depende iyon sa buwan. Kaya ngayong Nobyembre, dalawang beses lang siya makakapaghugas ng buhok at minarkahan niya iyon sa kalendaryo at sa Disyembre ay tatlong beses lang.

Ang kanyang ginagawa habang natutulog ang kanyang lola sa hapon ay dali-daling pumapasok sa banyo para maligo at maghugas ng buhok. Ayon kay Jessa, kaunting tiis at tiyaga na lang dahil may kasungitan itong lola at wala naman siyang ginagawa sa buong maghapon.

Wala raw siyang napaglilibangan kundi ang kanyang cellphone at ang pagbabasa ng The SUN kapag hindi pa siya nauubusan ng kopya. Si Jessa ay 40 anyos at may isang anak na dalagang nasa ikaapat na taon sa BS Accountancy. N

ag-aaral ang kanyang anak sa Maynila dahil pumisan ito sa dalawang kuya ni Jessa na sa Cavite nakatira. Mag-isa lang siyang tumutustos sa pag-aaral ng kanyang kaisa-isang anak. --Merly T. Bunda

Saludo, kaibigan

Hindi nakilala ni Ben ang kanyang kaibigang Pakistani nang magkita sila kamakailan. Ang kaibigan niya ay naka Amerikana na may kurbata pa, at ang sapatos ay napakakintab. Ang hindi lang magarbo ay ang dala-dala nitong maleta na parang pang-sundalo.

Ang mas nakakapagtataka ay pinili pa ng kanyang kaibigan na mag-taxi papunta ng airport gayong napakakuripot nito. Paliwanag ng kanyang kaibigan, ayaw nitong ma-late sa kanyang flight pauwi sa kanilang bayan dahil ayaw niyang maghintay ang kanyang dalawang anak na dalaga, na ang isa ay ganap nang doktor, samantalang computer engineer naman ang pangalawa.

Matagumpay na naitaguyod ng kanyang kaibigan ang pag-aaral ng mga anak sa kakarampot nitong suweldo. Ang ipinagtataka ni Ben ay ayaw pa ring mag for good ang kaibigan na 65 taong gulang na, gayong maganda na ang buhay ng kanyang pamilya.

Sa isip ni Ben, marahil ay masipag lang talaga ito at alam na  hahanap-hanapin ang buhay nito sa Hong Kong ng ilang taon.

Kahit hindi sila magkalahi ay maganda ang samahan ng magkaibigan. Katunayan, si Ben pa ang nagturo sa Pakistani na gumawa ng Facebook account para makausap nito nang libre at palagian ang mga anak. Tuwing may problema ito sa computer o sa internet ay lagi ding si Ben ang takbuhan ng matanda.

Kaya noong nasa Pakistan na ito ay lagi nitong tinatawagan ang kaibigang Pinoy para mangumusta at sabihing nami-miss niya ito. Si Ben naman ay nami-miss din ang kaibigan dahil wala nang nagluluto ng kanyang paboritong ulam na may curry. Si Ben ay 42 taong gulang at tubong Cagayan Valley. – Marites Palma

OFW bashed online wrings apology from news portal

By Vir B. Lumicao

An angry Lindo got TNP to apologize publicly

An angry Filipina domestic helper who suffered severe bashing on Facebook after her photo with a blotted-out face was used by an online news site to accompany a post about an allegedly bigamous OFW has successfully forced the portal to apologize publicly.

Juliet Lindo, a 34-year-old single mother of two, sent a message early morning on Oct 31 to Manila-based Trending News Portal, demanding a public apology to repair her damaged reputation as a result of the misuse of her photo.

(TNP was identified by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines in June as a fake news site, using the Google Chrome plug-in Fakeblok. The extension notifies the user when a fake site appears on their Facebook feed, graying out the post and cautioning against clicking or sharing it).

Within hours of receiving Lindo’s complaint, TNP replied, informing her that the link to the damaging article had been deleted. But by then the story had already been shared repeatedly by other OFWs in Hong Kong who had recognized Lindo from the clothes she was wearing and bashed her, thinking she was the woman referred to in the story.

Lindo was not satisfied with the reply and insisted TNP must make a public apology “to clean up my name… and my reputation as a Helper’s Choice ambassador”.

Her message also carried a veiled threat to seek help from a hard-hitting radio-TV program in Manila.

TNP issued a public apology later that day on its website titled “Apology for the public”.

The offending photo

“TNP would like to issue its sincere apology to Ms Juliet Lindo, an OFW in Hong Kong  whose photo appeared in a preview of this article. We have deleted her blurred photo which we acquired from the Internet. We would like to clarify that she is in no way connected with this case. We do not have any intention to damage her image in any way. We are sincerely apologizing for those who are further affected by the misuse of her photo.”

The controversy was sparked by TNP posting a rehashed news report about a Filipina maid who pleaded guilty in a Hong Kong court to a charge of “signing a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage” to a local man 22 years ago. She had claimed she was a widow, but it turned out her original husband was still alive.

Unknown to Lindo, the post carrying her blurred picture had gone viral, garnering 6,400 likes and reactions, 794 comments and 1,000 shares.

Lindo told The SUN that since the recycled report appeared on the portal, she had received more than 500 private messages mostly bashing her for the report.

She learned only about the news when her goddaughter in Dubai sent her a private message early on Oct 31 with a screenshot of the article and asked about its veracity.

The OFW said even her own relatives were embarrassed at the news, thinking that it was she who got into trouble and brought shame to her family. She said she was thankful her two children are smart not to believe the story, and kept telling her to be strong.

Lindo said she parted ways with her husband 10 years ago and had since supported her son, 15, and daughter, 14, all by herself. For being an exemplary single mom, she said she was designated as an ambassador by the NGO, Helper’s Choice.

She said she is satisfied with TNP’s public apology, but with an admonition.

“Sa TNP, sana i-doublecheck nila ang news before going public because it’s not easy to fix the damage it can do to other people,” Lindo said.

She said she hopes her detractors got personal satisfaction from bashing her, as she thanked those who comforted her during her traumatic experience.

“As long as we know ourselves, we won’t be shaken by those malicious souls,” she said.

Lindo has worked in Hong Kong since 2006 and is about to finish her second contract with her current employer.

Sabit na makulit

Isa si Andy 48, Ilocano, sa mga drayber na hati ang tuwa at inis sa pamilyang Intsik na kanilang pinagsisilbihan. Lagi nitong sinasambit sa sarili na kung bakit sa dinami -dami ng mga employer sa Hong Kong ay ito pang maraming sabit na kapamilya ang natiyempuam niya.

Lagi daw kasing kaladkad ng mag-asawang amo ang kani-kanilang mga pamilya. Sa amo niyang lalaki ang laging nakabuntot ay ang ina at “kuche” nito o tiya. Sa babae naman ay ang mga ama’t ina nito.

Sa unang taon ni Andy sa amo ay laging nagbibiyahe ang mga ito, at madalas ay isa hanggang dalawang linggong wala sa Hong Kong. Laking ginhawa sana ito kay Andy dahil kahit may anak na dalaga na naiwan ang mag-asawa ay hindi naman ito ganoon ka-istrikto.

Ang kaso, kung minsan na relaxed na relaxed na siya dahil alam niyang wala siyang lakad ay biglang tatawag ang tatay ng among babae at magpapahatid sa doktor. “E di hinatid ko nga, aba e pinaghintay pa ako,”sabi ni Andy. Pagkatapos sa doktor, dadagdagan pa nito ng “Mkoy, hoy kaysi maysung” na ang ang ibig sabihin ay dadaan daw ito ng palengke.

Dagdag ni Andy, “Kung ikaw matutuwa ka ba? Aba, parang nakabili ng drayber. Hay naku, ubos ang kalahating araw, tapos aabutan ka lang ng $20, pambili daw ng Coke”.

Kinabukasan si kuchie naman ang nagsabi daw ng, “Andy sinabi ko na sa amo mong babae. Magpintura ka sa amin habang wala sila, libre ka naman,” sabi daw nito. Dito na nagpanting ang tenga ni Andy, at sinagot daw niya ito ng  “No, no, if you want I will take my day off, I will not paint..sorry.”

Dagdag pa niya, mas masahol pa ang nagiging sitwasyon niya kung wala ang mga amo dahil sa dami ng gustong ipagawa ng mga sabit. – George Manalansan

Avoid becoming trafficking victims—Labatt

Celebrating in Moscow the end of Muslims’ month of fasting: note the amounts of food of two groups: recruiters and their victims.

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre says OFW jobseekers should have a questioning mind so that they don't become easy prey to human traffickers.

He gave the advice in an online post on Oct 29 as he pushed his crusade against illegal recruiters and human traffickers who have been targeting Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East for dubious jobs in Russia and elsewhere.

Nowadays, these traffickers are being emboldened by the use of social media like Facebook to “spread their tentacles across the globe”, Dela Torre said.

Labatt Dela Torre said human traffickers’ “effective business model” of recruiting vulnerable people and taking them to places “where institutions are weak or government positions are leveraged for personal gains” and abandon them or leave them on their own.

“These human traffickers keep the victims’ passports and continually put them under threat of violence, intimidation and denunciation to authorities,” the labor official said. “And (they) keep their victims on a leash to continue to fleece them.”

“Using Facebook as a communications, recruitment, payment and propaganda vehicle, (human traffickers) have used the popularity of this social networking app to spread their tentacles across the globe, and may even have links to terrorist groups,” he said.

Dela Torre said there are several ways for OFWs to help stop traffickers:
1) By spreading the word to your friends never to believe, much less allow yourselves, to be duped and recruited by these criminals;
2) Reporting to Facebook the messages of these criminals and their accomplices;
3) Inquiring from the authorities whether a recruitment going down in your community or neighbor is legitimate or not;
4) Reporting the crime to the nearest police authority;
5) Having been victimized and now overseas, denouncing the traffickers to our Embassy or Consulate;
6) Participating in campaigns against human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

Dela Torre said the success of human traffickers “depend very much on your credulity and your unquestioning willingness to believe.”

“The first essential step therefore is to just have a questioning frame of mind: is this legitimate or not? Is this good for me, or will it put me in harm’s way? Am I deciding on the basis of emotions, or am I using my rationality? Shouldn’t I consult with authorities first before making the jump? Isn’t the price I’m paying too much for the gain I’m expecting?”

He said illegal recruiters and human traffickers “rely on sweet promises and an aura of legitimacy to promote their business.”

“But you are smart enough to see through the pretence and the lies. You are intelligent enough to avoid them. You’re quick-thinking enough to act on your fears and suspicions. Stamp out human trafficking and illegal recruitment!” he said.

The labor attaché is currently leading a multi-territorial campaign to thwart a Moscow-based human trafficking syndicate led by a Pakistani-Filipino couple, Ahmed Sameer or Jon Meer on Facebook and his partner Kathleen Floresca Pimentel, that has recruited hundreds of OFWs to Russia.

These workers have paid at least US$3,500 to Meer for inexistent jobs, leaving the recruits jobless for months and buried in debt. Others who had gone out on their own have found part-time or full-time jobs but are working illegally using inappropriate visas.

Ngitngit ni Kulas

Isang araw inutusan si Peter ng kanyang amo (na palihim niyang tinatawag na Kulas) na i-unplug ang dalawa nitong wine cabinet at ilabas lahat ang mga alak. Gusto kasi ng amo na malinis ang loob ng mga cabinet na inaamag na.

Agad namang sumunod si Peter, at talagang pinag-igihan ang pagpupunas hindi lang sa mga cabinet, kundi pati sa mga alak din. Akmang ibabalik na niya ang mga bote nang makita niyang galit na galit si Kulas dahil sa nagkatuklap-tuklap at nasira ang label ng karamihan sa mga iniigatan nitong bote.

Dismayado naman si Peter dahil ingat na ingat pa naman daw siya sa paglilinis sa mga iyon. Sa edad kong 35 kasi ay ngayon lang ako nakahawag ng ganoon karaming mga bote ng alak, aniya.

Habang hinahaplos ni Kulas ang mga nasirang label ay sinabihan niya si Peter ng, “Next time if you cannot do it well, do not do it!” Napalunok muna si Peter bago nasabi ang “I’m sorry, Sir”.

Nasa puntong puro palatak ang namumutawi sa bibig ni Kulas nang dumating ang anak nitong dalaga na isang clinical psychologist. Sa mahinahong tinig ay sinabi nito sa ama na ginawa ni Peter ang kanyang makakaya, at hindi nito sinasadya ang pagkasira ng label sa mga alak.

Agad namang huminahon si Kulas. Laking pasasalamat naman ni Peter sa ginawang pagtatanggol sa kanya ng alaga, kahit na hiyang hiya siya sa nagawa.

Kahit pala Manilenyo siya ay marami pa rin siyang hindi alam sa buhay ng mga taga alta sosyedad– George Manalansan

Mag-ingat sa alupihan

Ni Merly T. Bunda

Noong Okt 6, bandang alas siyete medya ng umaga, habang naghanda ng almusal ng kanyang mga amo si Ella sa bahay nila sa Tseung Kwan O ay biglang gumapang sa kanyang paa ang isang alupihan at kinagat ang kanyang hinlalaki.

Napasigaw sa sakit si Ella, at maagap naman siyang sinaklolohan ng among Briton na kaagad pinatay ang alupihan.

Bagamat nasaktan ay hindi ito unang  pinansin ni Ella. Ngunit wala pang isang oras ay nakita niyang nangitim at namaga ang kanyang paa na kinagat.

Agad siyang isinugod ng amo sa emergency room ng Tseung Kwan O Hospital at nang malaman ng doktor na kinagat siya ng alupihan ay agad siyang tinurukan ng gamot kontra sa tetano. Binigyan din siya ng gamot para pantanggal ng sakit.

Pinagpalipas siya ng dalawang oras sa ospital  bago siya pinauwi. Pagdating sa bahay ng kanyang amo ay sumakit muli ang kanyang sugat dala ng kagat ng alupihan. Ayon kasi sa doktor, kung gaano daw kalaki ang kumagat na alupihan ay ganoon din katindi ang mararanasan niyang sakit.

Tatlong turok ang kailangan niya para masigurong hindi siya kakapitan ng tetano. Ang pangatlong injection ay sa Nob 3 pa niya kailangang balikan.

Gustong magbabala ni Ella sa mga kapwa kasambahay, lalo na iyong nakatira malapit sa mga halamanan, na ingatan na huwag makagat ng alupihan. Ayon daw sa doktor na tumingin sa kanya, hindi nalalayo sa ahas ang alupihan pagdating sa tindi ng kamandag nito, na nakalalason.

Si Ella, 33 taong gulang, ay tubong Cavite, may asawa at anak.

Philippine passports to be valid for 10 years from 2018

By Daisy CL Mandap

Screen grab from Cayetano's live announcement on FB

The validity of Philippine passports will be extended to 10 years starting Jan. 1, 2018, from the current five, at no additional cost. Only those who are under 18 years old will still be issued five-year passports.

This was announced live on Oct 25 by Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano through his Facebook account, as he signed the implementing rules and regulations of the new Philippine Passport Act.

Cayetano said the two-month grace period will allow the government to notify agencies abroad about the change in the passport’s validity.

He also said the passport cost will remain the same because the same booklet will be  issued, meaning, it will have the same number of pages and look.

This means that in the Philippines, the passport will still cost Php950 for regular processing or delivery within 15 working days (and P1,200 for express, or 7-days processing) and overseas, it will remain at US$60 ($480 in Hong Kong).

The announcement will likely appease overseas Filipino workers, including those in Hong Kong, who had warned against increasing the passport’s cost.

OFWs have long bewailed that the cost of the passport overseas is already 324 percent more than it does in the Philippines, adding to their economic burden.

Cayetano also announced that the appointment system will remain, except for certain categories of applicants who can just walk in, including senior citizens, persons with disability, OFWs and minor children with their parents and siblings.

In places like Hong Kong and London, he said an appointment system was necessary because most OFWs are able to go out only on Sundays, and they should have an assurance that they will be accommodated when they go to the Consulate to apply for a new passport.

On regular days when there are fewer people applying for passports, he said an appointment will not be necessary.

The new passport law was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last Aug. 2, but could not be implemented without the IRR.

About three million Filipinos reportedly apply for new passports, or renew the ones they already have, every year.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Pinoy seaman in shoe-soles cocaine case appears in court

By Vir B. Lumicao

Cocaine shaped as shoe soles

A drug trafficking case against a Filipino seafarer and his two Colombians contacts who allegedly smuggled into Hong Kong in June nearly 2 kilos of high-grade cocaine molded like shoe soles, will be turned over to the High Court, a Kowloon City magistrate said.                                                                                          Carlito Platon and his two co-defendants – Cristhian Enrique Posso and Jose William Uribe – were told on Oct 26 that their case will be moved to the High Court after laboratory tests showed the cocaine seized from them weighed 1.98 kilograms.

The prosecution dropped three charges of obstructing a customs officer against the defendants but amended the trafficking charge to increase the amount of cocaine involved from 1.33 kilos.

The suspects appeared in Kwun Tong court on Oct 26

Magistrate Peter Law set the next hearing of the case on Dec 4 in Eastern Court, where he said the suspects might be asked to make a plea, after which they will either stand trial or be sentenced at the High Court.

The magistrate told the defendants they could apply for legal aid for the High Court hearing.

Posso, through the defense lawyer, again applied for bail of $10,000, but Law denied the application, saying drug trafficking was a serious case, and that the defendant had no local ties.

Platon, 48, has not applied for bail since his arrest along with the two Colombians on Nathan Road in Yaumatei on June 2. Posso and Uribe both applied for bail in the previous hearing on Sept 28, but their requests were rejected.

The Filipino, a crew of a cargo vessel that had just docked at Kwai Chung, got off and met with the two unemployed Colombians allegedly to deliver two pairs of shoe soles, when Customs and police officers pounced on them. The cocaine was camouflaged as shoe soles.

   

Filipino mom arrested for abandoning baby boy

Queen's Road East, where the baby was abandoned 

A Filipina mother who left her one-year-old baby boy on a street in Wanchai on Oct 19 has been arrested for cruelty to a child, the police said.

But no formal charges had  been filed against the 39-year-old woman, whom she did not identify.

The suspect, identified by local newspapers as Angelita Labador, had been released on bail and told to report to Wanchai Police Station in mid-November, the officer said.

Labador is said to be living in Wanchai and unemployed, but the police could not say whether the mother is a domestic worker or a resident.

She said a 38-year-old female neighbor of Labador reported to the police after seeing her leave the boy on the pavement at 280 Queen’s Road East.

Police found the baby conscious at 6:49 pm and sent him to Ruttonjee Hospital for a check-up.

Officers later nabbed Labador, who was said to be hiding nearby.

Local newspaper reports said she was a jobless resident of the area who was allegedly booked for child abuse half a year ago. - VBL

DH admits stealing boss' jewelry worth $20k

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker pleaded guilty on Oct 25 in Kwun Tong Court to stealing more than $20,000 worth of jewelry from her female employer in Tseung Kwan O between July 2016 and Aug 26 this year.

Magistrate Do So convicted Angelina dela Rama, 46, and ordered her remanded in custody pending a background report from the probation office. He set sentencing for Nov 16.

“This is a serious case. You breached the trust placed by your employer in you. You will go to jail for a period of months or years depending on the background report,” So told Dela Rama, who dressed up for the hearing.

In mitigation, the defense counsel said Dela Rama has a husband, a son, and a sick mother in the Philippines. She stole the jewelry because she needed money for her mother’s medication and her son’s university education, the lawyer said.

The prosecution said the helper was arrested on Aug 27 after her employer, Chan Wai-fong, reported the theft of two gold bangles and three gold necklaces that she kept in an unlocked drawer in her bedroom at her parents’ flat in Kin Ming Estate, Tseung Kwan O.

The stolen items were worth a total of $20,254.                                                                              

A prosecution report said Chan, 30, kept the jewelry in her parents’ flat when she married in 2015 and moved with her husband into a flat in Tsui Wan Estate, Chai Wan. She hired Dela Rama as domestic helper in March 2016.

Since July last year, she and Dela Rama had been visiting Chan’s parents in Tseung Kwan O every weekend. After dinner, Chan would send the maid back to Chai Wan hile she stayed overnight with her parents.

On the night of Aug 26, Chan again visited her parents with Dela Rama, and after dinner, the maid was sent back to Chai Wan as before. The employer checked her jewelry later that evening and noticed that the two gold bangles were missing from the drawer.

Chan suspected the maid took the jewelry so she went to Chai Wan the next morning and searched Dela Rama’s bag as she got out of the lift lobby to take her day off.  The employer found one gold bangle in the maid’s bag and called the police.                                                                                     

A police search of the maid’s belongings yielded five other pieces of Chan’s jewelry. Dela Rama was arrested on Aug. 28 and she appeared in Kwun Tong court the next day, charged with  two counts of theft.

Pinoy jailed 21 days for indecent assault

By Vir B. Lumicao

The sentencing at Eastern court followed a day-long hearing

A 45-year-old Filipino carwash worker was sentenced to 21 days in jail on Oct 24 for indecent assault at the end of a day-long trial at Eastern Court.

Billy Vega, married Hong Kong resident and father of four, was dumbfounded after Magistrate Peter Hui pronounced his sentence.

“Ano, makukulong ako?” he asked his Filipina interpreter then handed over a set of keys and his cellphone to his wife before being led away by guards.

Vega’s conviction came after the alleged victim, a local woman identified only as Miss X, gave evidence detailing the incident on July 28 this year aboard a Chai Wan-bound MTR train at Wanchai Station.

Miss X, who came from Wong Tai Sin, said she was on her way to Causeway Bay and changed trains at Admiralty. On entering the train, she stood near the door tinkering with her mobile phone.

The incident happened after the victim got on
the train at Admiralty station 

“Then I felt something hard bumping my (private part) and I felt pain. It lasted for about 3 seconds,” the victim said in Cantonese.

When she looked down, she said she saw Vega’s right fist with his palm facing upward thrusting at her private parts. She said she stepped back and accosted the defendant in Cantonese, asking him three or four times why he touched her.

But the defendant simply looked at her and did not answer, she said.      

“If you don’t answer, I will press the emergency button,” she allegedly told Vega, who remained silent. She pressed the red button when the train had left Tin Hau Station, and by the time they
arrived at Fortress Hill Station, MTR staff were waiting for them.

Vega was arrested on the same day and charged with one count of indecent assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, so the case went to trial.

Hui said in his reasons for verdict that he believed the testimony of Miss X, the lone prosecution witness who gave her evidence behind a makeshift synthetic board cover. The magistrate described the victim as an honest and credible witness.

He also noted that the defense counsel had claimed the incident was purely accidental, suggesting that the defendant was pushed from behind by another passenger on the train, causing him to lurch and touch the victim accidentally.

But Hui said the assault happened at around 10:40 am, when the train was not packed.

Hui also said the defense did not provide proof that the physical contact with Miss X was unintentional, and elected not to take the witness stand.

High Court opens trial of 4 alleged Filipina 'drug mules'

By Vir B. Lumicao

The cocaine was found inside the hidden compartment of a hand-carried bag

Four Filipinas pleaded not guilty to conspiring to traffic dangerous drugs as their case opened before a jury at the High Court today, Oct. 20.

Two of the defendants – Shirley Chua and Maricel Thomas –also pleaded not guilty to a second charge of “trafficking in a dangerous drug” before Justice Audrey Campbell-Moffat of the Court of First Instance.

Chua and Thomas were arrested at Hong Kong airport on Sept 25, 2015 on arrival from Manila, for allegedly carrying almost 2 kilos of cocaine hidden in secret compartments of their hand-carried luggage. The drug was valued at about $2.5 million.

Their traveling companions, Remelyn Roque and Ana Louella Creus, were nabbed two days later when they returned to the airport for a flight back to Manila after allegedly delivering also about 2 kilos of cocaine to two men in Chung King Mansions, Tsimshatsui.

The start of the 15-day trial was marked by one prosecution witness saying Hong Kong’s Customs officers are wary of Filipino visitors as they come from a “high-risk” country. 

The witness, Lo Wai-hing, was one of two customs officers at the airport who inspected the bags of Chua and Thomas and arrested the pair.

The cocaine slabs found inside the bag

Asked by defense lawyer Kevin Egan what led the officer to select the two for the random baggage checking, Lo said it was because the visitors were from a “high-risk” country for drug trafficking.

He also said that the defendants did not look like the domestic workers who pass through the airport every day.

Next to give evidence was another customs officer Yang Haiyan, who said he saw Lo intercept Chua and Thomas and seize their green and black hand-carried luggage.

Yang said it was he who inspected and discovered the four slabs of cocaine hidden in secret compartments of their bags.

The green luggage and two slabs of cocaine it concealed were presented in court and inspected by Moffat, the defense lawyers as well as the jury members.

The hearing continues.

Labatt, OFWs halt latest illegal recruitment to Russia

By Vir B. Lumicao

Alleged illegal recruiters Meer and Pimentel

A fresh attempt by a Pakistani-Filipina couple to recruit more OFWs from Hong Kong for illegal work in Russia was foiled at the weekend by Labor Attaché Jalilo Dela Torre, who acted on a tip-off from some of their alleged victims.

The labor official went online and warned prospective applicants about the arrival in Hong Kong of Kathleen Floresca Pimentel alias Samantha Kaythe, the Filipino partner of Moscow-based recruiter Jon Meer Ahmed Sameer who also goes by the name Amir Ahmed Waseem.

“Forced labour and human trafficking. This is the business model of Jon Meer Ahmed Sameer, married to Kathleen Floresca Pimentel, who have together recruited hundreds of Filipinas from HK, Singapore, Dubai and Taiwan, and just practically left them on their own to look for a job and survive by their own wits,” Dela Torre said in an online post.

He said he hoped OFWs not just in Hong Kong but also in other places where the couple is known to recruit workers for Russia would be wise enough to avoid them.

“Let us use our common sense. Avoid illegal recruitment, human trafficking, forced labor and modern-day slavery,” the obviously irate labor official said.

Dela Torre’s action torpedoed the scheduled interview of applicants by Pimentel on Oct 20-23 in an undisclosed location in Hong Kong.

Meer sends off Pimentel at Moscow airport

The victims in Russia reported that the woman called off the interviews and flew back hastily to Moscow on Sunday. The couple is now said to be planning to move to another flat to avoid arrest.

The victims contacted the labor attaché as Pimentel was flying to Hong Kong on Wednesday. When she started meeting applicants, Dela Torre posted the warning.

As a result, Meer reportedly started sending rude and vicious messages to Dela Torre’s private number. Someone also managed to hack into Dela Torre’s viber account and replaced his name with “Scammer”.

But Dela Torre refused to be intimidated. He kept posting warnings against Meer and Pimentel on his wall, then formed a chat group that eventually agreed on launching a multi-territorial effort to flush out Meer and other traffickers of Filipino workers.

The group took on board diplomats from several posts abroad, NGO leaders and the Russian-based victims, who wrote about the abuses they suffered at the hands of Meer and his cohorts.

Among those in the group is former labor undersecretary and now anti human trafficking advocate Susan Ople, who disseminated her own hard-hitting warning against Meer in an article she wrote for a Manila daily.

Pimentel celebrates end of Ramadan at Meer's
tiny Moscow flat with some HK recruits

The OFW victims complained about being overcharged, maltreated, sexually harassed and intimidated by Sameer, and verbally abused by Pimentel.

They said Sameer recruited them in Hong Kong, charging US$3,500 (HK$27,230) for an invitation alone, the document that the Russian consulate requires of visa applicants. Those who could not pay in full advanced US$2,000 to $2,500, and paid the balance in three months. Some arrived in Russia five years ago and others just a few months ago.

Meer, in his own Facebook account, boasted about recruiting Hong Kong-based Filipinas for purported jobs in Turkey, Canada and the United States.

In posts after posts, Labatt Dela Torre reiterated there is no legal work for domestic helpers in Russia even if they hold a work visa, because the visa that agencies provide is not for domestic work. Those who hold commercial or business visas are in a more difficult position because they have to renew them every three months, at great cost.

“Per our Embassy officials in Moscow, there is no way a Household Service Worker could ever be granted a work visa, under current Russian immigration rules. So, essentially, you will be working in Russia under the shadow of illegal and vulnerable work. Why risk your safety and your future?” he said in another post.

Even as the illegal recruitment controversy brewed, more Filipinas from Hong Kong arrived in Moscow, with one flying into the Russian capital on Oct 20 and two others on Friday. Some chat participants said another batch of 28 OFWs is arriving in Moscow on Nov 3.

All were reportedly issued commercial visas and stayed in Meer’s flat while waiting for employers to pick them up. But Meer never got them the promised jobs and all had to go out on their own to find employers. Despite this, Meer insisted on being paid their “balance.”

In one instance, Meer allegedly shredded the passports of three victims who could not pay the balance of his required fee. The three were enraged further when they allegedly saw Pimentel laughing at their misfortune.

At times, police would raid Meer’s flat while the recruiter and his partner would suspiciously be dining out. The OFWs said they were asked to pay 500 roubles to the raiding team so they wouldn’t be arrested.

One said she felt so desperate that at one time she contemplated suicide because she was hopelessly trapped in that country without a job while her debt accumulated.

Early this year, at the instigation of the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, several Philippine posts abroad issued a warning to Filipinos not to be tricked into going to Russia for domestic work. The warning was clear: there is no visa for domestic workers in Russia, so everyone who goes there to do such work will be working illegally.

The warning obviously fell on deaf ears.

But this time around, Dela Torre, with help from various Philippine posts abroad, is adamant the illegal recruitment and human trafficking of OFWs from Hong Kong must stop.

Paggawa ng tinapa at embutido, itinuro ng BSK

Dumayo ang Balikatan sa Kaunlaran – Hong Kong Council  sa Deepwater Bay noong Okt. 5, isang statutory holiday, para turuan ang 43 Pilipina ng paggawa ng tinapa at embutido bilang bahagi ng kanilang pagsasanay pang-kabuhayan o “livelihood skills training”.

Ayon sa presidente ng BSK na si Ching Baltazar, kailangang samantalahin ng mga kapwa niya migranteng manggagawa ang pagsali sa ganitong libreng pagsasanay bilang paghahanda para sa kanilang pagbabalik sa Pilipinas.

Isang malaking oportunidad daw ito para matuto sila ng pagkakakitaan sa kanilang pag-uwi, at para din magamit nila ang kanilang natutunan sa pagluluto para sa kani-kanilang pamilya.

Isa sa mga dumalo si Alicia, na nagsabing mas gusto niyang gugulin ang kanyang libreng oras sa pagsasanay para sa dagdag-kaalaman imbes na tumambay o gumala kung saan-saan. Kahit galing pa siya sa Ma On Shan ay nagsikap siyang dumalo dahil sa laki ng interes niya na matutunan ang paggawa ng tinapa at embutido.

Karamihan sa mga dumalo ay ganito din ang sinabi, lalo na iyong mga nakatira sa tabing-dagat sa Pilipinas, kung saan sigurado silang makakuha ng mga sariwang isda para gawing tinapa. Mabuti daw at hindi lang paggawa ng tuyo o bagoong ang alam nilang gawin ngayon. – Ellen Almacin

Smoked Fish

(from BSK’s Maritess Llagas Mapa)

Materials for smoking:
3 tbsp pu’er tea (or any available tea in bag)
3 tbsp jasmine tea
8-10 pcs rose buds
3-4 tbsp brown sugar or 2 bars rock sugar
3 tbsp raw rice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg galunggong (can be replaced by bangus, tunsoy or tamban)
1 bottle Chinese fish marinade
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp monosodium glutamate (MSG)
1 1/2 tbsp black pepper

Procedure
1. Wash and clean the fish very well, but do not remove the head and intestines. Drip dry.
2. In a large sauce pan, marinate the clean fish with the Chinese fish marinade together with the other ingredients.
3. Marinate 6 to 8 hours, then drip dry for 1/2 day.

Mga sangkap upang bumango ang usok.

4.  Arrange the marinated fish in a big woven bamboo steamer, ready to smoke.
5. Line up a wok with aluminum foil, then pre-heat the wok on the stove.
6. Add all the ingredients for smoking, then top again with aluminum foil (you can substitute banana or guava leaves), before putting on the wok cover. Make sure that everything is airtight.
7. Smoke for about 15 minutes. The fish is then ready to be served as is, or fried slightly.

Be wary of snake bites!

Lamma residents Cris and her sister Lolit, along with their friend Dolly, were preparing to go to the beach on Lamma Island on Oct 5 to watch the lantern display in celebration of the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake festival, when the unexpected happened.

Dolly is wheeled into an ambulance in Yung Shue Wan (above). 

Dolly was bitten by a green viper snake as she and Lolit were walking through a grassy patch near their homes in Hung Shing Ye Village, Yung Shue Wan.

Dolly, who was no stranger to snake bites as she had been bitten previously by a king cobra, was immediately taken by ambulance to the Lamma North Clinic. From there, she was airlifted by a helicopter to a hospital on Hong Kong island where she was confined for a few days.


Cris recounted the incident in a message to The SUN:

“My sister said Dolly was behind her as they walked down in the residential area , heading for the beach, when Dolly suddenly shouted out loud, saying she got bitten by snake. They (both) saw the green viper snake on the ground ready for a fight with no plan to run away. Both were in panic as the snake poison was setting off a reaction inside Dolly’s body. My sister made her sit down and called for friends’ help, including 911 (emergency service).”

Close-up of the injured foot.

While waiting for the ambulance the two reportedly poured alcohol on Dolly’s wound and tied something around her legs to stop the venom from spreading.

Cris added: “I was right away worried and at the same time wondering how and why snakes love to bite her. This was the second time. Last time it was a king cobra.”

That first time, which happened four years ago,  Cris remembered so well because she was around when it happened. She said Dolly had picked up a $500 bill she dropped on the ground when the cobra pounced.

Making the two snake incidents more unfortunate is Dolly’s allergic reaction to anti-venom medicines, which makes it necessary for her to stay in the hospital longer each time.

Cris said Lamma is a great place to live, with its clean beaches and fresh air, apart from having neighbors who are always ready to extend a helping hand to anyone in trouble.

But, she said people who are living here, or in any mountainous or grassy places, should be extra careful because snakes abound, and not a few people have been bitten.

She advised people who walk about here to be mindful of their surroundings, and to always use a torch a night so they will see the path ahead of them.

“My friend was aware of snakes around but she still got bitten for the second time,” said Cris, in an effort to emphasize the need to be extra careful about the dangers that lurk in otherwise idyllic places like Lamma.— DCLM

Pagbabago sa takbo ng buhay

Ang trabaho ng seaman ay parang sa domestic helper: dahil ang tirahan ay nasa pinagtatrabahuan mo na rin, walang gastos sa renta, pamasahe at pagkain. Pero hindi gaya ng DH na buo ang nakukuha nilang sahod buwan-buwan, ang personal na pera ng seaman ay galing lang sa mga ekstrang kita gaya ng allowance at overtime, dahil buong sahod nila ay diretsong napupunta sa kanilang pamilya.

Marami ang masaya sa ganitong kalakaran, lalo na ang mga pamilya ng seaman, dahil sigurado silang makatatanggap ng perang panggastos sa araw-araw. Ganito rin si Jun delos Reyes Domingo, na naninirahan sa Lipa City, dahil sarili na lang niya ang iniisip.

“Hindi ko na kasi pinoproblema ang pera para sa pamilya,” ika niya sa isang pagtitipon ng CARD OFW Hong Kong Foundation kamakailan.

Mula nang unang sumakay siya ng barko pagkatapos mag-graduate sa kolehiyo, hanggang mag-asawa na siya, ang naiipon niya habang nasa barko ay pambili na lang ng pasalubong sa pag-uwi niya kapag nakatapos siya ng kontrata.

“Nagkaka-problema lang kung may biglang pangangailangan, gaya ng kung may naospital sa mga kamag-anak ko,” dagdag pa niya.

Nabago ang pananaw niya noong 2002 nang matapos ang kanyang kontrata at bumaba siya upang maghanap ulit ng susunod na barkong sasakyan. Panahon  iyon ng panghihina ng industriya ng shipping, kaya mahirap makakita ng lilipatang barko.

“Kapag umuwi tayo, walang hanap-buhay,” aniya. “Kaya kapag naubos na ang uwing pera, kahit pambili ng gatas ay wala. Pambayad sa bahay na hinuhulugan, hindi alam kung saan kukunin. Pang araw-araw, inuutang. Kapag lalapit sa mga magulang, aabutin ka pa ng maraming sermon.”

Sa paghahanap ng pagkakakitaan sa harap ng pagdarahop, napag-usapan nilang mag-asawa na mag buy-and-sell.

“Mamimili kami ng anu-ano sa Divisoria at ilalako namin  saan-saan. Nakakaabot kami sa Cavite, Bulacan ay Nueva Ecija.” Gamit nila ang isang owner jeep na nirentahan. Karamihan sa mga gamit-bahay ay hulugan, kaya nakakabalik sila sa mga napagbentahan upang magdala ulit ng mga bagong produkto.

At sa mga lugar ding iyon namimili sila ng bagong paninda, gamit ang pinagbentahan, upang may maibenta sa susunod na pupuntahang lugar. Isa sa pinakamibili noon ay isang frame ng batis na mukhang  may tunay na tubig na dumadaloy, na binibili nila sa Divisoria.

Nakaraos silang mag-anak ng 18 buwan dahil dito. Nagbigay din ito ng leksiyon sa kanya. Kaya nang makakita ulit si Jun ng barkong masasakyan, hindi na siya gaya ng dati na umaalis sa Pilipinas na walang wala at minsan ay lubog pa sa utang, at dumarating pabalik na may pera .

Dahil sa natutunan niyang hanapbuhay, hindi na niya pinalampas ang  pagkakataong kumita ng ekstra: nagdala siya ng mga produktong maibebenta sa magiging kasamahan niya sa barko, gaya ng SIM card, cell phone at mga sitsirya.

May apat na cell phone siyang hindi maibenta, dahil hindi angkop sa mga lugar na dinadaungan ng kanilang barko. Kaya iniuwi niya ito ay ipinabenta sa isang kaibigan.

Ang siste, nagamit ng kaibigan ang pinagbentahan, kaya nangako itong babayaran na lang kapag naibenta niya ang bahay na hinuhulugan.

Nagka-ideya si Jun. Para sigurado siyang mabayaran, bakit hindi na lang siya ang bumili ng bahay at ibawas na lang ang utang ng kaibigan sa ibabayad niya, at siya na rin ang magtutuloy ng paghuhulog sa developer. Lumabas na mga P30,000 ang total na utang ng kaibigan, kaya dinagdagan na lang nila ito nang kaunti upang makuha ang bahay. Dito itinayo noong 2012 ang negosyong nagpabago ng kanyang buhay.

Habang nakatayo sila sa harap ng bahay at iniisip kung ano ang gagawin dito, nagsalita ang asawa niya: “Tindahan.”

“Ako naman, sumasang-ayon lang sa kanya, dahil nakikita ko naman kung paano siya magdala, lalo na noong walang wala kami” dagdag ni Jun.

Binutas nila ang isang bintana, at nagsabit ng pouches ng kape at Milo. Naging popular ito, dahil nag-iinit sila ng tubig sa madaling araw para sa mga construction worker na papunta sa mga bahay na itinatayo sa subdivision.

Gamit ang inutang na P5,000 mula sa malapit na CARD SME Bank, na madali nilang nakuha dahil kasapi ang asawa niya sa CARD, namili sila ng iba pang paninda.

“Hindi naman kailangang magsimula sa malaki,” ika ni Jun. “Tingnan muna natin kung tatakbo tayo.”

Ang binibili nilang paninda ay iyong hinahanap ng tao, gaya ng sardinas, sabon at iba pa. Halimbawa, nang may maghanap ng bigas, lumuwas siya sa bayan at nag-bitbit nito pauwi, kahit ang tubo ay P50 lang bawa’t sako.

Noong makasakay ulit siya ng barko, nagpapadala na rin siya ng pandagdag sa puhunan.  Habang dumarami ang mabibili ng mga tao sa tindahan, lumalaki rin ang kanilang benta araw-araw.

Pagdating niya pagkatapos ng isa pang kontrata ay nagulat siya at puno na ito ng paninda. Ito ang naging pinaka-malaking grocery store sa buong subdivision nila, kaya naging puntahan na sila ng mga residente para sa pag-araw-araw na pangangailangan nila.

Patuloy pa rin silang sensitibo sa ano ang hanap ng mamimili. Noong may magtanong kung mayroon silang cooking gas, bumili siya nito sa bayan para ibenta sa tindahan. Nagsimula siya sa padala-dalawang tangke, na naka-display sa harapan ng tindahan. Nang dumami ang bumibili nito, hinanap niya ang wholesaler at doon siya nakakuha ng gas sa mas mababang halaga, at free delivery pa.

Maya-maya, mayroon na rin siyang water filling station.

Ang dating P5,000 na utang niya sa banko ay naging P500,000, isang pagpapatunay na may tiwala sila sa kanyang kakayahang magbayad.

Noong 2015 ay pumasa si Jun sa exam upang maging opisyal ng barko pero hindi na siya sumakay ulit dahil hindi na niya kailangang mawalay pa sa pamilya para maghanapbuhay.

Ang tindahan niya ay sapat na upang matustusan ang pagiaaral ng mga anak, mabayaran ang mga utang, at maging masagana ang hinaharap ng kanyang pamilya. --LD

Depressed Filipino in hospital after cutting off penis

The man is in serious condition at the
Pamela Youde Eastern Hospital

A 42-year-old Filipino driver is in serious condition at the hospital where he was rushed after cutting off his penis and throwing it into a toilet yesterday, Oct. 22, in his Shau Kei Wan flat.

Reports say the Filipino named Andy was found by his live-in girlfriend at about 7:30am in the room they shared on Ngoi Man Street, bleeding heavily and without his penis.

The woman yelled for help and a male neighbor called the police. When the paramedics came, the man reportedly told them he had flushed his missing penis down the toilet.

He was rushed to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan where he remains under observation.

Initial investigations revealed the man was depressed, but the cause was not revealed.

The police classified the case as a suicide attempt although no suicide note was found.

A neighbor told The SUN Andy had been upset for some time because his penis had begun to swell for reasons that are still not clear. He reportedly asked a woman who lived in the same boarding house to go with him to the hospital to have it checked but she refused, saying she was embarrassed.

All the other people living in the boarding house reportedly did not have any clue as to why Andy had gone to the extreme of cutting off his penis. – with a report by Merly Bunda