Pinayuhang huwag pasaway

Di sinasadyang nagkita sa MTR train sa Central sina Linda at Ella, na naging matalik na magkaibigan noong sila ay nasa Pilipinas pa, at nag-aapplay pa lamang na pumunta ng Hong Kong. Magkasama nilang nilakad ang mga kinakailangan na dokumento hanggang makarating sila pareho sa Hong Kong.

Nakakuha ng amo si Linda na taga New Territories samantalang sa Mid-Levels naman napunta si Ella. Hindi na sila nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na magkita muli dahil parehong naging abala sa trabaho.

Dahil ganoon lang lang ang saya nila nang aksidenteng magkita ay napalakas ang kanilang usapan sa tren, dahilan upang mairita ang isang matandang babae na katabi nila.

Pinagsabihan ang dalawa na dahan dahan sa paggalaw at hinaan ang boses dahil nakakasagi sila at nakakagambala sa ibang pasahero. Sa halip na sundin ang sinabi ng kapwa pasahero ay sumagot si Ella ng, “This is a public place at masaya ako”.

Dahil sa tinuran ni Ellen ay nagsalita bigla ang matanda sa Tagalog at sinabi na hindi lamang siya ang ang tao sa mundo at porke ba nasa pampublikong lugar ay maaari nang gawin ni Ella ang gusto na magsalita ng malakas. Dapat din daw niyang isipin ang mga taong nakapaligid,  matuto na umakto nang tama at hindi nakakasagabal sa iba.

Biglang natahimik ang magkaibigan dahil hindi nila akalain na Pilipino pala ang katabi. Nahihiyang humingi sila ng dispensa dito. Tinanggap naman ng matanda ang paumanhin, at bago ito bumaba ay pinagsabihan ang magkaibigan na maging halimbawa ng kagandahang asal sa kapwa at huwag nang dumagdag pa sa bilang ng mga Pilipinang pasaway dito sa Hong Kong.

Si Linda ay dalaga at tubong Bacolod samantalang si Ella ay laking Maynila na buhat sa Cebu. – Ellen Asis

Muntik makasunog

Hiyang hiya si Adel, 39, at taga Pangasinan, nang magising noong Nob. 23 dahil nakitang muntik na niyang nasunog ang bahay ng mga amo.

Ininit niya ang lemon na iinumin niya sana sa umaga, pero nakatulog siya at nakalimutan ang nakasalaang sa kalan. Sunog hindi lang ang lemon, kundi pati ang takure, at posibleng kumalat pa ang apoy.

Siya namang paglabas ng alaga niyang dalaga, sabay sabi ng “You fell asleep last night and forgot to turn off the gas, didn’t you? Fortunately I went to the kitchen to drink.”

Walang nasabi ang nanlulumong si Adel kundi, “I’m sorry.”

Wala ang mga amo niya noong araw na iyon dahil namamasyal sa Japan, at kinabukasan pa ng gabi ang dating. Nang makabalik na sa bahay ang mga amo ay pinakain muna sila ni Adel at nagligpit sa kusina.

Dahil alumpihit siya at ikot ng ikot sa sala, naalibadbaran ang among lalaki at tinanong siya ng, “Adel why you look so worried, anything bothering you? Can we help?” Naisip ni Adel na hindi pa siya sinumbong ng alaga, kaya agad na sinabi ang, “Sir, Sir I’m sorry for my negligence…it is a big mistake. I left the stove on unattended and fell asleep, the other night, please forgive me. Fortunately “mui mui” was around, saw it and turned it off for me.”

Biglang natigilan ang amo, bago sinabing, “It’s okay,  we understand, we forget things too." Pero bigla nitong sinundan ng, “You know, if this happened in a village of Chinese families, they will expel you for three years.”

Mula noon ay ayaw nang magluto ni Adel ng hiwalay para sa kanyang pagkain kapag mag-isa lang siya sa bahay, Nag steam na lang siya ng ulam, sabay sa sinaing sa rice cooker para siguradong hindi maulit ang nangyari. Laking pasalamat din niya na hindi siya nakasunog ng bahay. – George Manalansan

Ylagan returns to HK, claims she’s been duped yet again

By Daisy CL Mandap

Ester P. Ylagan

Elusive recruiter Ester P. Ylagan is back in Hong Kong, 15 months since she went into hiding in the Philippines amid an unfolding scandal over the fake jobs she offered to Filipino domestic workers in exchange for thousands of dollars in fees.

Ylagan. looking noticeably thinner, showed up at The SUN’s office in the evening of Dec. 13, claiming once again that she had been duped into parting with the money she meant to pay her irate job applicants.

She was apparently flushed out of hiding by a TV news report in the Philippines which aired early last month, in which she was branded an illegal recruiter while a video of her conducting a briefing for her job applicants in Hong Kong was shown.

 She said she wanted to speak up to clear the air, and also to seek advice.

She furnished a copy of the statement she gave to police on Dec 5 in which she accused a former friend of fraudulently taking over ownership of a flat on Yue Kok street in Aberdeen which she used to co-own with her recently deceased husband, Rick Ylagan.

Ylagan said the friend had caused her and her husband to transfer their joint ownership of the 2-bedroom, seaview flat to their 24-year-old son, Ridge Michael, on the understanding that the property would eventually be sold to satisfy the claims against her.

Instead, Michael was somehow tricked into transferring ownership of the flat to this trusted friend.

Ylagan also hinted that her MPF savings had been drained by the same friend who allegedly told her the money would go towards her legal defense and to pay off the claims.

While this was happening, Ylagan said she was advised by her former friend to go underground and to deactivate all her social media accounts while the case against her in Hong Kong was being sorted out. She was reportedly told she would be arrested and thrown in jail if she returned here.

Ylagan claimed that in the 15 months that she had stayed away from Hong Kong she was not aware that the claims against her by more than 300 Filipino job applicants in Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines were still being pursued.

She reportedly only learned of this when she saw the TV news report, and somehow finally managed to access reports published by The SUN in both its print and online platforms.

In an earlier statement she gave to police on July 8 last year, Ylagan, a 30-year-veteran of the recruitment business, said she had been tricked into offering the fictitious jobs by a certain “William Clinton”.

This Clinton guy supposedly caused her to send a total of $4.194 million to various recipients in places such as Burkina Faso and Nigeria in West Africa.

She claimed she was not to be paid any cash for recruiting for Clinton, but would be rewarded with a British passport, 15 air tickets to London, and “an opportunity to explore the UK market”.

She in turn, was to collect $15,000 from each job applicant for Canada, and $10,000 for those applying to work in Britain. Given the number of claimants running after her for a refund of their money, Ylagan could have collected as much as $5 million from the scam.

But with her flat gone and her once highly profitable Emry’s Employment Agency shut down, Ylagan says she has no money left to repay the applicants. In fact, she told The SUN she was applying for legal aid so she could claim back her house and sell it so she could satisfy the claims of all those running after her.

The fantastic claim has, however, already been rejected by most claimants who have remained firm in demanding a refund, and for Ylagan to be held to account for fraud for the spurious job offers.

Congress okays 1 more year of martial law in Mindanao

With a vote of 240 in favor and 27 against, a joint session of Congress overwhelmingly approved President Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao by one year.

The military has warned of continuing threats from the pro-Islamic State group militants and the communist organization.

This despite Duterte’s declaration in September of the defeat of the Islamist militants in Marawi City.

 Justifying Duterte’s request to Congress, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said remnants of the IS-linked militants were trying to regroup and recruit to recover from their defeat in Marawi City.

“The rebellion has not stopped, it has just moved to another place,” Lorenzana told senators and congressmen in a special joint session.

Duterte immediately thanked Congress for swiftly responding positively to his request. He spoke at a ceremony at an Army camp where hundreds of rifles and other weapons used by the extremists in Marawi were destroyed with a road roller. Asked by reporters about the prospects of martial law being imposed nationwide, the president said it cannot be ruled out if the country’s survival is at stake.

“You threaten the existence of the Republic of the Philippines, I am sure that everybody will react and do what he must do to prevent it,” he said.

Five months of intense fighting, including daily airstrikes and artillery bombardments by the military against hundreds of militants, left more than 1,100 combatants and noncombatants dead and displaced about half a million people, turning mosque-studded Marawi’s central business and residential districts into a smoldering war zone.

Lorenzana said it would take at least three years to rebuild Marawi, a bastion of Islamic faith in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines.

Opposition lawmakers questioned the constitutionality of the martial law extension, saying it was an “extreme measure” that can only be imposed when actual rebellions against the government exist. They expressed fears that such a move can be a prelude for Duterte to declare martial law throughout the country.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, president of Liberal Party, said the martial law declaration did not have a clear constitutional basis. He cited the government’s declaration that the terrorists have been defeated in Marawi, and said that major rebel attacks have been dealt with by past presidents without resorting to martial rule.

“We will be in danger of becoming the monsters that we seek to defeat, those who have no regard for law, order or respect for the constitution,” Pangilinan said.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 this year to quell the rebellion of the Islamic State-inspired Maute extremist group.

Congress rushed approval of the martial law extension bill before it adjourned for a month-long holiday break on Wednesday, December 13.

But some senators see the proposed one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao as yet another attempt to place the entire country under authoritarian rule.

Senator Franklin Drilon, minority leader in the Senate, raised suspicions on the justification that the administration gave for extending the martial law period in Mindanao. It was originally declared to contain and defeat the Islamic State-inspired Maute group that attempted to take take over Marawi City earlier this year.

“The president cited the NPA for the first time in his extension. The NPA conflict was not cited in the original request. The NPA conflict has been there for the last four decades. Suddenly, the NPA has been cited as an additional ground for the extension of martial law in Mindanao,” Drilon cited during a joint session of Congress on the President’s proclamation..

“Is this now a prelude to declaring martial law nationwide?” he asked.

Opposition groups have raised concerns that martial law, which surveys suggest has the support of Mindanao residents, will be expanded to the Visayas and Luzon.

“Is this now a prelude to declaring martial law nationwide?” Opposition groups have raised concerns that martial law, which surveys suggest has the support of Mindanao residents, will be expanded to the Visayas and Luzon.

Drilon said there is no basis to further extend martial law since there is no actual rebellion in Mindanao following the liberation of Marawi City in October.

For her part, Senator Risa Hontiveros noted that the NPA has already been characterized as a spent force, and wondered why it is now being used to extend martial law in Mindanao.

But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said NPA had recently staged attacks in Eastern and Southern Mindanao.

“NPA is not a main target of martial law. They are already branded as a terrorist organization because they have already alerted their troops on the ground to strengthen attacks,” Lorenzana claimed.

The Defense department said in February, when peace talks with communist rebels first hit snags over political prisoners still in detention and alleged continuing counterinsurgency operations, that the NPA had grown to about 5,000 members across the country.

Lorenzana said then that he had received reports stating that there had been a “surge” in recruitment by the NPA.

In his letter to Congress, Duterte cited continued threats from Islamic State-linked extremists, local terrorists and communist rebels as the primary reason to justify the extension of martial law for another year.

“A further extension of the implementation of martial and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao will help the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and all other law enforcement agencies to quell completely and put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao and prevent the same from escalating to other parts of the country,” the president wrote.

He dedicated five paragraphs out of 17 to detail alleged atrocities committed by the NPA.

Duterte said that NPA committed 385 “atrocities” in Mindanao, which resulted in deaths of 41 government personnel and 23 civilians.

NPA is also responsible for at least 59 arson incidents in the southern Philippines, he added.

On December 5, Duterte signed a proclamation classifying the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the NPA, as terrorist groups.

On November 23, Duterte formally terminated negotiations with communists through Proclamation 360, citing the rebels’ supposed failure to display sincerity to the peace process.

The New People’s Army, the armed wing of the rebels, has earned Duterte’s ire for staging attacks that killed civilians.

Martial law was declared on May 23, within hours of the Maute attack on the capital of Lanao del Sur. The extension was approved by Congress in July until December 31 this year.

Dead phone battery stalls trial of Pinoy in upskirt video case

By Vir B. Lumicao

Trial of Pinoy in upskirt video case
resumes on Dec 15

A magistrate in Kwun Tong Court was forced to adjourn the trial of a Filipino worker accused of taking an upskirt video of a woman when the phone with the contested footage failed to boot up on Dec. 5.

Magistrate Chu Chung-keung postponed the trial of defendant Nelson San Juan to Dec. 15 after the defense said the battery of the mobile phone with the video had drained.

The defense lawyer said the phone was kept by the police since it was seized in December last year, and its battery had gone dead.

He said the phone would need at least 25 minutes to recharge to 50% and be able to play back the video footage.

The magistrate adjourned the hearing after realizing that San Juan would not be able to finish his evidence by the 1pm break if the phone battery was to be charged up first.

San Juan is on trial for “committing an act outraging public decency”.

The magistrate admitted the video footage as evidence in the case, but disallowed a notebook on which the arresting officer wrote his initial interview with the suspect.

At the previous hearing, the arresting officer had alleged that San Juan admitted his iPhone’s video camera was running while he was behind the woman, Miss X, ascending an escalator at a mall in Kowloon Bay on Dec 23 last year.

The defendant was arrested by the plainclothes officer who tailed him after seeing him holding a mobile phone and following the woman, the prosecution said.

When all three got to the upper floor of the mall, the officer alerted the woman, then accosted San Juan and checked his phone.

In his testimony, the officer said San Juan initially denied he had taken upskirt photos of Ms X but later told him the phone’s video camera was on.

The officer also said he wrote the defendant’s statement on his notebook. But Magistrate Chu rejected the notebook as evidence after the defense lawyer said the statement was taken without San Juan being allowed to contact his employer first.

However, the magistrate said San Juan had a case to answer regarding the video footage.

San Juan, who was free on police bail, was accompanied to court by two female friends. 

DH walks free as sexual assault case dropped

Pinay DH set free in Kwun Tong court

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Filipina domestic worker in the much-publicized vibrator assault case walked free from Kwun Tong court on Dec 8 after the prosecution withdrew a charge of ill-treatment of a child against her for lack of evidence.

Gina Buduan, 38, shed tears of joy after Magistrate Don So told her she could go.

The Filipina had been in police custody since last October after she was arrested for allegedly using her employer’s pink vibrator to assault her two-year-old female ward.

On Dec 7, the prosecutor told the court she was withdrawing the charge because investigators could not gather enough evidence against Buduan, despite a medical report showing the child “had rashes and abrasions on her body”.

The helper, whose eyes were smarting when she appeared on the dock, finally walked free after the magistrate said no one could tell how her ward got hurt.

“A two-year-old cannot tell between a lie and the truth. How she hurt herself is a mystery”, So said.

The prosecutor said the child could not tell her mother and the investigators how she got injured. Likewise, she could not tell the exact date when she suffered those rashes and abrasions.

A police report on the incident said the employer, from Lohas Park, Tseung Kwan O, discovered in mid-October that her daughter had pain in her private part.

She took the child to a doctor, who prescribed ointment for the redness on the girl’s genitals. When the mother applied the ointment in the evening, the girl allegedly told her Buduan had poked the dildo on her private part and tied a black mouth gag on her thighs.   

The employer reported the matter to the police and Buduan was arrested. When she first appeared in court on Oct 31, the helper denied the charge.

    

High Court rejects bail bid by overstayed Pinoy

By Vir B. Lumicao 

High Court judge said defendant might disappear again
ahead of  his trial for overstaying his visa for 19 years

A Filipino male who overstayed his visa for 19 years failed in his High Court bid on Dec. 6 to post bail for his temporary release.

Manuel C. Sy, Jr., who appears to be in his 20s, had gone underground after being refused a dependant’s visa in 1998.

He was arrested only in recent weeks when he tried to make off with $54 worth of food items from a supermarket in Hong Kong Island.

Court of First Instance Judge Kevin Zervos refused Sy’s bail application ahead of his trial on Dec. 21 in Shatin court for breach of condition of stay.

The judge noted that the defendant had failed to show up in court for an earlier hearing and might repeat the misdeed.

According to court records cited by Zervos, Sy came to Hong Kong in 1998 to join his mother, a permanent resident of the city. But for some unspecified reason, his mother’s application to take him in as a dependant was denied by immigration.

Sy was granted bail initially after he said he would live in his mother’s rented house. But the bail was cancelled and an arrest warrant issued by the magistrate after Sy did not appear at the July 28 hearing.

“I did not go to the hearing because I had no money,” Sy replied when asked by Zervos why he did not go to the court.

Police who checked the home of Sy’s mother discovered that he was not staying there, in breach of his bail application. The officers also found out he had no communication with his mother for the past two years.

“I’m not prepared to grant you bail because it is likely that you won’t appear again at the appointed date of trial,” Zervos said.

The judge set Sy’s trial for Dec. 21.

Gay Pinoy tourist jailed 2 months for offering sex-for-fee to cop

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 20-year-old Filipino gay tourist was ordered jailed for two months at Eastern court on Dec 7 after he pleaded guilty to soliciting sex for a fee from an undercover police officer and for breaching his condition of stay.

Gene Belonio, who is said to be a university student in the Philippines, appeared before Magistrate Bina Chainrai wearing a miniskirt dress and sporting shoulder-length hair.

He arrived in Hong Kong as a tourist on Nov 27 and was allowed to stay until Dec. 11.

A report read out in court said that at about 12:57am on Dec 6, plainclothes officer Anthony William Lothian was carrying out an anti-vice operation outside Wanchai Central Building on 89 Lockhart Road when he was approached by Belonio.

The transvestite reportedly offered the officer sex for $1,000. When Lothian agreed, Belonio hailed a taxi and took the officer to a hotel in Causeway Bay.  

When they got to the hotel, Lothian identified himself as a police officer and placed the defendant under arrest, the report said.

At the police station, Belonio was charged with “soliciting for an immoral purpose,” a euphemism for prostitution, and “breach of condition of stay” for working illegally.

Chainrai convicted Belonio after he pleaded guilty to both charges.

In mitigation, the duty lawyer said the defendant came to Hong Kong to earn tuition money so he could finish his course. The counsel said Belonio was remorseful and had admitted his guilt.

The magistrate meted the defendant a discounted two-month sentence for each offense, to be served concurrently.                                                                                                                                                                              

Even worst employers will change—Daddy Leo

By Vir B. Lumicao

The bad or good treatment that you get from your employers depends on your attitude towards them. Show them goodness and their conscience will change them.

That’s what domestic helper, Filipino community leader and movie celebrity Leo Selomenio told her fellow OFWs when she spoke at the International Forum on Migration in Hong Kong held on Nov 19 at Admiralty Convention Centre.

“Dito ko na-realize na ang ugali ng mga amo pala, depende iyon sa ipinapakita mo sa kanila. Kasi kahit gaano kasama ang isang tao, kapag ipinakita mo ang kabutihan, makukunsensiya siya, eh. Iyon talaga ang experience ko. Kahit gaano kabait ang ating amo kapag tayo naman ang abusado, wala tayong magagawa dahil abusado ka eh,” said Selomenio, chairman of Global Alliance.

Her sharing appears to have impressed one of the groups that attended the event that they invited Selomenio to be their guest speaker at the National Forum on Migration to be held at the Philippine International Convention Center on Dec. 18. The group, Philippine Migrants Watch, will shoulder all her costs, including air fare and accommodation, says Selomenio.

In her Hong Kong speech, Selomenio shared how she had gone through a lot of hardships as an OFW. After graduating cum laude with a BS Education degree major in physical education from the Western Visayas State University, Selomenio decided to go abroad to work, with Singapore as her fist destination. 

While many helpers in Hong Kong complain about going to bed at 1am or 2am and getting up very early, Selomenio said, wala pa sa kalingkingan ng naranasan ko when I was in Singapore.”

There, she said it pained her to realize that she, a college graduate, would be working as a servant. Worse, she had to work until 2am, look after two children, put up with the whims of the stay-in wife of her employer and make do with little, mostly leftover food.

“Hindi naman tayo sanay kumain ng tira-tira, pero no choice ka naman, kung hindi ay magugutom ka,” she said.

Her male employer used to tell her she was his 14th helper, a hint of how unbearable the working conditions were in the household. But Selomenio said she persevered because she dreamt when she was just a child that she would be president of the Philippines. Her patience eventually paid off because she was able to change the attitude of her employer towards her.

“Kung marami kayo diyan na masama ang amo, mas matindi talaga ang amo kong iyon. Hindi ko na lang isa-isahin kung gaano siya kalupit. Petmalu talaga. Pero tiniis ko lang, kasi yun ang purpose ko, eh, na one day yayaman din ako. So I stayed there for six years,” she said.

Selomenio’s “insatiable desire” to prove herself drove her to move on to Kuwait, where she worked as a helper for four years before coming to Hong Kong in 1994. She has been with her present employer for 12 years.

It was in the SAR where her journey as a community leader started, with full support from her employer who allowed her to rest on Saturday, and use her Sunday for community work.

She attributes her leadership to her being top of the class from Grade 1 to her senior year in high school, and then graduating from the university with honors.

“Hindi ako kasi sanay na ako yung sumusunod. I was born kasi to be a leader. Kasi simula noong maliit ako gusto ko talaga yung ako ang nagunguna. Ayaw kong sumunod sa iyo. Why should I? Magaling naman ako sa iyo. Kaya na-instill sa utak ko na kailangan I have to be a leader. I have to do it,” she said.

Then in 2014, newbie director BabyruthVillarama came to Hong Kong looking for a community leader who would play a key role in “Sunday Beauty Queen”, and Vice Consul Fatima Quintin suggested Selomenio.

The Filcom leader agreed, and the director and her crew followed her around Hong Kong, as she did her daily chores such as taking her ward to and fetching her from school, and on to her Sunday community activities, mainly volunteering at the PCG and helping workers.

The movie eventually won the Best Film award at the Metro Manila Film Festival last year, and made Selomenio a star, especially among her fellow OFWs.

Selomenio advises domestic workers not to think of the hardships here, otherwise their lives would be like hell. “Isipin mo talaga na kaya pumunta ka dito para sa family mo, para sa sarili mo… alam natin ang magiging trabaho natin dito. Hindi tayo mga turista rito,” she said. 

It doesn’t hurt either to love what you do, and extend the same to your fellow workers.

“So, love your work, nasa puso natin iyan,” she urged her compatriots. “Pero ang pagmamahal mo sa kapwa, yung integridad mo sa community, they will never forget you. Kasi marami kayong nagawa para sa kanila.”

Selomenio says she will be proud of her many experiences in life as a helper when she returns home for good. “Marami akong pinagdaanan kaya I’m proud of myself. And I’m proud to be a domestic helper.”

She says her fervent hope is that the Philippines “will stop exporting mothers, and mothers will stop exporting their daughters as well “kasi napakasakit talaga sa isang mother na iwanan ang anak niya. So that tomorrow we will have a different perspective of not leaving our families behind.”

Agency loses license for not giving copies of job contract

An employment agency in Taiwai, Shatin that failed to provide a copy of the job contract to employers and the foreign domestic helpers it recruited has been stripped of its license by the Hong Kong Labour Department.

In a press release, the LD said its Employment Agencies Administration revoked the license of Festival City Employment Service Co Ltd for failing to meet standards set out in the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies.

The EEA, the industry watchdog, took action after Festival City Employment did not rectify irregularities detected earlier despite repeated warnings.

A department spokesman reminded agency operators to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the code at all times.

The spokesman said EAA will conduct regular and surprise inspections to agencies and issue warning letters to those found contravening the code, to rectify any irregularities detected.

If an agency still fails to comply despite warnings, the commissioner may consider revoking or refusing to renew the agency’s license on the grounds that the licensee is not fit to operate an agency.

Festival City Employment is the fifth agency to have its license revoked this year. Included among these is Java Maid Recruitment Service in Causeway Bay which lost its license after it was convicted of overcharging a job-seeker.

Three other agencies, namely Sunday Employment Agency in Prince Edward, Chun Hing Agency in Sham Shui Po, and In On Domestic Employment in Kwai Chung, also had their licenses revoked for varying offenses.

Sunday Employment was found to have contravened the code by abetting employers in deducting the fees they paid to the agency from the wages of their domestic workers.

Chun Hing was found in breach of the code for withholding passports from FDHs without reasonable excuse, and In On was prosecuted for failing to draw up service agreements with job-seekers and employers.

Another agency with a Chinese name in Mong Kok had its license renewal refused because its operator was an undischarged bankrupt.

For enquiries or complaints about unlicensed employment agencies that overcharge job-seekers, call the EAA at 2115 3667 or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.

Labatt urges joint action to stop trafficking

By Vir B. Lumicao

Filipino workers should have an analytical mind and ask themselves whether they are doing right by allowing themselves to be deceived by human traffickers.

At the government level, there should be “active diplomatic representations” between the Philippines and Russia and Turkey on stopping human trafficking.

These views were expressed by Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre at the “International Forum on Migration in Hong Kong” organized by the Consulate to celebrate the Month of Overseas Filipinos this December. 

The event on Nov 19 at the Admiralty Convention Centre was held in cooperation with Philippine Migrants Rights Watch and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

Dela Torre, responding to a media question regarding government initiatives to address the trafficking issue in Hong Kong, said active diplomatic representation between Manila and Moscow was necessary as the Russian consulate here keeps issuing commercial visa for business visits even to domestic workers.

The consulate also issues them work visas for “fantastic jobs” such as company directors, doctors, and dentists, Dela Torre said.

Either way, the Filipino domestic worker ends up working illegally in Russia because there is no visa issued for their work category, unlike in Hong Kong.

Most of those who get to Russia also find that there is no job waiting for them there, and they are left to fend for themselves, and look for their own employer.

When they do find a job, they become vulnerable to arrest, or being fleeced by recruiters and police alike, because of their illegal status

Aside from the diplomatic intervention, Dela Torre called for constant media attention so workers would be educated about the scam. He said the media frenzy sparked by The SUN’s exposure of a Pakistani-led syndicate recruiting OFWs from Hong Kong prompted recent raids by the government on recruitment agencies suspected of illegally sending domestic helpers to Russia, Turkey and other problematic destinations.

Later, in his closing speech, Labatt Dela Torre said the Filipino domestic worker population in Hong Kong is “growing by the hundreds every week” despite efforts at reintegration, with Immigration Department estimating the number at 201,000. 

“Are we seeing the last stage of this migration process? Are we in any way ending our Diaspora? I don’t know,” he said.

“In the Hong Kong context, the number is increasing by the hundreds every week… and, because of globalization increasing free trade, the movement of people around the world has also become fast-paced, and so the vulnerabilities of migrants have become more pronounced,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

He cited the case of the Filipino helpers being trafficked around the world.

“We have about 5,000 in Russia now, about 4,000 in Turkey, and 90% of those are coming from Hong Kong. These are stark numbers, stark statistics. I think our officials should really sit down and try to examine the pros and cons of it,” he said.

He said this situation where many Filipinas are being trafficked across the globe should be on top of the Philippine agenda.

Dela Torre said that part of the government’s duties is to protect them, “but how do you protect people who consent to being trafficked…who knowingly allow themselves to be lured into dangerous places like Russia and Turkey?”

He said the first frontier would be the individual’s mental/psychological frontier.

“Sa isip pa lang natin, sa loob pa lang natin dapat magkaroon na tayo ng evaluative or analytical mind na dapat suriin natin, ‘Tama ba itong ginagawa ko? Nagpapaloko ba ako sa ibang tao na dadalhin ako kung saang lugar?’” the labor official said.

But Dela Torre deflected what other labor attachés argue that trafficked workers should assume a certain level of responsibility because they agreed to be taken to other countries.

He said he belonged to the old school that believes consent should not be a consideration as it is a legal perspective, according to the UN definition of human trafficking.

He said three elements – act, means and purpose – are needed to define human trafficking. The act involves recruitment and payment; the means comprises deception, and the purpose is forced labor, slavery, sexual exploitation, or harvest of organs.

“In the case of minors, kahit walang means guilty ka pa rin ng human trafficking. In the case of adults, hindi rin importante yung consent, kasi nga may deception. So, itatapon ko sa inyo ang tanong na ito: dapat bang mag-assume kayo ng certain level of responsibility sa mangyayari sa inyo? he asked the audience, who answered “No!”

Dela Torre said what’s needed is common sense.

As for the trafficking victims in Russia, the labor attaché said they exacerbated the problem by inviting friends and relatives to work there, so the number has risen.

He said it was akin to the Stockholm Syndrome where the victim eventually sympathized with the perpetrator. To counter this, everyone should continue to make noise on media until the syndicates disappear.

Philippine migrants shine in Asian show

Four Filipino migrant groups showed off their grace and talent in dancing when they took to the stage at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza on Nov. 19 in the Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances 2017.

The Filipino performances included “Kakawati” from La Union Federation headed by Nida Balcita; “Malagueñia” by Migrant Ilonggo Association International led by president and choreographer Johna Moncal; “B’laan”, a tribal dance from the South Cotabato Overseas Workers Association headed by Rita Barsanas, and “Tinikling” by the Tinikling Group of Migrants led by Marie Velarde.
The Philippine delegation was led by Vice Consul Robert Quintin and assistant cultural officer Merle Ordillano.

The yearly event brings together ethnic minority groups from 15 countries in Southeast Asia for a celebration of their culture through dancers and other performances. – Ellen Asis

These are among the Filipinos who gave their ethnic cultural performance.

Police gives talk on traffic rules to OFWs

By Rodelia Villar

Some of the OFW participants
with their instructors.

A total of 26 Filipino migrant workers attended the seminar given by Hong Kong Police on “Traffic Legislation of Hong Kong” which was held at the Central Police Station in Sheung Wan on Nov. 26.

Police Constable Johnson Yam, together with Sgt. Ken Cheung, informed the workers of crossing facilities like footbridges, subways, zebra crossings and the signal-controlled pedestrian crossings that they can use to keep themselves safe from road accidents.

The helpers were told that knowing where to cross safely is very important, especially when they are with their wards on their way to school or other activities.

Yam also reminded the participants to be watchful of their surroundings, especially in car parks where they could be hit by reversing vehicles. The helpers were told to be wary of vehicles’ reverse light and beeping horns.

All were warned to be extra careful when passing behind cars and lorries, where the drivers have very limited vision of what is going on behind their vehicles.

As well, the helpers were told to be on the lookout for signs that have been put up, especially in accident-prone areas.

When using pedestrian crossings, everyone should always make sure that oncoming vehicles are slowing down to prepare to fully stop before they cross the road. At signal-controlled crossings, they should ensure that oncoming vehicles have stopped before crossing the road.

The speakers also talked about penalties imposed on traffic-related offences. Jaywalking carries a maximum fine of $2,000, while not wearing a seatbelt aboard a vehicle could result in three months’ imprisonment, on top of a $5,000 fine. The more serious offence of drunk driving could cost the violator a whopping $25,000 fine plus a 3-year jail time.

The helpers were also told of the very important rule against children using the upper level of double-decker buses because of the lack of safety equipment such as proper hand-rails. Also, there is a possibility of them falling down the stairs, especially if they try to climb up while the bus is moving.

PC Yam showed some accident videos to further encourage the participants to respect traffic rules, and to be always aware of their surroundings.

The participants left the seminar feeling grateful to the two officers who gave the lecture on how they could be responsible pedestrians so they and their wards would be safe from road accidents.

19 Umela grads pass Tesda’s NCII test

The new batch of trainees and guests during Umela’s Culmination and Recognition ceremony.

By Daisy CL Mandap

All 19 candidates from the United Migrants Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Association (Umela) hurdled the NCII examination to become certified massage therapists held at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on Nov 19 and 26.

They were among about 100 basic massage therapy graduates who took the qualifying exam administered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

 Those who made it from Umela were Florentina Sajulga, Teofilo Bacani JR. Emely Dilla,  Angelita Baroro, Julie Mae Chungalan, Leah Ayomen, Maria Editha Respicio, Luzviminda Baysac,  Evangeline Molina, Juanita Baloloy,  Marivic Calputura, Elizabeth Lingan, Mercidita Abad, Agnes Franco, Lydia Bayos, Rona Pelongco, Marvelissa Guerrero, Maritess Custodio and Elizabeth Tadeo.

Umela’s leader Ofelia P. Baquirin said she was overjoyed by the outstanding performance in the exam of their graduates.

“Sobrang saya ko po,” she said. “As founder/president/trainor, I am so proud of them kasi napatunayan muli na hindi nasayang ang oras at effort na ibinibigay namin sa libreng pagtuturo sa kanila.”

Baquirin said the joy is shared by all the co-founders of Umela, her fellow trainors, as well as the volunteer trainors who are all NCII passers themselves.

She said the examinees were all competent and confident because they all gave their best in preparing for the qualifying test.

Those who managed to be shortlisted from the exam came from other massage training courses given by various groups, including the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office in Hong Kong.

Each year, hundreds of migrant Filipino workers in Hong Kong complete the basic training course and the on-the-job training required of those who aspire to become certified massage therapists in the Philippines. But because of the limited slots, only a small percentage of the graduates are able to take the Tesda-administered test.

To qualify, one must take the basic massage therapy course, then complete 72 hours of additional lessons on basic anatomy and physiology, microbiology and pathology, then do a practicum or on-the-job training.

But once they hurdle the NCII exam, they become registered therapists and can run their own spa in the Philippines.

The 100% pass rate of its graduates gave another reason for Umela to celebrate, as it held the graduation ceremony on Nov. 26 for about 70 more migrant workers from batches 20-23 who completed its basic massage course this year.

Awarding the certificates to the graduates at Umela’s “outdoor school” opposite the High Court in Admiralty was acting head of post Derrick Atienza, who paid tribute to both Umela and the students who persisted in learning a new skill while doing domestic work.

The same message came from Umela’s other guests from the Filipino business community. But The SUN publisher Leo A. Deocadiz took the message a step further when he challenged the graduates to “monetize” their newly acquired skill, by thinking of how they can make a living out of it.

Baquirin said two new batches of students will take the basic massage therapy course starting Dec. 10, and another two on Jan. 2. Each batch is limited to just 15 students so they will be better trained.

For inquiries on how to join Umela’s free massage training, call Maellen Lupera,5535 2165; Opalyn Albidas, 61387357 and Emma Capal, 9859 5023

Sikap still going strong at 33 years

Sikap officers and members led by Rey Vital (front row, 2nd from right) are joined by guests for the annual Christmas lunch.

One of the oldest Filipino community organizations in Hong Kong held its annual  Christmas and anniversary get-together at Empire Hotel in Wanchai on Nov. 26.

Sikap (for Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Hong Kong) turned 33 this year, an event celebrated by more than 60 of its members, friends and family members.

The organization made up mostly of Filipino drivers in Hong Kong is headed by Rey Vital, who founded the group way back in 1984.

The group has built camaraderie among its members mainly through tennis, although in its earlier years it was engaged mainly in organizing basketball tournaments.

Through the years, many of Sikap’s members have raised their own families in Hong Kong that it now counts as part of its tightly knit community most of the minor children of migrant workers granted right of abode here recently.

Vital says Sikap will continue holding friendly tennis competitions and holding regular fellowships to further strengthen the friendship and unity it has built for more than three decades.

In fact, he said that right after their anniversary lunch, they would again gather at their Sunday hang out at the Wong Nai Chung court to play tennis, then continue talking over a hotpot dinner. - DCLM

Status of children born to foreign domestic workers

By Pathfinders

Becoming a mother is an exciting yet stressful life event for most women. Due to the nature of their jobs, pregnancy and child-rearing in Hong Kong are especially challenging for mothers who are Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs).

In September, we shared information about the maternity rights and obligations of FDWs. In this issue, we will move on to the next important topic - the rights of children born to FDWs in Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, when a FDW pregnancy is announced or discovered, some of the women are fired unlawfully and end up overstaying in Hong Kong. In these cases, PathFinders strongly recommends that the women surrender themselves to the immigration authorities for  the safety of themselves and their unborn child.

This article will focus on the rights of children born in Hong Kong to still legally-employed FDWs and answer some commonly asked questions.

What immigration status will my baby have in Hong Kong?

The immigration status of a baby born in Hong Kong is not independent. It is linked to his/her parent’s immigration status at the time the baby is born. In other words, the more secure the parents’ immigration status, the more secure the baby’s and the more social welfare and healthcare support the baby is entitled to. For a legally-employed FDW mother, her baby born in Hong Kong typically falls into one of the following three cases:

Case 1 - baby born to a Hong Kong Permanent Resident (“HKPR”) / Chinese father and his name is on the birth certificate. In this case, the baby will be entitled to Right of Abode (“RoA”) in Hong Kong

Case 2 - baby whose father is not HKPR but does holds a valid visa and his name is on the birth certificate. The baby will be issued a visa (also called a “permit to stay”) and the visa period will normally be equivalent to the mother’s or father’s visa, whichever is more favourable

Case 3 - baby born to a father who does not have a valid visa and/or the father’s name does not appear on the birth certificate. The baby’s visa and its visa period will be tied to the mother’s FDW visa

Will my baby be eligible to social, healthcare and education benefits in Hong Kong?

Case 1:

A baby who has RoA (Case 1 above) will be able to access most of the social rights and benefits (the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA), low payment rate/free public healthcare, kindergarten vouchers or Student Financial Assistance, subsidised child care services) and will not be at risk of removal from Hong Kong. CSSA provides a safety net for those who cannot support themselves financially by meeting their basic needs.

Cases 2 and 3:

For a baby on dependant/FDW visa (Case 2 or 3 above), his/her benefits are relatively limited. If the baby’s granted visa period is not less than 180 days, he/she may qualify for the “Hong Kong Hospital Authority’s Eligible person” requirement, meaning he/she may access the subsidised services provided by local hospitals under the Hospital Authority. If for any reason, the baby’s granted visa period is less than 180 days, he/she can still use the public services provided by the local Emergency and Accident Unit at local hospitals but at a fee level close to private hospital rates.

As for Education and Childcare services, while Case 2 and 3 babies are eligible to the same education subsidies and benefits that Case 1 babies are entitled to, they are typically unable to access subsidised, low-cost childcare services.

For a FDW single mother or where her partner is unable to care for the child, the most cost-effective childcare option is to care for her child herself while working as a FDW. However, we only very rarely see this happening.

Alternatively, the FDW mother may consider private childcare services. However, this is costly and not all childcare centres accept applications from non-HKPR. Also, since childcare centres in Hong Kong do not offer overnight childcare services and the FDW mother is required to live in the employer’s residence, raising her child in Hong Kong is only practically possible if the FDW’s partner or another responsible person is available and capable of caring for her child at night. It is important to note that in Hong Kong, leaving a child under the age of 16 unattended may result in prosecution for ill-treatment or neglect of a child or young person.*1

Is my Hong Kong-born baby entitled to HKPR status?

Case 1 babies are eligible to HKPR status at birth, regardless of the nationality of the father. However, if the father is a non-Chinese national HKPR, the baby is required to ordinarily reside in Hong Kong without being away for over 36 months or he/she may risk losing his/her HKPR status.*2

In addition, the Immigration Ordinance provides that the HKPR status of people born to a non-Chinese national HKPR parent will expire when he/ she turns 21 years old.*3  He/she is then required to reapply for HKPR status under his/her own name through the standard procedure. (In most cases, this rule is not strictly enforced, with only a few HKPR children being required to reapply for HKPR status when they reach the age of 21. Those who do get a reminder from Immigration about reapplying for HKPR, however, are only asked to make a written declaration that he/she has taken Hong Kong as his/her place of permanent residence – Ed)

For Cases 2 and 3, the parent may submit a request for the Verification of Eligibility for a Permanent Identity Card (VEPIC) if the child’s father has become a HKPR after birth registration, or if the child has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for not less than 7 years and has taken Hong Kong as his/her place of permanent residence*4. The merits of the application will be assessed by Immigration Department. 

What kind of identity documentation will my baby be eligible to apply for?

All babies born in Hong Kong, including those born to FDW mothers, must register his/her birth within 42 days to avoid late charges. Registering a birth is free but requesting a copy of the birth certificate costs HK$140.

In addition, a legally-employed FDW may apply for a Philippine birth certificate and passport for her baby born in Hong Kong from the Philippine Consulate General, provided all required documents are presented. As the baby will not be able to renew his/her Hong Kong visa without a valid passport, we advise FDW mothers to apply for a passport for the baby as soon as possible.

For a FDW to raise her child in Hong Kong is exceptionally challenging both financially and emotionally. To protect themselves and their children, FDWs are advised to make careful family planning and life decisions. PathFinders provides classes and workshops about women’s health, maternity rights and protections as well as education about relationships.

For class information and to enroll, please visit our website www.pathfinders.org.hk.
For further information, assistance and advice, contact PathFinders by email: info@pathfinders.org.hk or on our hotline: 5190 4886.
Alternatively, please contact the Immigration Department  at (enquiry@immd. gov.hk) or via their general hotline on 2824 6111.
---
Footnotes:
1 Cap. 212 Offences against the Person Ordinance, s. 27(1)
2 The Immigration Depart-ment, Circumstances under which the person will lose the status of a permanent resident
3 The Immigration Ordinance has set out the eligibility and transitional arrangements for the right of Abode in the HKSAR 

Sasaklolo ka ba?

Sa mga pahinang ito ng The SUN ay mababasa mo ang iba’t ibang kuwento ng kapwa natin migranteng manggagawa. May kuwentong masaya, may malungkot; iba’t iba ang kulay.

Tatlo sa kanila ay pinagmalupitan ng mga taong maitim ang  budhi. At kung hindi sa tulong ng iba, ng mga kapwa nila migranteng manggagawa, ay hindi mapuputol ang paghihirap hanggang mapalapit sila sa kanilang wakas.

Si Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, halimbawa, ay pasakay na sana sa eroplano pauwi sa Indonesia nang mapansin ng isang kababayan ang mga sugat at pasa niya, at lupaypay niyang katawan.

Agad itong tumawag ng tulong at, ika nga, the rest is history. Nakulong ang kanyang amo na si Law Wan-tung, at naghahabol ngayon ng danyos si Erwiana sa mga hirap at sakit na dinanas niya.

Mayroon ding nagsumbong sa Facebook page ng The SUN na pinagmamalupitan ang isang OFW, si Lanie Grade Rosareal.

Tinawagan namin ang mga may kapangyarihang tumulong, at nang sinundo siya ay sumama rin ang kasama niya sa bahay na si Rowela Subiono Suete. Ngayon ay nahaharap sa kaso ang amo nila, kasama ang kasong kriminal na ihahain ng pulis.

Si Marycor Sta. Cruz naman ay tinaguriang “Spiderwoman”  ng Hong Kong, dahil kumalat sa Facebook ang larawan niyang nakasabit sa labas ng kanilang gusali habang naglilinis ng bintana noong paparating ang bagyong Hato.

Nang maging viral ang larawan sa internet at napahiya ang amo, pinapipirma siya ng termination letter. Nang hindi siya pumayag, pinalayas siya sa disoras ng gabi. Ngayon ay nakauwi na siya sa Pangasinan na may baong $30,000 — bayad ng amo bilang danyos sa ginawa nito.

Hindi man niya alam, ang kumuha ng larawan ni Marycor ay isang bayani. Kapag may nakita ka o narinig na pinagmamalabisan, magpa-pakabayani ka rin ba?

Hindi mo kailangang mang-away ng tao. Sapat na ang tumawag sa pulis (999), sa Konsulado (9155 4023), sa POLO (6080 8323), sa Mission for Migrant Workers (2522-8264) na kasama ang Bethune House, o sa The SUN (2544 6536).

Hawak natin ang sandatang puputol ng pambibiktima sa kapwa natin. Gamitin natin!

Stockholm Syndrome

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

It’s a phrase we have been hearing quite often lately, often in relation to the frustrating timidity of our migrant workers who have been abused to step forward and complain.

This is the “Stockholm syndrome”, a condition described as causing hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity.

In many of these cases, the captives cease to realize that they are being held against their will, or are being subjected to abuse, and even end up defending their captors or the abusive situation they were forced into.

A classic example is Erwiana, the Indonesian domestic helper who was nearly killed after suffering relentless abuse from her employer for 10 months. Meeting her in court again recently, I was driven to ask why she put up with the abuse for so long. She replied that at first she tried to run away, but when her recruitment agency took no heed of her plea to take her away from her employer, terror overcame her, then resignation. It did not help that she was not allowed to take a day off, so she did not have a chance to speak to anyone at length about her situation.

More recently, we saw it happen to a Filipina who claims to have been abused, physically and mentally, for months by her employer’s live-in companion. Lanie, who said she stopped taking a day off to pay for mounting “fines” imposed on her by her alleged tormentor, could not even explain why she failed to protest the nearly daily abuse she was subjected to. She even listed down herself the various “misdeeds” she supposedly made to justify the fines that deprived her of her salary for more than six months.

Another recent phenomenon was the case of Marycor who at first, did not question her employer’s bidding for her to thoroughly clean their windows inside and out on a daily basis. When concerned neighbors posted pictures of her clinging precariously on a ledge while cleaning the windows that had been taped up because of an approaching super typhoon, Marycor told an acquaintance that she did not see anything wrong with it. But after her employer terminated their contract and she got help from seasoned rights activists, Marycor became resolute in her stance to push for compensation against her employer.

The syndrome could get hold of not just one, but an entire group of desperate migrant workers, as what happened in the case of the victims of notorious illegal recruiter Mila Ipp. About two dozen of them clung on to Ipp’s promise of deployment to Cyprus and Canada, and did not even flinch when she made them wait for an entire month at Macau’s airport for flights that never came. Worse, they sided with her in badmouthing people who tried to help them early on in the case. When Ipp told them the sob story of running low on funds needed to help them get to their destination, they pooled whatever money they had left from paying up to USD9,000 in placement fees to bail her out. To this day, these victims are hard put explaining why they allowed themselves to be scammed for so long.

What lessons could we learn from all these?

First, that migrant workers who are in an abusive situation should be rescued fast, even if they appear hesitant to leave. If their lives are in danger, the police must be informed so they could lead the rescue.

Second, lectures, forums and all forms of sharing about migrant rights should be strengthened so our workers get to understand when they need help, and how they could get it.

Third, and most importantly, we should continue our efforts to get Hong Kong authorities to enforce their laws against abuse and other contract violations, and craft new ones, especially those dealing with human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

We still recall with sadness the case of J, our first documented case of human trafficking of a Filipino in Hong Kong. J, who was brought into the city as a tourist by her Filipino-Chinese employer in the Philippines, was kept in a house in Tseung Kwan-O for nearly two years, where she looked after the elderly mother of her captives. She was not given money, and was warned she would be arrested for working illegally if she dared venture out on her own. Freed only after she threatened a hunger strike, J was prosecuted for violating her visa conditions, then jailed before being deported. The couple that held her captive was absolved of any crime by the magistrate who said there was no evidence that J was held against her will as she was not tied up or kept in a locked place.

We should not have another J, Marycor, Lanie or Erwiana in our midst.

Mahirap ang buhay OFW sa Russia

Ni Nelle J.

(Noong nakaraang buwan ay sumulat ng artikulo para dito si Nelle, 33 taong gulang at isang dating OFW sa Hong Kong na naengganyong lumipat sa Russia apat na taon na ang nakakaraan. Sa hinaba-haba ng pagtira niya doon ay nananatiling ilegal ang status ni Nelle dahil ayon na rin sa kanya, walang visa para sa mga domestic worker doon. Babala niya: huwag nang mag-ambisyon pa na magpunta sa Russia dahil walang proteksyon ang mga OFW doon, at walang katiyakan ang trabaho. Masyado pang malayo sa Pilipinas kaya mahirap umuwi, at may mga buwitre sa airport sa Pilipinas na naghihintay para sila kotongan. Si Nelle ay may dalawang anak at nagtapos ng kolehiyo sa Cebu. Balak niya na magtrabaho ng ilan pang taon sa Russia, mag-ipon, bago bumalik sa kanyang naghihintay na pamilya sa Pilipinas.-Ed)

May mahigit na 5,000 OFWs ngayon sa Russia na nagtatrabaho bilang household service, o domestic workers. Sa kasamaang palad, walang visa category para sa ganitong klaseng trabaho dahil sa ilalim ng batas ng Russia, ang ganitong trabaho ay naka reserba sa mga citizen ng CIS, (Commonwealth Independent States) member countries.

Galing ako sa Hong Kong, at para makapunta dito ay nagbayad ako sa aking recruiter ng USD3,500 noong taong 2013. Wala akong ideya na ang visa na hawak ko ay hindi akma sa papasukan kong trabaho dito. Mula sa Moscow, kinailangan pa akong magbiyahe ng tatlo’t kalahating oras sa eroplano, at isang oras sa kotse para marating ang lugar na pinagdalhan sa akin. Ibinigay lang sa akin ang plane ticket papunta doon ng agent na sumundo sa akin sa Moscow Airport.

Nalaman ko na lang na ilegal ang aking pananatili doon dahil tuwing may bisita ay itinatago ako ng amo ko. Hindi ako nakakalabas tuwing araw ng pahinga, at hindi ko rin hawak ang sahod ko. Ipinapadala lang nila sa mga magulang ko kapag sinabi kong kailangan ko nang magpadala.

Noong gusto ko nang umalis dahil nagkasakit ako at hindi ko na kaya ang sobra-sobrang trabaho ay pilit pinapabayaran ng amo ko ang binayaran daw nila sa agent. Doon ko lang nalaman na yung ibinayad ko sa Hong Kong ay napunta lang pala sa agent na naghahanap ng aplikante at nagde-deploy papunta rito. Yung agent dito sa Russia ay humingi naman ng bayad sa employer, kaya iyong sahod ko na dapat nasa USD1,300 hanggang USD1,500 ay naging 500 euro na lang dahil binabawas ng amo ang nagastos nila para makuha ako.

Noong tumakas ako sa aking amo at nagpunta ako sa Moscow ay doon ko nalaman ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga nagpupunta dito.

Karamihan ng mga nandito ay galing sa Hong Kong. May mga ahente na pumupunta sa Hong Kong at nag-iimbita sa mga OFW na pumunta dito, at nag-aalok ng package. Halimbawa, USD2,000 para sa imbitasyon, pagsundo sa airport at gastos para sa boarding and lodging. Pagdating dito ay saka lamang sila hahanapan ng trabaho. Marami ang pumipila sa mga agency para ma-interview, kaya marami ang natatambay nang matagal bago makapasok sa trabaho.

Nung magkaroon ng recession noong 2014 ay halos pumalo sa USD80 ang palit sa rubles, kaya ang dating sahod na USD1,3000 ay naging 50,000 rubles na lamang. Maraming amo ang nawalan ng trabaho, kaya damay pati ang kanilang domestic helper.

Ang visa na hawak namin ay kinukuha ng agency sa mga “quota” at “high specialist jobs” na inilalabas taon-taon para sa mga kumpanya. Pero ang mga trabahong ito ay para sa mga manager, supervisor, interpreter, o yung mga highly skilled na trabahador. Ibig sabihin, hindi angkop ang ganitong visa sa trabaho namin. Ganunpaman, binabayaran nami ito ng malaking halaga sa mga agency, mula USD3,500 pataas, depende sa ahente. May bisa ang ganitong visa sa loob ng tatlong taon.

Mayroon din namang “commercial” o “business visa” na may bisa lang ng isang taon, at kailangang i-exit tuwing ikatlong buwan. Ang halaga ng ganitong klaseng visa, na hindi rin angkop sa aming trabaho dahil pang negosyante lang dapat ito, ay mula USD1,500 pataas.

Ang full time job dito ay nasa 50,000 rubles (USD850) hanggang 70,000 rubles (USD1,200) ang sahod. Ang trabaho ay lima hanggang anim na araw sa isang linggo, at hindi lalampas sa 10 oras kada araw. Pwede kang stay out o stay in. Kung sa labas ka titira, siyempre sagot mo ang upa sa flat na hindi bababa sa 5,000 rubles, hindi pa kasama ang bayad sa tubig, kuryente at pamasahe.

May mga parttime na trabaho din, at ang bayad ay mula 250 rubles bawat oras, at meron din na kada bisita, depende sa laki ng flat na lilinisan. Puwede ding mag-alaga ng pusa, aso o baby na bawat oras din ang bayad.

Dahil nga sa di angkop sa aming trabaho ang hawak naming visa ay madalas pag na checheck ng mga police sa Metro Station ay bina bribe nila ng pera at tinatakot na ma deport pag di nag bigay.

Nitong June lang ay may mahigit 20 Pinoy na na-deport pabalik sa Pilipinas, at tinulungan sila sa kanilang kaso ng Philippine Embassy ditto. Ang balita namin ay “undocumented” sila o walang visa, samantalang ang iba ay fake na visa ang hawak.

Pero hindi naman ito nalalayo sa visa na hawak naming lahat. Kasi, kasama dun sa fake na visa yung hindi akma sa trabaho nila. Ang nakalagay kasi doon ay dapat mga manager sila o specialist pero ang talagang trabaho nila ay cleaner, nanny o tutor.

Nang patapos ang 2016 ay itinigil ang pagbibigay ng quota visa at ang pagtanggap ng mga dayuhang trabahador dahil priority daw ng Russia ang pamamahagi ng tourist visa sa mga dadalo sa FIFA Cup nitong katatapos na Hulyo. Dahil dito ay marami ang nawalan ng visa, o tuluyan na silang naging ilegal.

Idagdag pa rito na may isang Russian agent na na-raid kung saan maraming Pilipino ang nagpasok ng kanilang mga dokumento. May ilang passport na naibalik sa Embassy, at mayroon ding hawak ng pulis. Hindi malinaw kung ang mga ito ay ipinasa din nila sa Embassy kinalaunan.

Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa rin ang pagdating ng mga OFW mula sa Hong Kong, kaya napilitang maglabas ng babala o advisory ang Embahada. Naghigpit na rin kasi ang gobyerno ng Russia, at marami ang na-report na nahuli pero tinulungan ng Embahada na huwag nang mapiit at madinig agad ang kaso para makauwi na ng Pilipinas.

POEA to reshuffle top officials

In a crackdown on illegal recruitment and other anomalies in the agency, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will reshuffle its top officials to complete the reorganization process.

Undersecretary Dominador Say of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said an investigation at the POEA was looking into reports on illegal recruitment by unscrupulous individuals victimizing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including direct hire workers.

He said POEA had a reshuffle of its senior officials last January. The upcoming reorganization would be more in-depth, he said.

“We are doing this top to bottom and there will be some officials who will be removed from their posts while they undergo investigation,” Say said.

Officials and employees at the agency who are directly involved in the processing of OFWs’ documents will be temporarily removed while the probe is underway, he added.

All security guards and janitorial staff at the government’s placement agency will also be replaced as majority of them were reportedly being used in the anomalous activities, particularly in processing and issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates, a major requirement needed by OFWs for deployment.

Also, DoLE would install CCTV cameras in all offices and other areas of the POEA, except in comfort rooms, to monitor suspicious activities in the office vicinity. 

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III earlier suspended the application and processing of OEC to all OFWs, including direct hires, from Nov. 13 until Dec. 1 to give way to the investigation.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, also the OIC of the POEA, clarified the coverage of the suspension of the application and processing of OEC.

“Balik-Manggagawa and workers who already have stamped working visas are exempted from the suspension, including workers who are being hired by international organizations, members of diplomatic corps, and members of royal families, as well as sea-based OFWs,” Olalia said.