Suspended barrister named in deception case

Ody Lai and Ester Ylagan during happier times.

By Daisy CL Mandap

Former employment agency owner Ester Ylagan has accused her ertswhile friend, suspended Filipino barrister Ody Lai Pui-yim, of using deception to have an Aberdeen flat she used to co-own with her husband (now deceased), to be transferred in Lai’s name.

The allegation was made by Ylagan in a complaint she made to the Central Police Station on Dec. 5, 2017, a copy of which she supplied to The SUN.

The SUN tried to get Lai’s comment on the complaint via email last January 23, and alerted her to the email subsequently on a group chat on messenger, but received no reply.

However, shortly after The SUN's printed version of this story was published yesterday, Feb 1, Lai posted in her Facebook accounts in the name of "Ydo Lai" and "Ody Apostol Lai" a vigorous denial of Ylagan's claim, saying in part: "I have nothing to do with scamming anyone  not even Ester who was supposed to be a friend. Police has no actionable complaints against me that warrants investigation."

Lai also warned: "This is pure DEFAMATION on my person just to sell a story and I now warn The SUN of the consequences of your news". 

Lai's FB post

The two women used to be close friends, and were both officers of the group Club Filipino Hong Kong. Lai, 56, was the founder/chair of the organization, and Ylagan, 65, was president.

In her 4-page cautioned statement, Ylagan said she consulted Lai in July 2016 about the money claims filed against her by some 200 job applicants who were unable to take up the jobs that she had promised them in Canada and Britain.

Ylagan said, “As far as I know, Ody was a barrister and I thus trusted her that she would represent me in settling the case. Ody was supposed to help me refund the applicants upon selling my property in Aberdeen. I co-owned a property with my late husband, and it was situated at Flat D., 6/F, Block 2, Waterfront South, No. 1 Yue Wok Street, Aberdeen Hong Kong. My husband and I purchased the flat in 2000 for about $2.38 million and it was a 2-bedroom flat with sea view.”

 Later, Ylagan said she again met with Lai in a Chinese restaurant in Tai Koo Shing to consult her about the sale of the Aberdeen flat.

 “Ody then asked me to transfer the property to my son and let Ody sell the property so the money will be used to refund the applicants. I trusted Ody and listened to her. Later, I recalled that my son Michael had brought a set of documents regarding the property transfer for my signature. I signed without looking into them in details. In Nov. 2017, I asked my son what happened to the property and he told me it was transferred to Ody because he does not know how to sell the property.”

After agreeing on the sale of the flat, Lai allegedly told Ylagan to go back to the Philippines “to rest”. Lai allegedly told Ylagan that the police in Hong Kong were set to arrest her so she was not to stay in one place in the Philippines and to change her name.

Ylagan also alleged that Lai told her delete all her whatsapp, viber and Facebook accounts and to stop communicating with anyone.

Later, Ylagan said she asked why she needed to stay in the Philippines, and Lai allegedly answered that it was because she didn’t have enough money to fight the case and she didn’t have a strong defense.

“She told me for sure that if I return to Hong Kong I would for sure go to jail if they could prove my criminal intent.”

At that time, Lai had already been suspended from practicing as a barrister. A decision handed down on Sept. 26, 2016 by the Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal found Lai guilty on all 10 charges filed against her by the Bar Council, and suspended her from practicing as a barrister for four years, and pay a penalty of $200,000 plus costs. The decision can be found here:
http://www.hkba.org/sites/default/files/Reasons%20for%20Sentence%2020160926_0.pdf

On March 3, 2017 Lai reportedly contacted Ylagan in the Philippines and told her to sign documents authorizing the barrister to withdraw money from her MPF account in Hong Kong “to pay back the applicants and legal fee”.

Lai allegedly sent Ylagan via courier a set of documents which included a “Statutory Declaration for Claims of Payment, request for policy surrender and MPF forms.

“However, after I sent all those documents (back) to Ody, I have never heard from her anymore,” said Ylagan in her statement.

Later, Ylagan said she learned from her son Michael that only $90,000 was left in her MPF account.

She also learned from The SUN that the cases filed against her by her job applicants were still ongoing. “I was shocked because I thought Ody is working on the case for me and I was speechless when I saw myself on the news,” she said in her statement.

Realizing that nothing was done to settle her cases, Ylagan said she contacted the HK Police and asked for an interview to clarify the matter.

She also contacted her son Michael who had gone abroad by then, to ask why the flat was transferred to Lai’s name. Michael reportedly told his mother that Lai would return the property after three years, and that they could deal with the matter then. Michael also allegedly told Ylagan that Lai did not pay for the property.

Ylagan said she had not tried to contact Lai since her return to Hong Kong because “I am very scared of Ody and she would go mad if she even knew I have returned to Hong Kong.”

Ylagan said she also learned that Lai had been suspended from practicing as a barrister.

High Court allows legal aid for Ylagan's claimants

The High Court has cleared the way for legal aid to be granted to around 200 Filipinos suing to claim more than $2 million from Ester Ylagan, the employment agency owner who promised them non-existent jobs in Canada and Britain.

The decision to allow the appeal against the Legal Aid Director’s decision rejecting the application of the claimants was reached during a chambers hearing on Jan. 18. It is  believed to be the first time legal aid was granted in a class action suit.

Solicitor Melville Boase represented the Mission for Migrant Workers in the appeal.

Mission case officer Edwina Antonio told The SUN: “Akala kasi ng Legal Aid e sisingilin sila para sa bawat aplikante, pero sinabi ni Mr Boase na kami na ang gagawa ng paperwork kaya hindi ganoon kalaki lalabas ang bayad sa legal fee.”

A total of 129 claims against Ylagan and her defunct company, Mike’s Secretarial Service, are pending at the District Court where they were transferred from the Small Claims Tribunal.

Twenty-one claimants had managed to win their claims before the transfer. The next hearing of the cases before the DC has been set to March 2 this year.

The court was also told that Ylagan had returned to Hong Kong, offering to settle the claims if she could recover the Aberdeen flat she used to co-own with her late husband, Rick, who died in October last year.

In its reasons for rejecting the application, the Legal Aid Department cited Ylagan’s unknown whereabouts as one of the grounds, apart from the failure of the claimants to show receipts of the money they paid the recruiter.

Ylagan returned to Hong Kong in December last year, and filed a police complaint  claiming the flat identified as Flat D, 6/F, Block 2, Waterfront South, Aberdeen was obtained by her friend, suspended barrister  Ody Lai Pui-yi, through deception.

A search by the Legal Aid Department showed Ylagan had bought the flat with her husband in November 2000 for $2.37 million. The property was transferred in the name of their son, Ridge Michael on July 23, 2016, for $2.6 million. Then on March 20, 2017, it was further transferred to Lai for a consideration of $5 million.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Police has reportedly given notice to some of the claimants that it is now ready to start investigating their fraud complaint against Ylagan, who disappeared just before the Small Claims Tribunal started hearing the cases against her in mid-July 2016.

The police had earlier declined to get the complainants’ statement, saying Ylagan had filed a complaint on July 8, 2016, saying she herself had been duped into sending $4.19 million to someone who used the names William Clinton Erich and William Clinton James on Facebook. Ylagan claimed $2 million of this came from her own personal funds.

In the complaint, a copy of which Ylagan furnished to The SUN, the veteran recruiter said she communicated with Clinton James only through the email he gave her: visagent@gmail.com.”. She had no mobile numbers or address for the agent. Despite this, she complied with his order to send money through Moneygram and Western Union to five people with African-sounding names who lived in Burkina Faso. She said she made 86 remittances in total to the given accounts.

Ylagan said she did not profit from the apparent scam. But the unknown agent promised her a UK passport, 15 return tickets to London, and an “opportunity to explore the UK business market,” in exchange for her recruiting hundreds of applicants for the non-existent jobs.

At the time she remitted the $4.19 million, Ylagan said she had recruited 400 applicants. She stopped when she was asked to increase the number to 650, then 800.

Each applicant to Britain was asked to pay $10,000 and $15,000 for those applying to Canada. A leaflet Ylagan had circulated said “any jobs” were available in the two destinations, causing hundreds of applicants who had relied on her reputation as a 30-year veteran of the recruitment business, to swamp her World Wide shop in Central between January to May, 2016.

Police say PEYA owners to be charged with fraud

Rhea Donna and Peter Brian Boyce

By Vir B. Lumicao

A charge of conspiracy to defraud is being prepared by investigators against PEYA Travel owners Peter Brian Boyce and his wife Rhea Donna Bayona-Boyce, according to  the Hong Kong police.

This came as the number of customers whose travel plans were fouled up by the air-ticket fiasco that unraveled just before Christmas last year surpassed the 1,000 mark, an officer of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section said.

A spokesman for the Police Public Relations Bureau said in response to an inquiry from The SUN that the case will be filed in court against the spouses as soon as their investigations are completed.

He also said no further arrests have been made since Bayona-Boyce, known as Yanyan to many in the community, was arrested in her Wanchai flat on Christmas Day. Police nabbed her Australian husband shortly after Yanyan was released on Dec 27.

The authorities are still looking for PEYA marketing manager Arnold Grospe, who Consulate sources believe has fled to Macau, and possibly flown home from there.

Hundreds failed to board their flights after
airlines cancelled Peya's bookings

The PPRB spokesman said the Boyce couple reported to the Central Police District Crime Squad in early January and were instructed to return again early this month. The police bail for their temporary release had been extended as investigations were still ongoing, the spokesman said.

As of Jan 30, a total of 1,118 PEYA customers had gone to the Consulate to file complaints and seek a refund from the travel agency, ATN officer Danny Baldon told The SUN.

He said many more customers were going to the ATN everyday to lodge their complaints.

The affected customers, mainly domestic workers, included those who had booked tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday this month, the Lenten season in March and the graduation period in May.

PEYA was shut down on Dec. 19 in the wake of the ticketing fiasco, and its signage on its third-floor shop at World-Wide Plaza in Central has now been torn down.

       

Pakistani guard sentenced to life for murder of Austrian-Filipina Andrea Bayr

Bayr was killed with an electric drill

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Pakistani security guard has been sentenced to life in jail by a High Court judge for the gruesome murder of a 25-year-old Austrian-Filipino bar waitress at a construction site in Tuen Mun nearly two years ago.

“This is a brutal and horrific killing. She had several wounds. She had a drill bit protruding from a wound in her face,” said Judge Kevin Zervos, before imposing the life sentence on Husnain on Jan 31.

The sentencing of Safdar Husnain, 28, came a day after a seven-man jury found Husnain guilty of murder, despite his claim of being in a state of drug-induced psychosis when he committed the crime.

Husnain said he killed Bayr after “she became a witch who tried to strangle him”.

But the jurors disbelieved him and found him guilty of murder by a vote of 6 to 1.

Zervos said the jury rejected the defense case that the killing was done unintentionally by a man with diminished responsibility due to drug-induced psychotic syndrome.

Instead, the jury relied on the testimony of prosecution witness Haresh Khan, a friend of Husnain; and forensic expert Dr Lam Chi-chung. They also took into account the victim’s multiple injuries.

Khan said he was with the couple in the guardhouse on the night of Mar 28 and 29, but went to the toilet around 2am and, on his way back, heard shouting coming from the container nearby.

He said he rushed into the container and saw Husnain hitting the already bloodied Bayr. He tried to separate them but failed. So, Khan, himself bloodstained, ran outside to seek police help.

The police officer who first reached the scene said the green container had been splattered with blood. There was a trail of blood leading to the spot where he saw the defendant sitting on the ground, his arm locked around the neck of Bayr and still hitting her with the electric drill. 

Zervos said forensic expert Lam, who investigated the crime scene and took blood samples, suggested the attack began inside the container, contradicting Husnain’s tale that he was chased outside the guardhouse by the victim, who had become a witch.  

The judge said the jury rejected Husnain’s claim that after taking the drug “ice” before the attack, he heard strange voices telling him he would be killed by his lover.

The defense case rested on two psychiatric experts’ testimony that Husnain’s chronic addiction to the drug “ice” and cannabis had caused biochemical changes in his brain that led to mental abnormality.

Defense lawyer David Boyton said in his summation that his client’s diminished responsibility due to his drug-taking made the killing unintentional. He thus urged the jury to rule the case as manslaughter.

In mitigation, Boyton said the defendant was born in Hong Kong to parents who came to the territory in 1970. He was educated up to Form 1 at age 16. He had a clear record and was the breadwinner.

Husnain’s female relatives wailed as he was led away by his police escorts.

Outside the courtroom, the victim’s mother, Wilma Bayr, said she was happy with the outcome of the trial. “Masaya ako at nakamit na ni Andrea ang hustisya. Matatahimik na siya,” she told The SUN.

She said she had been told by her lawyer that he would help her file a civil case for damages after the trial.

Too late a wish for victim’s mom    

Wilma Bayr

Andrea Bayr, the victim of a gruesome killing by his alleged drug-crazed Pakistani lover, would probably still be alive today if her mother managed to send her back to the Philippines a few years ago to become a movie star.

“Sana pinapunta ko na lang siya noon sa atin, kahit nag-artista siya sana,” Wilma Bayr told The SUN wistfully during the trial of her daughter’s killer in the High Court.

Andrea, who was fair, slim and pretty, worked as a bar waitress but did modelling on the side at the time of her death.

Her Pakistani boyfriend, Safdar Husnain, had been sentenced to death at the High Court over her killing.

Wilma said she came to Hong Kong nearly 30 years ago and worked as a domestic helper for five years. He last employer was surnamed Bayr, an Austrian 20 years older than her who offered to marry her. They had two children, the twins Andrea and Alex.

But the husband died 24 years ago when their children were just 4 years old, and Wilma returned to her hometown of Tacloban in Leyte where the twins studied in their primary years. The kids later returned to Hong Kong to continue their studies.

Wilma said she could not come to terms with what Husnain had done to her daughter.

“Grabe ang ginawa niya kay Andrea,” the victim’s mother said, adding that she would not have known of the details had she not been asked by the prosecution to attend the 10-day trial.

“Noong minsan, pinag-usapan kung paano siya pinatay, napaiyak ako kaya ako umalis. Naalala ko kasi siya, naaawa ako sa kanya,” the elder Bayr said.

News reports quoting police said Safdar attacked the woman in a fit of rage after she told him  she was  moving in with a Caucasian man.

But Wilma Bayr doubted this, saying her daughter never fancied white-skinned men. - VBL

Boholana DH dies after fainting while cleaning employer’s car

Wo Che Estate in Shatin 

A domestic helper from Tagbilaran City in Bohol died on Jan 20 after she collapsed while cleaning her employer’s car in Shatin.

The victim, only identified as Elma, 43, was found lying unconscious on the first floor of the carpark in Wo Che Estate at 7:49am. She was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital but was declared dead after being revived initially.

An officer at the Consulate’ assistance to nationals section said the victim’s elder son, who is 21 years old, was to arrive in Hong Kong to arrange the repatriation of his mother.

The deceased reportedly had another son who is 20 years old.

ATN is now readying the documents needed for the repatriation of the deceased while the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will begin processing her funeral and death benefits.

A police spokesman told The SUN that the maid had fainted while cleaning a car. People at the carpark who saw her lying unconscious beside a bucket and her cleaning equipment called an ambulance.

Police said an investigation on the cause of her death was ongoing.

Following her death, netizens speculated that the deceased had fainted from starvation and overworked, but this was immediately debunked by one of her friends.

“She is not over worked Ate. She had been feeling something already, but she kept it a secret,” said her friend. She said Elma’s employers were very kind to her. – Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina drops claim for ‘work injury’ against her employer

By Daisy CL Mandap

A Filipina domestic worker withdrew a claim for compensation against her employer for a supposed work-related injury after being told by the presiding officer at the Labour Tribunal on Jan. 4 that she had little chance of success.

Rosalina Andres, who appeared in court on crutches, had sought to claim that her hospitalization from August to September last year was the result of injuries she suffered nine months earlier, when she slipped on a walkway in Wanchai after picking up her wards from school.

Her employer, So Chi-yan, who terminated Andres’ employment on Sept. 12, 2017, rejected the claim. Andres had worked for her since July 20, 2016.

In court, deputy presiding officer Mary Wu said there appeared to be no evidence linking Andres’ hospitalization to the fall in November 2016, for which the helper did not even seek medical consultation.

Wu read a report showing that Andres was admitted to Tang Shiu Kin hospital in Wanchai on Aug. 14, 2017 because she had difficulty breathing. She was discharged on Sept. 6, and was granted sick leave.

“During such leave, your employer sent you to some sort of a nursing home, is that right?,” Wu asked the Andres.

The tribunal officer also pointed out that during the nine months that elapsed since Andres slipped and when she was admitted to hospital, the helper did not go for any medical check-up or treatment.

However, upon admission to hospital on Aug. 14 she filed a complaint with the Labour Department, saying that her ailment was due to a work-related injury.

The Employees Compensation Board duly investigated Andres’ complaint, but a check with Tang Shiu Kin Hospital reportedly revealed that what she had were “sebaceous cysts”, which are not life threatening.

On Nov. 1, 2017 the ECB issued a document stating the hospital’s advice that “the medical condition (of Andres) was not unlikely to be related to the accident”, and that “it may just be due to her personal condition.”

Wu said that the Tribunal was not in a position to rule on Andres’ claim based on the medical report, and that if she wanted to persist in asking for compensation, she would have to do it in the District Court.

However, elevating her case there could mean either party being allowed to be represented by counsel, and the losing party being ordered to pay costs.

After a break called by Wu, Andres, with help from Danny Baldon of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, informed the Tribunal that she had decided to withdraw her claim.

Recipes from DWC-HK ‘It’s All About Food’

Starting this issue, we will feature posts from the Facebook page of the “Domestic Workers Corner (HK Group) It’s All About Food” where Filipino domestic workers share their questions and concerns about the food they are expected to serve their mainly Chinese employers on a daily basis.

The closed group, formed by The SUN’s regular contributor Rodelia Villar only five months ago, now counts about 15,000 members, which testifies to how important cooking is to a domestic worker’s job.

As Rodelia said in a previous article on the group, the challenge faced by many is the rather limited budget given to a domestic worker, who often has to prepare up to five dishes per meal. Add to this is the difficulty of learning new Chinese dishes to vary the food served each day.

Members of the It’s All About Food page learn not just new recipes, but also ways of reaching out to each other from kitchens all over Hong Kong. In this sense, it has helped domestic workers cope with one of their main tasks in a way that cook books and cooking lessons could only manage to achieve in a limited way.

Posted is an interesting question raised in the page by a member: How to cook a half a slice of pumpkin.

The responses were:

Mhey Coloma Leonen: “Steam mo with pork ribs and black beans”.

Told that the employer didn’t like steamed food, Hanz Abello said: “Fry mo sis, with minced meat. Cut mo into cubes, then marinate mo lang (with) minced meat.

Adelaida Mayuga gave a more comprehensive recipe: “Marinate the pork ribs, then fry with minced garlic and add some black beans. Put enough water (and boil) until tender. Lastly, put the cut pumpkin or squash and cook until soft but not soggy. Happy eating.”

Another suggestion came from Rosalinda Lopez who said, “Ginisa sa lean pork with chu hoi paste.”

Asked what the chu hoi paste was like, Lopez posted this picture, and said: “Nabibili yan sa supermarket o sa mga frozen meat shop. Brown ang lagayan.

Another suggestion came from Thea Fontamillas Villanueva, “Pumpkin soup, sis”

While the administrator of a sister group, Lovely OFW Corner said: “Fried rice with minced pork and pumpkin. I-cube mo lang ang pumpkin at i-steam for 5 minutes, then ihalo.

Lorelie Lhen suggested a dish familiar to many Filipinos: “Try mo lutong Pinoy, kalabasa na may sitaw. Hope magustuhan nila”.

Finally, Marlyn Crisologo came up with two options:: “Igisa mo lang sa bawang, lagyan mo ng asin at asukal, ok na iulam.”

Another suggestion was: ‘Pwede ring pula ng itlog na maalat.Tadtarin mo ng pinong pino. Tapos i-fy mo muna yung kalabasa – dapat luto nang maigi, ha – pagkatapos mag-iwan ka ng konting mantika doon sa pinagprituhan para gamitin sa pag fry ng itlog na pula. Haluin mo ng maigi hanggang magmukhang cream, tapos ilagay mo ang kalabasa (yung apoy mo dapat medium lang). I-mix mo nang mabuti hanggang coated siya, tapos tanggalin mo sa palayok at ihain mo na.

A more complicated recipe was suggested by Marie Rose Balangui, who said: “Nilalagyan ko yan ng flour para maging noodles soup sya. Lagyan ng tubig yung flour at isang itlog. Gamit ang chopsticks ihalo mo lang sya until parang smooth na…wag masyadong basa. Tapos gamit ang bread knife, ia-isa mong kiwain para mag form na parang noodles about 2 inch thick. Cut mo yung pumpkin into squares, parang pang pakbet, at unahin mong iluto. Lagyan ng minced ginger, minced onion leaves at minced garlic. I fry mo sya tapos lagyan ng hoisin sauce, mga 2 spoons, tapos lagyan ng tubig na pang soup. Kapag malapit nang maluto ang pumpkin ilagay mo uung flour a 2 spoon.tpos lagyan n ng tubig n pang soup if malapit n maluto pumpkin ilagay n ung flour.

Cande Sanclaia gave the shortest instruction: “Roast”.

Another, Emily Aquino gave the simplest recipe: “I fry ko lang yan with garlic and oyster sauce.”

Below is another yummy dish posted on the page by the admins of Lovely OFW Corner:

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus 

Ingredients
2 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
12 slices bacon
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Procedure: 
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Can be pan-fried if there is no oven)
2) Divide asparagus spears into 12 bundles (3-4 pieces each). Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting 1/2" from bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon-wrapped asparagus with a toothpick. Arrange bundle in a shallow baking pan.
3) Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan; heat mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over asparagus bundles.
4) Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked. Enjoy

DWC shares love in simple way

By Rodelia Villar

It was not about what they gave but their desire to share a simple blessing that brought happiness to this group of children over the Christmas season.

On Jan. 2 this year, members of the Domestic Workers Corner (Hong Kong) led by one of its administrators, Meryviel Cabrera, held the group’s first feeding and gift-giving mission.

The recipients of their heartfelt sharing were 12 students of the Anoyon Day Care Center at Bgy. Anoyon in Valencia, Bohol, who came with their parents. The donors conducted the feeding program with help from Debbie Balagot of the day care.

The recipients were students (right) of the Anoyon Day Care Center at Bgy. Anoyon in Valencia, Bohol, who came with their parents. 

Later, the group distributed gifts and food to the students and their parents.

Balagot told the recipients about DWC HK and why it decided to have a community outreach program like the one at the day care centre, even if they don’t have much to give.

During the program, Balagot noticed one parent who came barefoot, along with her three children. She talked privately with the center’s teacher so the family could have four pairs of slippers delivered to their house the next day.

The group said it was gratifying to hear parents talking about how they made Christmas special for their children through the simple sharing of blessings.

It plans to hold similar gift-giving in other places in the Philippines in the future.

Labatt vows to push limits to go after traffickers

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre has vowed to use his diplomatic immunity and all resources at his command to continue his crusade against human traffickers, as he expects more trafficking and third-country deployment cases this year.

He made his promise on the eve of the New Year, as he called out in a post on social media two employment agencies that he said were continuing to traffic Filipino workers from Hong Kong to other countries where they get no legal protection when in trouble.

The Consulate, as well as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office that Dela Torre heads, ended the past year grappling with human trafficking after starting 2017 helping an overwhelming number of OFW victims of job scams and other criminal activities.

Dela Torre’s daring moves foiled a Moscow-based Pakistani trafficker’s attempt to lure more Filipina workers to Russia in October, sending his Filipina partner/recruiter rushing back to their lair before she could talk to more victims.

The labor attaché says his campaign does not stop there.

“For 2018, I expect more human trafficking cases and more third-country deployment,” Dela Torre said in a post on his Facebook page on Dec 31.

“But I promise these criminals one thing – I will push the boundaries of diplomatic immunity to call you out, and brand you for the criminals that you are, in any forum, platform and opportunity, and using all the resources at my command and the combined strength of all the anti-human trafficking activists in the world,” he said.

He was obviously piqued by employment agencies that have been stubbornly recruiting Hong Kong OFWs to Turkey, Russia or Brazil despite the POLO’s persistent warning that they were recruiting and deploying the workers illegally.

The government wants any recruitment for jobs abroad to be processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which ensures that the contracts are genuine and valid.

The labor attaché, in two separate online posts on Dec 27 and 28, specifically named Artellect Limited and East@West Employment Exchange by ASEAN Consulting as two agencies that have been trafficking Filipino workers from Hong Kong to Turkey, Russia and Brazil.

Dela Torre warned OFWs not to fall for promises of good employers and better pay in those countries that the two agencies make, as the Philippine government won’t be able to protect when they run into labor problems or fall afoul of the law basically because they work in those countries illegally.

But Artellect, which left Hong Kong after being convicted and fined $45,000 in 2015 for overcharging a job seeker, hit back with a post on its Facebook Page saying it had met with POLO Singapore and the city-state’s Ministry of Manpower to discuss the company’s operational plans.

“We have explained that Artellect Pte Ltd unlike many other agencies never sends applicants to overseas destinations without confirmed employer and a work visa. We don’t recruit on tourist visa or applicants based in Philippines. We have explained the risks of applicants who seek jobs with non-licensed online private recruiters or through friends, but not like licensed agencies like ours,” the company said.

Artellect said both POLO and the MOM “agreed that POEA procedures relate to applicants traveling from Philippines. In case of Singapore, procedure is prescribed by Singapore MOM and our company is 100% following it.”

Asked to comment on the statement, Labatt dela Torre told The SUN: “What can I say? I have already called it out on my FB page. I have alerted our POLO in Singapore, and they themselves can only warn our nationals in Singapore.

“There is no prohibition in Singapore on third-country deployment, just like Hong Kong. I will continue to call it out, and do my best to get witnesses and victims to testify.”

Dela Torre again reminded those who may fall to job offers from Artellect and East & West: “Just because someone you know is working okay in Turkey or Russia or Brazil doesn’t mean the rest of them are okay. This is wishful, illogical and fallacious thinking,” he said.

Dela Torre said the situation of OFWs in Turkey “is in fact dire... Although workers have a working permit, when they are terminated by their employers, there is no recourse to a government office which can fairly handle labor disputes.”

He said employers rely on the absence of a mechanism for labor dispute resolution and the language barrier to abuse the Filipino workers. 

DH who kept employer’s ‘discarded’ bags tried for theft

The trial at Tuen Mun court will resume on Feb 15

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic helper who kept for herself two shoulder bags her female employer had allegedly discarded is being tried in Tuen Mun Court on a charge of theft.

Rosanna Ranola’s trial began on Jan 22 with employer Lam Ka-wai telling the court she discovered the theft only last Oct 4, after she argued with the maid about her daughter’s school wear. She said other items had gone missing but she had no proof who stole them.

Ranola, in her 40s and hired by Lam in May 2016, had pleaded not guilty.

Lam said Ranola’s performance had turned unsatisfactory after her family moved to a two-storey house in The Oakwoods in Yuen Long, from a 13^th-floor  flat in Taiwai in February last year. The employers and their daughter had their bedrooms on the second floor while Ranola had her own room and bathroom on the ground floor.

Lam, who works at a bank, said the maid began complaining she had more work to do after the move, as the house was now bigger. She also said Ranola could not understand instructions, even in preparing food.

On the night of Oct 4, Lam asked why Ranola did not wash a school wear her daughter needed the next day. They argued and the maid said she wanted to quit right away.

Lam said she told the Filipina she could leave only on Nov 2 because the helper must give her one month’s notice, but Ranola replied, “No! I want to go now.”

The maid reportedly ran into her room and started calling up her friends. When Lam followed Ranola, she saw that her suitcase had been packed and her other big bag was half-full.

The employer ordered Ranola to bring out her luggage into the living room and unpack it. There Lam said she saw her yellow canvass and leather shoulder bag worth $1,500 wrapped in the maid’s clothes and buried under a pile of other clothing.

When Lam asked the maid why she took her bag, the helper allegedly said the employer gave it to her, then changed her reply, saying, “You threw it away.”

Ranola’s luggage allegedly further yielded a brown leather shoulder bag, which Lam said she bought for $1,500. The bag was also wrapped in garment and hidden under clothes.

Lam’s testimony dragged on until past 4pm as the defense counsel cross-examined her.

Magistrate May Chung interrupted Lam several times, reminding her only to agree or disagree when asked to do so by the defense counsel, and not to question the lawyer.

The defense lawyer asked Lam when was the last time she saw the bags and the woman replied about the time of their move from Taiwai to Yuen Long. Lam said she did not discard the bags because they were not worn out as she had used them only twice a year.

The lawyer also asked Lam why she did not want Ranola to go and instead told her to finish her contract if she was not satisfied with her performance.

“You should have fired the defendant if you were not satisfied with her performance,” the lawyer said. But Lam said she needed the maid because her daughter was not yet 18 and somebody had to look after the child when she went to work.

Putting it to Lam that she was “aggressive”, the lawyer played back in court a voice recording made by Ranola of a woman screaming at the maid for not understanding cookbook instructions on preparing “easy food” and instead cooked “crazy food.”

The counsel also asked Lam why she told the defendant to dial 999 after discovering the missing bags, but took the phone from the helper and instead talked to the police herself.

“You did not give the defendant a chance to talk to the police,” the lawyer said.

Two other witnesses are due to give evidence when the trial resumes on Feb 15.

Court strikes out work compensation claim by FDW

By Daisy CL Mandap

A District Court judge has dismissed a compensation claim filed by a Filipina domestic helper against her former employer because she failed to pursue her case.

The order by Judge Katina Levy handed down on Jan 10 was the result of helper Evangeline J. dela Cruz’s, failure to appear at the hearing of the case on Dec. 8.

Dela Cruz had sought compensation against her former employer, Steven John Delich, for a supposed work-related injury on May 2, 2017.

Despite being denied legal aid, she filed for employees compensation with the Labour Department on July 25 in the same year, and appeared in person at a directions hearing at the District Court on Aug. 27.

Before the next hearing set on Dec. 8, the employer informed the court through his solicitors that the Labour Department had written to him, saying the helper had withdrawn her claim.

The solicitors also told the court about getting information that dela Cruz had decided to go home.

Citing these grounds, the solicitors asked Judge Levy to order a provisional striking out of the helper’s claim, but she declined, saying the defense failed to cite any law to back up this move.

Judge Levy also said that under court rules, the applicant must withdraw her case before an order for striking out could be granted.

“Although I agree with the Solicitors that the applicant, as evidenced by the copy of the Notice she submitted to the Labour Department, clearly no longer wishes to further pursue her employees’ compensation claim, as the applicant has not filed a similar notice of withdrawal in these proceedings, it is not open to this court to order the discontinuance or striking out of the Application under O.21 of the Rules of the District Court,” said Judge Levy.

But the judge eventually decided to strike out the case for lack of prosecution after dela Cruz failed to show up for the Dec. 8 hearing, citing the need to promote “procedural economy” and ensure “fairness between the parties”.

Phone addict kasi siya

Si Mel ay isang Ilongga mula sa bayan ng Pototan, 35 taong gulang  at dalaga. Patago siya lagi kung mag Facebook habang nagtatrabaho. Noong Enero 4 ng hapon, habang abala siya sa kusina sa paghahanda ng pagkain para sa gabi, nilagay niya ang kanyang telepono sa loob ng kaserolang ginagamit para mag sterilize ng bote ng kanyang alaga ang. Ang kanyang cellphone kasi ay Xperia at dahil malaki ay hindi niya mailagay sa kanyang bulsa.

Biglang lumabas ang matandang kasama nila sa bahay at binuhat ang kaserola. Laking gulat nito dahil mabigat ang kaserola dahil sa lamang natatakpan pa ng basahang pamunas.

Nang buksan nito ang kaldero ay nakita ang cellphone ni Mel. Hiyang hiya si Mel sa nangyari at parang pusang naiihi na hindi alam ang gagawin.

Inamin na lang niya sa matanda na hindi niya kasi mapagkasya sa bulsa ang kanyang telepono, at ayaw din niya itong iwan sa kanyang kuwarto. Mabuti na lang at hindi nagsumbong ang matanda sa kanyang anak na lalaki na siyang amo ni Mel.

Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na nabisto si Mel na nakadikit sa kanyang telepono habang nagtatrabaho.

Dati ay sa bulsa ng apron niya ito itinatago pero nang minsang makialam ang kanyang among lalaki sa kusina ay bigla nitong ginamit ang apron kaya nabisto din si Mel. Mabuti na lang at pawang mababait ang kanyang mga pinagsisilbihan at wala siyang narinig na sermon sa kanila.

Si Mel ay mahigit tatlong taon na sa mga among taga Kowloon. – Merly Bunda

Recipe ideas for holiday leftovers

By Jo Campos

A fabulous feast is a highlight of the holiday season, when families gather together and celebrate with a spread of festive food. But when the holidays are over, we usually wonder what to do with the Christmas and New Year dinner or lunch leftovers! We are often left with a refrigerator cluttered with containers of assorted food.

Don’t let those leftovers go to waste - we’ve got a host of delicious ideas to turn them into tempting meals you’ll love to eat a second time around.  I call them leftover makeover.
Here are some simple and yet delicious ideas we can whip up in the kitchen to transform those leftovers into delectable meals!

Creamy Ham Casserole

This is an easy and simple ham casserole recipe that uses up your leftover ham and could be ready in a flash. This is comfort food at its best, and it couldn’t be easier to throw together. So the next time you’re looking for a simple ham casserole recipe, try this one that’ll surely please the whole gang.

Ingredients:
• 8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup sliced celery
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento, drained on paper towel

Method of cooking:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the pimiento, and noodles. Spoon into baking dish.
 3. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Ham Fritata

The Italian-style omelet known as a fritata is a great way to use up leftover meats and veggies. This delicious recipe for a Ham Frittata does just that, and is perfect for breakfast, brunch or a light lunch.

Ingredients:
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound deli ham, diced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

Method of cooking:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until well combined. Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
3. Pour into baking dish and bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until firm in center. Allow to sit 5 minutes then cut and serve.
Tip: This is perfect for using leftover ham from Christmas dinner, or even the cheese and veggies left from your veggie and cheese platters. Make it your own by adding your favorite meats and veggies.

Turkey Frame Soup

There’s more than one way to get leftovers out of a whole turkey, and our recipe for homemade Turkey Frame Soup will use up every part of our leftover turkey. Think of it as an eco-friendly recipe you’ll love.

Ingredients:
• 1 leftover turkey frame
• 12 cups chicken broth
• Leftover pan drippings, if available
• 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 to 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 to 3 cups leftover chunked turkey

Cooking Method: 
In a soup pot, combine all ingredients except the turkey. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, then simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in the turkey, let simmer 10 minutes, then serve.
Note: You can add some cooked egg noodles to make this an even heartier soup.

Crunchy Turkey Bake

This creamy and Crunchy Turkey Bake is so warming and satisfying that you’ll want to save leftovers to make it! This is the perfect way to take the chill off of a mid-winter day.

Ingredients:
• 1 pound leftover cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 (15-ounce) cans mixed vegetables, drained
• 1 10.75-ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 cup French-fried onions (from a 2.8-ounce can)

Method of cooking:
1. Coat a microwave-safe 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the French-fried onions; mix well, then spoon into casserole dish.
3. Microwave at 80% power for 10 minutes. Remove from microwave and top with French-fried onions. Microwave at 80% power for 5 more minutes, or until bubbly and heated through (see Note).

Note: Cooking times may vary. Check your microwave instruction booklet for guidelines.

There are even more ways and ideas on how to turn leftovers into something the whole family will enjoy without wasting food.

But wait there’s more! Here’s another inspiring quote from JC The Foodie:

“Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed… I think food is, actually, very beautiful.” –

--Delia Smith

Opera on travails of Filipina domestic worker opens in HK

Filipina soprano Stefanie Quintin (middle) plays the title role of 'Mila'
(photo courtesy of Cecile Legaspi)

‘Mila”, a chamber opera that tells the story of a Filipina domestic worker struggling to be accepted by a hostile Hong Kong family, opened tonight (Jan. 18) at the Jockey Club Hall of Asia Society Hong Kong’s headquarters in Admiralty.

Playing the lead role of Mila is Filipina soprano Stefanie Quintin, a graduate of the  University of the Philippines College of Music who counts among her mentors Professor Emeritus Fides Cuyugan-Asencio.

UP alumni all: ConGen Morales (with glasses), Stefanie,
VC Bob (to her right) and VC Timmy (behind),
with Gilbert and Cecile Legaspi 

To Filipinos in Hong Kong, Stefanie could very well be known also as the sister of Vice Consul Bob Quintin, who was himself a professional singer in the Philippines before deciding to join the foreign service.

Among the guests at the opening night of ‘Mila’ was Philippine Consul General Antonio Morales, who joined VC Bob and his wife, VC Timmy, in welcoming Stefanie and applauding her performance.

“Mila” was written for the stage by Candace Chong with music by Eli Marshall.

The show runs from Jan 18-20 at 7pm, and on Jan. 21 (Sunday) at 3pm.

Judge asks for record of Consulate's interview with 3 Pinay drug mules

Sentencing at the High Court has been reset to Aug 20

By Vir B. Lumicao

Three Filipinas convicted of bringing four kilos of cocaine into Hong Kong in late 2015 had their sentencing reset to August this year, pending the submission to the court of the Philippine Consulate’s recorded interview with the defendants.

Shirley Cua, Remelyn Roque and Ana Louella Creus appeared at the High Court earlier today (Jan. 18) for sentencing, after being convicted of drug-related offences on Nov. 14 last year.  A fourth defendant, Maricel Thomas, was acquitted of all charges

Judge Audrey Campbell-Moffat was given a letter from Vice Consul Robert Quintin addressed to the three defense lawyers, disclosing that two drug syndicate leaders in the Philippines had been arrested due to information supplied by the defendants.

But the judge was not satisfied with the letter, and instead asked for the transcript of the interviews that the Consulate had with the defendants on Sept. 29, 2015, a few days after they were arrested.

She adjourned the sentencing to Aug 20 after the lawyers said they needed enough time to request for the transcript, and have it translated to English from Tagalog.

The cocaine was found in a secret compartment of this luggage

The defendants said in the interview that they were offered a free trip to Hong Kong by a certain Nora Noora, an acquaintance of Roque, in exchange for carrying four pieces of luggage to be delivered to a man in Chung King Mansions.

                                                                        

The four broke up into two pairs when they got off the last flight of Cebu Pacific Air from Manila at Hong Kong International Airport on Sept 23, 2015. Roque and Creus cleared customs unchallenged, but Cua and Thomas were intercepted minutes later

The hand carried bags of Chua and Thomas yielded four slabs later found to contain nearly 2 kilos of pure cocaine. Acting on their information, Roque and Creus were arrested as they boarded a flight back to Manila on Oct. 25, 2015. By then the hand carried bags with the other half of the cocaine haul were no longer with them.

In mitigation, defense counsel Nicholas Adams submitted a letter from Roque, saying it was Noora who had asked her to invite people who wanted to go on a free trip to Hong Kong.

Campbell-Moffat voiced concern that Noora was not arrested by Philippine authorities even if she was named by all the defendants as the one who recruited them for the drug deliveries in Hong Kong.

Adams submitted two other letters: one from correctional chaplain Fr. John Wotherspoon who wrote about a Nigerian drug syndicate that is reportedly recruiting Filipina drug mules for Hong Kong, and another from Vice Consul Quintin.

But Campbell-Moffat told Adams that she would not admit as mitigation a letter about Noora’s role in the drug trade, but would consider a copy of the recorded interviews conducted by the Consulate.

She told Adams as well as barristers Kevin Egan, for Chua, and Phil Chau, for Creus, to request from the Consulate a transcript of the interviews.

News reports from the Philippines indicated that agents of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency who raided the residence of Katumba and Ramos in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, seized 10 kilos of cocaine and 2 kilos of  “shabu”, or “ice”,  worth PhP20 million.

Misa de Aguinaldo sa HK

Pangarap ni Elena ang magkapagsimbang gabi sa Hong Kong. Ito ang kanyang laging dasal tuwing sasapit ang kapaskuhan. Simula kasi ng mag abroad siya halos 10 taon na ang nakalilipas ay hindi na siya nakakapagsimbang gabi muli.

Kaya ganoon na lang ang tuwa niya nang nataon na Lunes ang Pasko dahil naisip niya na baka pwede na siyang makapag midnight mass dahil Linggo iyon at day off niya. Pagsapit ng Sabado ng gabi ay sinubukan niyang magpaalam sa kanyang amo na kung pwede ay payagan siyang makapagsimba sa Misa de Aguinaldo sa Chater Road noong Dec. 24.

Nguni’t ganoon na lang ang sama ng loob niya nang sabihin ng kanyang amo ang, “Sorry, you cannot, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Lubha siyang nalungkot sa tinuran ng amo, na ang sabi ay pwede naman siyang magsimba kinabukasan. Hindi nila naiintindihan na iba ang pakahulugan ng midnight mass sa mga Pilipino.

Sa kabila ng naging desisyon ng amo ay pilit pa ring inunawa ni Elena ang kanilang dahilan. Naisip niya na marami pa namang Pasko ang darating, at matutupad rin ang matagal na niyang pangarap.  Si Elena ay isang dalaga na mula sa Bicol at apat na taon na sa kanyang mga amo na Intsik na nakatira sa Midlevels. – Ellen Asis

The Sun Writers Club: Meet the maids reporting Hong Kong’s hidden stories

By Shaun Turton 
Republished from Coconuts Hong Kong (www.coconuts.co)

We are republishing here a glowing tribute from Coconuts Hong Kong to the intrepid and purposive group of Filipino domestic workers who contribute articles to The SUN on a regular basis These volunteer writers have helped The SUN fulfill its avowed mission of serving the Filpino community in Hong Kong through fearless, fair and insightful reporting.

After she finishes cooking dinner, cleaning up and reading her employer’s children a bedtime story, Marites Palma aims to be in bed by 9pm — especially if a deadline is looming.

With the rest of the house asleep, she rises at 2am, sits at the table where her television usually rests, and, in the glow of her laptop, begins work on her articles.

The 42-year-old domestic helper usually writes until 5:30am, then takes a bath and begins preparing her employer’s breakfast.

Sun contributor Marites Palma conducting an interview at a demonstration against mining in the Philippines in Central last month. Picture: Shaun Turton

Though tiring, her early morning routine, she says, is the realization of a life-long ambition.

“When I was in school, I wanted to study [mass communication], but my parents could not afford it because that course was only in other provinces, so I took agriculture instead,” says Palma, a native of northern Luzon.

“But I always read newspapers and I love to write. I think maybe this is the dream.”

Palma is a contributor to the Filipino community newspaper The Sun, one of about 100 overseas workers in Hong Kong that the free bi-monthly publication has trained in journalism since it was founded 22 years ago this week.

A few times a year, the paper holds workshops for any readers interested in news writing. Some of the attendees, mostly domestic helpers, then join the Sun Writers Club and contribute a handful of stories to the paper each month.

It’s a taxing double life. The contributors use their one day off each week to report, and often correspond with sources in the brief spare moments between housekeeping, running errands and cooking.

But for members of the all-volunteer Sun Writers Club, it’s a role they cherish and excel at.

Their stories cover the gamut of the experience of the roughly 189,000 Filipinos living in Hong Kong. From community events, travel features and sports write-ups, to the all-too-common stories of abuse, indignity and misfortune suffered by their fellow maids.

And though each enjoys improving their writing, their overriding motivation stems from helping their community.

“It’s sort of activism and journalism,” Palma told Coconuts Hong Kong last month in Central, where she had been covering an environmental group’s demonstration against destructive mining in the Philippines.

“If you know more, you know about your rights and how to fight for them.”

Paper with a purpose
In its first four-page edition, printed on Dec. 3, 1995, the Sun vowed to serve Filipinos as they “toiled in this strange land.”

And toil they do. Recent research has highlighted the “appalling” living conditions of many maids who are forced to sleep in toilets, showers, storage rooms and on balconies. Another, government-backed, report revealed that more than 70 percent of employment agencies charge exorbitant fees, withhold passports, or act as de facto loan sharks, ensnaring maids in debt.

One year-long study found a “significant proportion” of the maids it interviewed were working in conditions that would constitute “forced labor”.

Publisher Deocadiz and editor Mandap at the Sun newspaper office. Picture: Shaun Turton

Newspapers, a page 1 editorial in the Sun’s inaugural edition reads, can be pieces of paper tossed away after reading, or they can become institutions. Leo Deocadiz and Daisy Mandap — the Sun’s founders and veterans of the Filipino and Hong Kong journalism scenes — promised to be the latter.

More than two decades later, the husband and wife team continue to run a publication that is much more than the sum of its parts, adopting what might be called a hybrid approach to journalism — melding reporting, advocacy, social work and community service.

Behind adjacent desks ensconced in the Sun’s 15th-floor North Point office, the couple works late most nights, surrounded by shelves piled high with files, mementos, and back issues.

With a small full-time team of three — Deocadiz, the publisher; Mandap, the editor; and associate editor, Vir Lumicao — the paper tackles an endless torrent of troubling tip-offs: from shady recruitment agencies offering bogus jobs, to helpers abused by employers, to those stricken by illness or terminated in the dead of night.

Reporting the facts is draining enough, but their work goes far beyond simple reporting.

Behind the scenes, the team arranges lawyers, coordinates the rescue of maids in distress, refers helpers to shelters, accompanies them to police stations, and helps them file complaints or compensation requests. Its these efforts outside a newspaper’s traditional mandate that have earned them the unofficial title of “second consulate.”

“We grew into this role because there was a need for it,” Deocadiz said, sitting behind his desk last month.

“We were schooled in the journalism principle of always being in the middle, but in this case, since we started this, we have found that it’s not enough. You have to take sides, and you know which side you’re on. We’ve always taken the side of these people, and we recognize that.”

Rodelia and the rescue
Sun contributor Rodelia Villa, who began writing for the paper this year after 13 years of publishing a church newsletter, occupies a middle ground of her own: reporter, responder and, perhaps her favourite role, a source of recipes.

After finishing her work as a domestic helper each day, usually about 11pm, the 39-year-old informs her Facebook followers that she is available to answer questions.

She administers two Facebook groups, one providing basic Cantonese translation services for maids, and another that shares recipes for affordable meals to cook their employers. Each has several thousand followers.

Sun contributor Rodelia Villar at a market in central. As well as writing stories, Villar maintains a Facebook group to share recipes for fellow domestic helpers to cook. Picture: Shaun Turton

Her profile online also sees her regularly contacted by helpers in need. Most days, she gets 10 to 15 messages ranging from minor issues to emergencies. She refers serious cases directly to the Philippine consulate, where she also somehow finds time to volunteer.

On three occasions, she’s been contacted by domestic helpers contemplating suicide, and in each case, talked them down.

“She said she was at the window,” she recalled of one. “I told her to step back, just step back.”

Early last month, Villar received a tip-off, describing a history of horrific treatment of a helper working at a home in Tseung Kwan O, including physical, verbal and emotional abuse.

The woman had allegedly been forced to bang her head against the ground, kicked, jabbed with scissors, and made to pay exorbitant fines for perceived shortcomings in her performance, each documented in a notebook, photographs of which were passed to Villar.

She quickly sent the information on to the consulate and the newspaper. Soon after, Vir Lumicao, the Sun’s main writer, arrived at the helper’s home, and took her and the colleague who reported the abuse away to safety.

Villar helped write the story, which appeared in the Sun’s next edition.

“It’s a critical part of the community,” says the Philippine Labor Attache in Hong Kong Jalilo Dela Torre of the newspaper.

“Not only is it a source of information but, also, they see to it that all the services that our workers are entitled to are delivered by government officials, as well as non-government organizations.”

‘Small person, big voice’
Merly Bunda, too, always finds herself in the middle.

The exuberant 50-year-old is a domestic helper, a trained midwife, a volunteer radio correspondent and a contributor to the Sun. But, like many of those in the Sun Writers Club, she’s much more.

In the Philippines, some — not her, but others — say she’s a bit of a celebrity.

Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, her regular dispatches from Hong Kong for Bombo Radyo mean her voice is recognized regularly when she returns to her native Iloilo province.

“When they meet me in the market, they say ‘how does such a small person have such a big voice,” says Bunda, who has lived in Hong Kong for 27 years.

Sun contributor Merly Bunda draws on her large Facebook network for stories and sources. Picture: Shaun Turton

Here in Hong Kong, she’s also well-known in the community, particularly via social media. She has almost 5,000 friends on Facebook.

In a matter of minutes, Bunda, acting on a tip-off, can use those online relationships to track down nearly any Filipino living in the city. In October, a Filipino driver suffering from severe depression mutilated his own genitalia. A few messages later, she was in contact with the man’s flatmates.

Like others in the Sun Writer’s Club, Bunda also serves as a point of contact and source of advice for helpers in distress. For true emergencies, like workers abruptly struck down by illness, she refers to the Philippine consulate, which knows to always answer her calls.

When she can, she follows up in person. Not just for the story, but to try and provide a solution.

In recent weeks, she’s visited hospitalized maids, one with Lupus and another with tuberculosis, the latter of which she personally accompanied to the emergency ward during a typhoon warning.

In late November, she met with a domestic helper wrongly accused of abandoning a fetus in a public toilet. The woman had been summonsed a second time for questioning and was nervous. Bunda, who’s writing a piece about the episode for the Sun, counseled her prior to the interview to remain confident and answer all the questions she’s asked.

“I’m always in-between, in the middle,” she says of her role.

“You know, there is a thrill,” she admits, both in chasing down stories and trying to help those in need. “If in my heart, I think I can help, I will go.”

Agents of change
Deocadiz and Mandap joke about who is the real boss. Dela Torre, the labor attaché, calls them a “perfect match,” the former handling the business and the latter spearheading their coverage of dozens of stories a month.

Mandap’s energy and drive is integral to the operation. Holder of degrees in both law and journalism, her resume includes major Filipino publications and senior editorial roles at Hong Kong newspaper the Standard, Asia Television HK (ATV), and CNN in Hong Kong.

There’s likely not an issue affecting Filipinos in Hong Kong that she can’t detail in depth, meaning conversations easily flow from one case, to the next, to the next.

As well as reporting many of the stories, Mandap spends her time editing the copy of the Sun Writers Club contributors, making sure her changes are accompanied by feedback.

She’s a stickler for the fundamentals. Nor is there any accommodation of double standards in the paper’s portrayal of those it’s covering.

“Our bottom line is the protection of our domestic workers, but if they do something wrong, they have to face the consequences. We do not protect them to the extent that we cover up for any misdeed they have done,” she says.

“We try to be very accurate. There’s no excuse for sloppy.”

Working as a domestic helper can be isolating, lonely and a blow to the self-confidence of women, many with tertiary educations, who often feel they’re treated as second-class citizens.

For many of the Sun contributors, reporting and writing gives them a chance to change not only the lives of the people they cover, but their own.

Such was the case for Gina Ordona, who arrived in Hong Kong fresh out of college, planning to stay just a few years. That was 20 years ago, and for a long time, the 41-year-old said she struggled with low self-esteem. That finally began to change a decade ago when she began writing.

Sun contributor Gina Ordona has written for the paper for a decade. Picture: Shaun Turton

“I could not even tell my friends, my classmates from college, what I do here in Hong Kong, for a long time,” she said recently. “I had difficulty accepting it. I don’t know what made me come to terms, but maybe it’s because of what I do now. I’m a domestic helper, but on the sidelines, I write.”

After many sleepless nights writing and hours spent comparing her copy to the published story, Ordona has become one of the Sun’s best contributors.

She wants to study writing when she returns to the Philippines, where she hopes one day to work full-time in journalism.

Speaking with Coconuts last weekend after covering a forum by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano, Ordona explained why she loved the craft.

“I just enjoy writing the story as it is,” she said.

“You want to be the agent of change, just making a little difference to make the situation better. If you can do it by writing about a specific issue, then good enough.”