Filipino migrants vow to stop continuing mandatory insurance for OFWs

POEA wants all OFWs, old and new, to have insurance

By The SUN

The biggest Filipino migrant organization in Hong Kong has vowed to stop the implementation of a new plan by the Philippine government to require all Filipino workers to be covered by insurance for as long as they are working abroad.

Under Resolution No 4 of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), all OFWs returning to the same employer, or have moved to another, must also have an insurance coverage similar to that required of those leaving for their first job abroad.

This two-year insurance coverage currently costs US$144 or $1,200.

Under existing law, the insurance, which can only be secured from an accredited insurer in the Philippines, is required only for first-time OFWs. Those who are renewing their contracts or moving to another employer are merely advised to renew their coverage, either by paying for the premium themselves, or requesting their employers to do so.

Unifil says the new scheme will add to the burden of OFWs

“The new POEA order on mandatory insurance is just another money-making scheme for the already burdened OFWs that can even cost us our job,” said Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairperson of United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil-Migrante HK) in a statement.

She vowed protest actions to ensure the resolution does not get implemented.

“We will not take this sitting down. Expect (us to) meet the POEA governing board resolution no. 04 with a protest. We will make sure that this exaction will not push through,” Balladares-Pelaez said.

Resolution No 4 was signed on Aug 17 by the POEA Governing Board led by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, but was date-stamped on Sept. 4. It is supposed to take effect 15 days after the publication of its implementing guidelines.

Asked if they were aware of the new measure, or whether they knew when it would be implemented, Labor Attache Nida Romulo told The SUN she had no official information about it.

Migrant leaders had hoped to get a reaction from Secretary Bello when he breezed into town on Saturday, Sept 29, but he reportedly stayed only briefly,  and met only with officers and staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. 

Bello (in barong) was guest of honor at the opening of
Jollibee Macau (photo from ABS-CBN)

The day before, Bello was the guest of honor at the inauguration of the first Jollibee outlet in Macau. Also present at the event was Jollibee Foods Corporation founder Tony Tan Cak-tiong

In her statement, the Unifil leader said she doubts if employers will pay for the additional insurance, as mandated by Resolution No 4. Thus, it would become an additional burden for OFWs already hit by the soaring prices of basic goods in the Philippines.

“Employers in Hong Kong are already required by law to get insurance for their domestic workers. If they don’t get one, and something happens to their worker, (the) employers will be liable,” said Balladares-Pelaez.

She argued the new measure could also lead to OFWs losing their jobs because of tension with employers who would surely resist the new imposition.

Balladares-Pelaez surmised the additional collection from the full-scale mandatory insurance is intended to raise money for the administration candidates in next year’s senatorial elections, which could include Bello.

“The Duterte government and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III are responsible for this additional fee for overseas Filipinos. Duterte and Bello are bleeding us dry. The longer they are in power, the more miserable the lives of the Filipino people, and especially migrants, are,” she said.

Workers for sale

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

The first time I heard the word “commodification” I thought it was just a fancy word concocted to draw attention to the plight of migrant workers. That was, I remember, the time when the World Trade Organization summit was held in Hong Kong, and it seemed like the right word to use to denote how migrant workers are looked at as commodities by both their host, and home, countries.

But now I see why the word is so apt in describing the plight of migrant workers, particularly our own.

Nearly everyone they have to deal with on their way to taking up jobs abroad is out to milk them. From their recruiters to the training agents to our own government, migrant workers are squeezed for money in exchange for a little, or even no, benefit at all to them.

In Hong Kong, a foreign domestic helper is not supposed to pay anything to get here, except for the agency fee of no more than 10% of their first monthly salary. All other fees are supposed to be borne by the employer, and their contract is expected to have our government’s stamp on it only as a matter of courtesy, and not as necessity.

So why does our government put each overseas Filipino worker through the wringer before allowing them to leave and take up jobs abroad? More than the supposed protection sought for each of them, it is the money that stands out as the reason.

Funny thing is, Philippine laws are supposed to be more stringent than Hong Kong’s because OFWs are not supposed to pay any fee for jobs obtained for them by anyone, including the recruitment agencies. But in reality, they are made to shell out money every step of the way before they are cleared to fly out to their destinations.

These fees include, but are not limited to those charged for training, medical clearance, video and interview, photos, photocopying, mandatory insurance, Philhealth, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration membership, and just about anything their agencies tell them to pay for.

In recent years, the total amount exacted from each Filipino worker who came to Hong Kong appear to have dropped dramatically after authorities on both sides began cracking the whip on errant agencies. From more than Php100,000 on average, the cost of getting employment in Hong Kong dropped to about half that amount, or even less.

But lately, the vultures seem to have come out of the woodworks again. We are again hearing cases of OFWs being asked to sign up for loans at the behest of agencies that want more money from them.

In a recent batch of cases where we were asked to intervene, the workers spoke of each being made to pay for two medical examinations and training, on top of about Php65,000 in agency fees. This did not include the HK$10,000 loan that did not go to them, but for which they had to pay from their salaries in the first three months of their employment.

Another scam involves requiring ex-OFWs to undergo retraining, for which they have to pay between Php18,000 to Php30,000 each, on the pretext that the NCII certificate that they had obtained previously was no longer valid. 

It behooves us to think that someone who had undergone training, and actually experienced doing domestic work, could be required to go through the same process on the lame excuse that the certificate they had was no longer valid. If this is not scam, I don’t know what is.

But the biggest caper about to be pulled off will be at the instance again, of our own government. This involves compelling all returning OFWs, meaning even those who are renewing their contracts with the same employer, to pay for insurance.

The stage for this was set when Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello signed on Aug 17 a resolution by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board adding proof of insurance coverage to the requirements for registration with the Balik Manggagawa Online so OFWs could go home and return to their work sites unhindered.

POEA Resolution No 4 series of 2018, states that the worker shall not be made to pay for the insurance; however, this begs the question of how foreign employers could be forced  to pay for the worker’s personal insurance, and why they should. In Hong Kong, in particular, this is bound to create outrage among employers as they are already required to take out insurance on their domestic helper, which should pay for the cost of medical treatment and repatriation, should these become necessary.

The little-known resolution which was circulated to overseas posts and other interested parties on Sept 4 is due to take effect 15 days after the publication of its implementing guidelines. That means there is time to resist this new money-making scheme that turns our own government into a big collection agency for insurance companies, and allows it to squeeze out of its primordial obligation to protect its workers abroad.

At about Php8,000 (or HK$1,120) per two-year coverage, this new money-making scheme would create additional hardship to our already burdened OFWs. It could even cost them their jobs, if employers decide to chuck them out in favor of other migrant workers whose government is not as greedy.

At a time when mostly poor Filipinos are suffering from a moribund economy, a rise in criminality and political uncertainty, OFWs who mostly support their families back home should not be made to carry these additional burdens.

Migrant workers are not slaves, nor are they commodities. It’s time we linked arms with them in fighting oppression and exploitation, even by the very government that’s supposed to protect them.

Wrap-up: Hong Kong greenery bears brunt of Mangkhut’s wrath

It’s almost unbelievable. Despite the havoc caused by powerful winds of Mangkhut on Sept 16, the severe typhoon left no fatality in a densely populated metropolis like Hong Kong. But a personal survey this writer conducted a day after the howler showed the intensity of the damage it wrought on Hong Kong’s greenery. From Eastern Hong Kong where the typhoon first struck, to the slopes of Lam Tsuen Country Park in Fanling, trees large and small had been uprooted, broken beyond repair, or badly damaged.

At the Quarry Bay Park promenade, rows of young trees that only the day before had turned the garden into a mini-forest had fallen in one direction – westward. Around Po Lam and Hang Hau in Tseung Kwan O, large banyans and fig trees that had shaded the district’s sidewalks had been toppled and lain there for days, blocking the paths of pedestrians and bikers. The destruction was repeated all over Hong Kong. Many sections of its famous trails were closed to hikers due to trees felled by Mangkhut’s gusts.

Those living near the coasts suffered extensive damage

All told, more than 17,000 trees had been toppled by the strongest typhoon to have hit Hong Kong, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said. The magnitude of the damage has simply overwhelmed government agencies responsible for the clean-up. The Home Affairs Department and various District Offices joined hands with the relevant departments to clear fallen trees, refuse and road obstructions. At the Kai Tak temporary refuse impoundment center, more than 1,000 truckloads of arboreal debris have been dumped since the morning after Mangkhut while city officials think of what to do with the surplus wood. – Vir B. Lumicao


Worst typhoon
It was the worst typhoon I’ve experienced in my 32 years in Hong Kong, in terms of the damage it wrought on the city. And I’ve witnessed a lot up close, having worked for a local TV station for years, when everyone in the staff was required to report for work whenever signal no 8 was raised at the approach of a typhoon.

Personally, we weren’t hit hard because we’re just on the first floor, and apart from our potted plants and our heavy barbecue grill being toppled by the wind, we hardly felt the typhoon’s ferocity.

But when I got out the next day, I was struck at how powerful Mangkhut was. A lot of big trees were uprooted, including those that I’d seen around for ages. Diagonally across United Centre where the Philippine Consulate is located, a big and ancient tree was uprooted, and its heavy trunk blocked two lanes of Queensway. At nearby Admiralty Park, it looked like a giant monster had passed, and trampled on all the plants and trees on its path. Saplings that lined the island divider along Connaught Road, from Causeway Bay to Admiralty, were almost all felled. Mangkhut was that powerful.

A tunnel in Shatin fills with flood water.

Days after the onslaught, many fallen trees remained on the road, and several buildings, including the Immigration Tower in Wanchai, still had their broken glass windows plastered temporarily with wood or other objects to keep the elements out.

It seemed like Hong Kong was left in shock at Mangkhut’s ferocity that it took time before it could get back on its feet.

It was, to me, mostly luck that nobody was killed or injured seriously amid the typhoon’s wrath. But I now fear the consequences should another super typhoon head for Hong Kong, and make a direct hit. I hope that does not happen, but it maybe worth it for the city to be better prepared next time. – Daisy CL Mandap

Church celebrates early Christmas with a party

Around 150 members of the Crusaders of the Divine Church of Christ, Mariners Hong Kong Chapter, celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, or Christmas, three months earlier than most.

The church group held its celebration on Sept 25 at Mariners Hill Garden in Tsimshatsui, in line with its belief that Jesus was born on this day, citing Luke, chapters 1 and 2 of the Bible.

The members celebrated the event with a morning mass and a simple program which included gift giving, food sharing, caroling and parlor games.

The group is inviting anyone who might be interested in attending its 35th anniversary on Nov 18, to call Divine at 67321423.

Christmas.Celebration of Crusaders of the Divine Church of Christ, Mariners Hong Kong Chapter.

Fun’s the word at DWC’s first anniversary

It may have been the first time many of them had met, but the more than 100 Filipino migrant workers who attended the first anniversary party of Domestic Workers Corner at Pier 9 in Central on Sept 25 certainly did not show it.

The DWC members who attended the ground-breaking event all took delight in taking part in the contests, dancing, games, and the overall merriment led by the group’s founder, Rodelia Villar, who is known to most of them by her Facebook name, “Lovely.”

Members and guests fill one end of Pier 9.

Villar, a church volunteer who also contributes articles to The SUN, said about 300 members had signed up to join the celebration, but she was not sure how many had actually turned up.

She said the members agreed to just have a good time on the day, so they pooled their money to get food delivered to them during the party, and the rest used to buy gifts for winners of the fun games and contests.

Members managed to show that without spending more than their usual allowance during their days off, they could stage beauty contests, fashion face-offs and have a lot of clean, good, fun.

In a Facebook post after the successful event, Villar said: “Thank you, Lord. Di ko man akalain na ito ng marating ng isang adik sa Facebook.”

Among the guests at the event was Daisy CL Mandap, editor of The SUN, who congratulated the group for being relevant and helpful to the migrant workers community in Hong Kong despite being around for just a year.

She also praised members for helping each other in times of need, both big and mundane, as when they give advice on how certain Chinese dishes should be cooked. She also encouraged them to encourage each other to save and avoid getting enmeshed in debt so they can rejoin their families in the Philippines faster.

Villar first formed Domestic Workers Corner Hong Kong a year ago, hoping to turn it into a forum for exchanging ideas among migrant workers, but it became very successful that she felt compelled to form other pages to manage members’ concerns better.

These include the “It’s All About Food” page, where members are encouraged to share recipes and cooking tips, and extend help to newcomers struggling to cook food to their employers’ liking. This appears to be the most popular among the DWC groups as it now has more than 34,000 members.

Another page, DWC Group for Cantonese, is a tutorial page for migrant workers who want to learn the local language to be able to manage their way around better, and maybe score points with their employers.

Two groups, DWC Help Group and Help Group Chat, allows members to consult about work-related problems and other concerns. These extension groups have enabled Villar and her fellow administrators in the main page to extend help to hundreds of migrant workers, including those in extremely dire situations.

Gabriela HK marks 9th year with a call for women to speak up

Women’s group Gabriela Hong Kong celebrated its ninth founding anniversary on Sept 23 on Chater Road, Central, with a call on Filipinas to “stand up and fight”.

Various groups and alliances took part in the program to show solidarity with Gabriela HK in its advocacy to stand up for the rights and welfare of all Filipinos, particularly migrant women.

 Members of Gabriela HK took turns speaking about the group’s plans and programs, and ended the event which lasted for more than three hours, with a cultural performance.

Members of Gabriela Hong Kong celebrate their 9th Anniversary with a call: Migrant Women, Stand Up and Fight.

Guest speaker Dolores Balladares-Pelaez of United Filipinos – Migrante HK focused on issues affecting migrants, such as the illegal collection of placement fees, the various government exactions on overseas workers, and their low wages.

She reminded everyone to support calls to regulate the working hours of migrant workers, and ensure decent accommodation for them.

Pelaez also dealt with the skyrocketing prices of basic goods in the Philippines, brought about by the government-sponsored TRAIN law, and their impact on the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

For her part, Gabriela HK chairperson Shiela Tebia-Bonifacio, condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements about women, in particular his jokes about rape.

Hike for 11-yr-old kidney patient

By Vir B. Lumicao

The 3.l5 kilometer hike to Nam Long Shan, or Brick Hill, on Sept 23 may have been easy and leisurely, but it was the purpose behind the activity that powered the participants up the scenic hill in Aberdeen.

Some 50 OFWs from various parts of Hong Kong gathered on a bright and sunny day at Wong Chuk Hang MTR station, the rendezvous for the two-hour trek up Nam Long Shan Road, to the brick circular helipad atop the hill that is partly straddled by Ocean Park.

They had responded to a call from Marites Palma, founding president of Roxas Group of Migrants, for a trek of love for 11-year-old Charlene Kate Ponce Lariosa, who is suffering from chronic kidney disease Stage 5. Helping Palma organize the hike was Jessie Quevedo, another OFW.

Charlene, from Matusalem, Roxas, Isabela, will undergo a kidney transplant next month with her mother, Jhona Ponce Lariosa, a housewife, as the donor. She has a younger sister, Nathalie Keith, 5.

Participants gather at the MTR station for a final briefing.

Charlene’s father, Jayson Lariosa, a seafarer who is in the high seas at the moment, does not make enough to afford the cost of three-times-a-day dialysis that the girl requires, in addition to the family’s daily sustenance.

Palma, a kind-hearted and nosy OFW and member of The Sun Writers Club, said she first heard about Charlene’s plight when an aunt of the patient asked her to buy a ticket for a charity cause. The aunt told her the fundraising was for Jhona’s daughter.

“Naisipan kong magbenta din ng ticket noong una, pero parang kakaunti ang bumibili kaya naisipan kong mag-organize ng charity walk,” Palma said. She said she contacted Quevedo because she knew he had experience organizing charity walks.

Soon, the event “Hike for a Cause for Charlene Kate Ponce Lariosa” was calendared on Facebook and gained promises of support from the Filipino community in Hong Kong.

Before the hike got started, the participants had shelled out various amounts that, combined with donations by various individuals, totaled $5,000.

Palma said in peso terms, she had collected PhP34,400, which augmented PhP5,821 in ticket sale proceeds that she had remitted in August to Charlene Kate’s mother.

Among those who made cash or check donation were Rosabelle Woolf of AFreight, Merlinda Mercado of Metro Bank, Card HK Trainors, Fate Team, DOMO HK, Korean employer Rebuga Kang and hike co-organizer Quevedo.

Those who could not join the 50 hikers sent their financial contribution by fund transfer to a TNG account set up for the cause.

“Lubos na nagpapasalamat po ang pamilya ni Charlene Kate sa napakalaking tulong pinansiyal
na naipaabot ng mga manggagawang Pilipino dito sa Hong Kong,” Palma said, adding that the girl’s mother was so touched she could not hold back tears on receiving the remittance.

The hikers who heeded the charity call were members of Card HK, friends from Kapihan ng Paoay Association, Isabela Federation and United San Manuel Association, workers from Roxas, Isabela, and friends of Palma on Facebook.

Those who would like to donate to Charlene Kate’s fund may contact Marites Palma through The SUN Hong Kong or on her Facebook account.

Suspended barrister Ody Lai arrested for alleged fraud conspiracy, money laundering

Lai in a recent photo on Facebook

By The SUN

Suspended Filipino barrister Ody Lai Pui-yim has been arrested by Hong Kong police for her suspected involvement in Hong Kong’s biggest job scam that victimized hundreds of Filipino workers two years ago, and in alleged money laundering relating to the case.

Lai’s arrest on Aug. 30 at Chek Lap Kok airport where she had apparently flown from Manila, was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Bureau to The SUN earlier today.

“Upon investigation by the Regional Crime Unit of Hong Kong Island, a 56-year-old foreign woman was arrested for ‘conspiracy to defraud’ and ‘dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offense (also known as money laundering) at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 30,” a PPRB spokeswoman said in a message.

She said Lai was allowed to post bail and was told to report back to police in mid-October while the complaints against her are being investigated.

Consul Paulo Saret, head of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, said they had been informed about Lai’s arrest “sometime last month.”

He said that as far as he knew, part of Lai’s bail condition was that she could not travel outside Hong Kong without getting permission from the police.

Ylagan and Lai at a party in Dec 2017

Lai had left for the Philippines shortly after the arrest of her erstwhile friend and former employment agency owner Ester P. Ylagan on June 7 this year, on the same charges.

Lai is suspected of involvement in Ylagan’s alleged recruitment of about 600 Filipinos in Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines, for non-existent high-paying jobs in Britain and Canada in 2016.

Ylagan, who used to co-own and control Emry’s, the biggest recruiter of Filipino domestic workers for Hong Kong, was accused of charging $10,000 per applicant for jobs in Britain, and $15,000 for Canada.

The two women are also suspected of involvement in the transfer of around $10 million to several countries as far apart as Malaysia, Turkey and Burkina Faso at about the same time. Documents showing the transfer were reportedly unearthed by lawyers looking into the recruitment scam, and turned over to police.

Ylagan, who fled to the Philippines after the case unraveled in mid 2016, was allowed to post bail after her arrest, but was ordered to report back to police every few months while the case against her was being investigated.

She is apparently unable to leave Hong Kong while the investigation is being carried out because the Philippine government has cancelled her passport.

Six months before her arrest, Ylagan returned to Hong Kong to file a complaint with the police against Lai for allegedly using deception to obtain a flat she owned. Lai allegedly convinced Ylagan to transfer ownership of the flat to her son, while the barrister was supposed to sell it for them to settle the job applicants’ claims.

Instead, Ylagan’s son Ridge Michael was allegedly convinced by Lai to transfer the flat’s ownership in her name so she could sell it.

“In November 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,” said Ylagan in her complaint.

Land Registry documents show 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.

Market listings at the time of the sale showed a similar flat being sold for $6.5 million.

In her complaint, Ylagan also accused Lai of advising her to hide in the Philippines and not communicate with anyone while the barrister, who was then already under a four-year suspension for malpractice, sorted out her case.

Ylagan also accused Lai of draining her Mandatory Provident Fund, on the pretext that the money would be used for her legal defense. Ylagan said she later found out that she was not provided any legal representation in her absence.

Further, Ylagan said she learned Lai had already been suspended from practicing as a barrister.

The next hearing of the consolidated claims against Ylagan and her two defunct companies, Emry’s and Mike’s Secretarial Service, is set for Oct 26 at the District Court. Claimants who have been granted legal aid are expected to seek a court order attaching the disputed Aberdeen flat to satisfy their claims.

   

Meanwhile, Consul Saret said other victims of the recruitment scam should go to ATN so they can be assisted in giving their statements to police if they have not yet done so.

Saret said the investigation is being hampered by the difficulty of locating the complainants against Ylagan so they can give supplementary statements. Many of the complainants have apparently gone home for good, or found employment in other countries. Others have simply lost interest.

So far, more than 100 complainants have already given additional statements, but at least 200 others who had filed cases at the Small Claims Tribunal are being sought. These include those who were recruited in the Philippines through their relatives or friends in Hong Kong.

2 Pinay helpers to stay in jail, will lose jobs for fighting

The two were charged in Kowloon City court

By Vir B. Lumicao

Two Filipina helpers who figured in a fight that left one scalded on Oct 1 were refused bail after being charged in Kowloon City Court on Oct 3, one with “wounding” and the other, “assault occasioning bodily harm.”

The two, Priscilla Salazar Yra and Belinda Fajardo Anastacio, got into further trouble when the lady prosecutor said their common employer was going to terminate their job contracts as a result of the fight.

Magistrate Woo Huey-fang adjourned the hearing until Oct 31 and ordered the two Filipinas to remain detained at the lady prosecutor’s recommendation.

The prosecutor said she objected to granting bail to both defendants because of the seriousness of their offenses and strong evidence against them.

She said the defendants got into a fight while arguing over work matters at around 10:30am on Oct 1 in unit F, 43^rd floor, Tower 2 at The Harbour Side, a luxury residential estate in Yaumatei. Their employers were on a holiday in Thailand then, police said.

They fought in a flat in Harbourside while
their employers were on  holiday 

The prosecutor said Anastacio, 34, slapped 48-year-old Yra in the face and the two women pulled each other’s hair.

During the struggle, Anastacio grabbed a ceramic cup and hit Yra’s right hand with it, causing redness as it broke, the prosecutor said.

In return, Yra took a kettle filled with hot water and doused its content on Anastacio, scalding her chest and left hand.

Police who responded to a report of the fight sent the two women to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where they were treated for their injuries and discharged on the same day, the prosecutor said.

She said as the helpers’ employers were intending to terminate their contracts, they would have no place to stay in Hong Kong, which was why she asked that they be denied bail.

Lawyers for the two had applied for bail for both their clients.

Yra’s lawyer said in his bail application that his client only had $80 in her wallet but could stay in her employment agency’s boarding house if granted bail.

Yra, who had been in Hong Kong since 2013, is said to have separated from her husband 14 years ago and has two daughters who are both married. One of the daughters, along with her husband and son live in Yra’s house.

On the other hand, Anastacio’s lawyer said his client could post $1,500 bail and was willing to surrender her passport and live in her agency’s boarding house.

The helper has been in Hong Kong for just two years and has a clear record. She supports her parents and children in the Philippines.

Magistrate Woo told the defendants to return after eight days for their bail review. In the meantime, she said, they must remain in custody.

Cordillerans hold memorial for typhoon victims

By Ellen Asis

The Cordillera Alliance (Corall) of Hong Kong held a prayer vigil on Ice House street on Sept 23 in memory of the victims of super typhoon Ompong in the Philippines, in particular those in the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao and Kalinga, which were among the hardest hit.

Fr. Dwight dela Torre of the Philippine Independence Church led the prayers at the vigil, which was attended by Corall members and guests from the Filipino community in Hong Kong.

Corall member Yollie Salvado shared that before Ompong (Mangkhut to the international community) hit, her group held a prayer brigade to pray for the safety of their families back home. The next day, her husband reportedly called to tell her that their house was toppled by the typhoon, but all their family members were safe. The other bad news was that they would not have electricity for two months.

Salvado said that despite the damage to their house, she was still grateful to God because her family was spared. She also happily related that her family received a free generator that would enable them to live a normal life despite the electricity cut-off.

Landslide in Keystone, Ucab, Itogon, Benguet (Photo from Facebook).

Dolores Balladares-Pelaez of United Filipinos- Migrante HK said that it is during difficult times like Ompong’s onslaught that the Filipino community is able to show its unity and willingness to help those in need.

Former Corall chair Josie Pingkihan lamented reports that blamed workers at the mine for the landslide in Lucnab, Benguet, that killed dozens of people, saying the false accusation made her cry. She said the tragedy was more the result of the illegal mining activities of the Benguet Mining Corporation that caused the mountain to collapse.

Corall ended the program by giving thanks to their  fellow members in the Filipino community who extended help and support in their time of grief.

OFWs affected by typhoon Mangkhut may get financial aid

By Vir B. Lumicao

Workers stranded at airports in the wake of severe typhoon Mangkhut have started filing their claims for the Php5,000 assistance offered by the Consulate, according to an officer of the assistance to nationals section.

Consul Paulo Saret, ATN head, told The SUN that the assistance is meant to help offset the extra cost that the workers incurred when they were left stranded by the suspension or delay of flights over the five-day period of Mangkhut’s onslaught.

Consul Paulo Saret

Saret said the Consulate has already received guidelines from the Department of Foreign Affairs on the mechanics of the workers’ assistance payout.

“Basta mag-present lang sila ng ticket, boarding pass at saka yung (arrival or departure) stamp. Ma-establish lang na na-delay sila dahil sa typhoon noong four or five days na iyon, Sept 14 to 18,”Saret said.

He said the cash assistance would be paid out in Hong Kong if the workers applied here, but the funds would still come from Manila.

Saret likened typhoon assistance to the financial aid ATN also offered for workers stranded or delayed by the belly-landing of a Xiamen Airlines plane at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in August.

He said all those who filed for claims were put in a list, along with the total amount due them, but the approval from the DFA has not yet come through, so no money was yet forthcoming.

The cash aid will reportedly come from the PhP1 billion ATN fund, from which Philippine diplomatic posts abroad draw money to help distressed OFWs and other Filipinos abroad.

PCG fails to hit OVR registration target as for 2019

The number of Filipino voters in Hong Kong who have registered at the Consulate for next year’s midterm election in the Philippines is 7,000 short of the target figure of 30,000.

This was according to Jethro dela Cruz who is in charge of the overseas voter registration at the Consulate. As of Sept. 23, or just a week before the deadline for the nine-month registration, the total figure for registrants was just over 23,000.

Registration booth at the Consulate.According to Dela Cruz, it would be impossible to reach the original target, given that the number of voters who signed up at the Consulate averaged less than 100 daily. This is despite the recent surge of Sunday registrants due to members of the Jesus Is Lord church trying to beat the deadline. 

The total number of voters in Hong Kong is, however, still the highest for any post abroad. For the presidential election in 2016, the total number of registered voters was 93, 978, although only about half actually cast their ballots.

Mid-term elections traditionally attract less interest among overseas voters as they get to choose only 12 senators and one party-list group. In contrast, voters in the Philippines get to elect all members of the House of Representatives, all regional elected positions in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and all provincial-, city- and municipal-level elected positions. 

Apart from this, the seeming lack of organized effort in Hong Kong to get more voters to register this time could also have contributed to the low overall tally.

The month-long election next year is expected to run from April 14 to May 13.

Dela Cruz said that no new voter’s IDs will be distributed as the Commission on Elections has stopped issuing them in anticipation of the proposed national ID for all Filipinos.

But there are still unclaimed voter’s IDs in the Consulate for Filipinos who registered until 2014. – Vir B. Lumicao

Overcharging agencies reported to POLO

By Vir B. Lumicao

Three Filipino domestic workers have filed complaints at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office against two Hong Kong employment agencies for alleged overcharging of fees.

Labor Attaché Nida Romulo did not name the agencies, but said she had asked the agency owners and the complainants to a meeting at the POLO in the first week of October to sort out the dispute.

Labor Attaché Nida Romulo

Romulo said two of the workers complained against one agency, and the third, against another. The complainants were accompanied to her office by Esther C. Bangcawayan, case officer of the Mission for Migrant Workers.

According to Bangcawayan, staff from the two agencies have been ringing up the complainants since learning that they had complained to the POLO. She said the unnamed two agencies were the Hong Kong counterparts of the Manila-based Spear International Manpower.

Several cases of Hong Kong agencies who have reportedly overcharged their Filipina recruits in collusion with their partners in the Philippines have been brought to the POLO’s attention in recent weeks.

The cases show a pattern in which Hong Kong agencies recruit domestic workers through their partners in Manila, charging them ridiculously high fees, then telling them to pay back through personal loans from designated lending firms.

The workers are then made to pay back the loans in monthly installments of more than half of their monthly salaries for up to four months.

In the most recent case, the helpers failed to pay back the loans on time, so the agencies started harassing them with phone calls, forcing them to seek help from the Mission and POLO.

Initial investigations revealed that the workers’ contracts had been stamped by an accredited agency although they were recruited by sub-agents, in violation of their undertaking with POLO.

In the previous cases, Labatt Romulo ordered the offending agencies to refund the workers’ money, and also suspended their accreditation for breach of their undertaking.                                                                                                                                                                                             

Dismissal of fake US$5 billion bank draft case seen to benefit other Pinoys

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Consulate has welcomed the dropping of the charges against three Filipino male tourists accused of using a US$5 billion fake bank draft in an HSBC transaction, and says it is looking at how the case can be used to help other Filipinos in similar situations.

Elmer Soliman, Eric Jude Soliman and Eliseo Martinez walked free from detention on Sept 18, three months after their arrest on charges of using a false instrument. The prosecution told the District Court the charges against them were being withdrawn because of insufficient evidence.

Eliseo Martinez (left), Elmer Soliman (right), supporter Pieter Nootenboom and Eric Jude Soliman take a coffee break afterobtaining a visa from the Immigration.

Consul Paulo Saret said he was seeking advice from the Consulate’s legal counsel, Melville Boase, on the possible benefit that can be had from the case.

“We are consulting Attorney Boase about what advantage under the legal system in Hong Kong we can gain from the current dismissal of the trio’s case because, of course, we also want to help the others. They have already served time like these three,” he said. Four Filipinos accused of the same charge of using fake bank documents are in jail, pending the outcome of their cases.

Saret said the ATN would also seek Boase’s advice on how to request for the case details on the withdrawal from the District Court so the Consulate can report the case to Manila.

The Soliman father and son, together with Matinez, were arrested on June 25 for allegedly trying to open a bank account at the HSBC head office in Central with a US$5 billion bank draft that its owner had purportedly received as a reward from ousted Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The three said they went to the bank to verify if the instrument was genuine, but a bank staff who they described as “overzealous” called the police. They were arrested along with two companions who waited outside the room but were later released.

The Solimans and Martinez, a lawyer, got off the hook on Sept 18 when the prosecution said after nearly three months of investigation that it did not have enough evidence to nail them on a charge of “using false instruments”. 

There are four other Filipinos separately facing a charge of “using false instruments” in the District Court in Wanchai for allegedly trying to pass off spurious money instruments as genuine in separate bank transactions in Hong Kong.

The four were arrested between Dec 9, 2016 and Apr 9 this year. All came to Hong Kong as tourists carrying questionable instruments, such as a check, bank drafts, a deposit slip and wads of traveler’s checks.

 The longest-detained defendant is 76-year-old tourist Maria Ilao Gosilatar, who allegedly tried to cash a US$50 million fake check at the Hang Seng Bank headquarters on Des Veoux Road Central on Dec 9, 2016. She was arrested along with a local male accountant on Dec 9, 2016. The man was later released.

Then on Oct 18 last year, 57-year-old Filipina tourist Elena S Orosa and her friend Veronica F Yambao, both visitors, were arrested while allegedly attempting to cash US$2 billion worth of fake bank drafts in a Hang Seng Bank branch in Tsimshatsui.

Orosa, a businesswoman, was scheduled for plea-taking in District Court on Apr 17, but her counsel said she was getting a Legal Aid lawyer and needed time for further advice.

Noel Rambuyon, 31, came to Hong Kong as a tourist with booklets of Thomas Cooke traveler’s checks denominated at US$1,000 each, or US$50,000 in total, around the Lunar New Year in February.

He was arrested while allegedly trying to cash them in a small bank in Central. He was charged with “using a false instrument” in Eastern Court. His case has been moved to the District Court.

The biggest of these false bank instrument cases involves Brudencio J. Bolaños, an elderly Filipino who allegedly tried to update his account at HSBC on Apr 9 using a US$943 billion deposit slip ostensibly issued by the bank on Jul 25, 1983.

He was arrested and charged with “using a false instrument” after he allegedly tried to convince staff the document was genuine. His Legal Aid lawyer said on Sept 4 that Bolaños was going to plead not guilty, so, his trial was set for Jan 29 next year.

HK OFWs call for sacking of lawmaker in airport rampage

The poster calling for Bertiz's ouster

By Daisy CL Mandap

Bertiz Alis!

This was the call sent out by United Filipinos (Unifil-Migrante) Hong Kong in the wake of a series of controversies involving party-list Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III, the latest of which involved him being caught on camera berating staff at the Manila international airport.

While airport officials and his fellow lawmakers are still looking into Bertiz’s latest gaffe, Unifil-Migrante has already begun exploring ways to get him expelled from Congress.

The group’s secretary-general Eman Villanueva said several options are being considered, including calling on OFW organizations to sign a joint petition for Bertiz’s ouster, and filing a formal complaint against him with the ethics committee of the House of Representatives.

In the meantime, the group has posted a BertizAlis poster online, and has asked people to show support by sharing it on Facebook.

Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong have long distanced themselves from Bertiz, even if his ACTS-OFW party-list purports to represent them in Congress.

The alienation grew when Bertiz engaged Villanueva in a shouting match in January last year, after the latter revealed that the lawmaker owns two employment agencies in Manila.

Another poster shows the heated dispute
between Bertiz and Villanueva

A video footage of the altercation has since resurfaced on social media, prompting Bertiz to claim he has already reconciled with Unifil-Migrante. He also spun a different version of the incident.

Villanueva has disputed both claims in his own social media account and on TV.

In an interview with ABS-CBN, Villanueva said his group had not spoken with Bertiz since the incident. He also said Bertiz was lying when he claimed that he had invited Unifil-Migrante leaders to take part in the dialogue because they were staging a rally in the rain at the time.

What really happened, said Villanueva, was Bertiz had gatecrashed a meeting his group had set up with Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod who was visiting Hong Kong at the time.

Bertiz, who had merely tagged along, tried to dominate the conversation, and got mad when Villanueva accused him of not being a true OFW representative since he owned an employment agency.

The rift worsened when Bertiz, in turn, wrongly accused Villanueva of being an undocumented OFW.

Bertiz’ latest trouble arose from a video footage that went viral on Oct. 1, which showed him passing through the x-ray machine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport without taking off his shoes, in violation of security regulations.

 

Bertiz shoving his access card to the airport staff

When he was stopped just outside the machine for this breach, Bertiz shoved his access pass to the face of the airport personnel who accosted him, before snatching the man's staff ID away.

To make matters worse, Bertiz, in an attempt at an apology, said that he was having his annual “monthly period,” which provoked another outcry, especially from women who were angered by his use of their condition to explain his boorish behavior.

It was the second time he had angered netizens in as many weeks.

The previous week, he drew flak for joking that a new batch of engineers would not get their licenses because they did not know Special Assistant to the President Bong Go.

Again, this gaffe was recorded on camera.

2 Pinays held after fight leads to scalding

By Vir B. Lumicao

The fight between the two Pinays happened in this luxury estate in Yaumatei

Two Filipina helpers have been detained by police after engaging in a fight on Monday, Oct.1 that left one scalded and the other also injured, at their employer’s flat in a luxury estate in Yaumatei.

The two were sent to hospital by officers who responded to a 999 call about a fight in unit F on the 43^rd floor of Tower 2 at The Harbour Side at  around 10 am.

Their employer’s family was vacationing in Thailand at the time.

A police spokesman said the officers arrested a 48-year-old maid surnamed Salazar and booked her for wounding. The other maid, surnamed Fajardo, 34, was initially booked for assault causing bodily harm.

The spokesman said initial investigations showed that Fajardo had attacked Salazar with a bottle and the latter hit back by grabbing a pot of hot water and dousing her assailant with it. Both were sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

As of this writing, Salazar and Fajardo were reportedly still in detention while police continued their investigation.

The two are expected to be charged in court after the investigation.

Meanwhile, Filipina neighbors of the two said Salazar and Fajardo had been quarreling for some time but they did not know the reason.

  

Pinoys in another inclusive gathering in Shatin estate

By George Manalansan

World-Wide Gardens in Shatin is a unique neighbourhood  because of its effort to gather all its residents – whatever their nationality, work or stature in life – during periodic parties held to celebrate festive occasions.

During its annual Mid-Festival Fun Night held on Sept. 24, Filipino migrant workers were among those who joined employers and their families, as well as the estate’s staff, in taking part in the program.

Everyone was enjoined to take part in the dancing, playing of musical instruments, and singing, in which, true to form, the Filipinos excelled. All those who took part received gifts.

The security guards themselves served ice cream cups and refreshments to the residents.

Pinays won gifts and coupons in the raffle draws.

Some Pinay migrant workers won small gifts from a fun raffle draw, such as $100 coupons for chocolates, assorted gift certificates for books, and containing bath towels, rugs and other personal items. More than 300 tickets were distributed to participants.

Among the winners were Brenda Resonable who went home with luggage straos and a hair blower; Donna Dumalay and Jelli Catoloco who each got $100 gift certificates for chocolates; and Joan Reyes who won herbal drinks.

The gifts may not have amounted to much, but it was the gesture of friendship and feeling of belongingness that made the Filipinas happy.

The annual event is organized by the Incorporated Owners of World- Wide Gardens and sponsored by the Shatin District Council.

Similar inclusive gatherings are held at the estate during other special occasions like Christmas.

The fun night new Venue this year, cleared the carpark area, the barbecue area where usually held was covered by fallen trees due to Typhoon Mangkhut a week ago.

Sali na!

Licensure Examination for Teachers
The Special Examination for Professional Teachers will be held in Hong Kong on Sept 30, 2018.
The deadline for submitting online applications has passed.
For updates, contact the National Organization of Professional Teachers through Gemma Lauraya, 6169 5181 or the Facebook page of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office

Coins for Bethune
Sept 30 is the deadline for submitting filled cans for the “Coins for Bethune” fundraising project for Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge. All Filcom groups are encouraged to join the fundraising for the shelter. Cans or jars for donations can be collected from the Mission for Migr
ant Workers office at St John’s Cathedral on Garden Road, Hong Kong, or from the Bethune shelter on #2 Jordan Road, Kowloon. Filled cans should be submited as soon as possible to #2 Jordan from Monday to Saturday, and to the Mission office on Sundays. For enquiries, please call 27213119, 25228264 or 93572125.

Caritas Health Courses for Migrant Workers
Sunday: Oct 14, 2:30-5:30pm for body check &
              Oct 28, 2:30-4:00pm for result and explanation

Saturday: Oct 27, 2:30-5:30pm for body check &
                 Nov. 3, 2:30pm-4:0pm  for result and explanation

A minimal fee of $20 will be collected from each participant
Venue: Caritas Fortress Hill Centre,G/F, 28A Fortress Hill Road, Fortress Hill

Contact: Caritas AMP (2147 5988; WhatsApp: 5497 2899)


Filcom group announcements:

Free Zumba Class
Sundays, 10am-11am (or stay longer if you want)
Pier 10, Central
Open to everyone
Offered by: Kayumanggi Zumba Fitness Group HK

Free Yoga Class 
Sundays, 8:30am-9:30am
Pier 10, Central
Open to everyone
Organized by: Andappan Yoga Community

What's on where

PUBLIC HOLIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT: 
The Philippine Consulate General and all its attached agencies including POLO will be closed on the following date:
Oct. 1 – PRC National Day (HK)
Oct 17 – Cheung Yeung Festival (HK)
There will be no official transactions on these dates.
In case of emergency, call:  9155 4023 (Consular assistance), 5529 1880 (POLO),6345 9324 (OWWA)

Coins for Bethune House 
Sept 30 is the deadline for submitting filled cans for the Coins for Bethune project.Cans are still available from the Mission for Migrant Office in Central or the Bethune shelter at Kowloon Union Church in Jordan Road, Kowloon. All Filipino community organizations are enjoined to participate in this yearly charity drive for one of the oldest shelters for distressed migrants. For inquiries, please call 27213119, 25228264 or 93572125

Bicol Tourism Festival
Sept. 30, whole day, Chater Road, Central
The show will highlight the different tourist destinations in Bicol Region
Organized by: Bicol Migrants Association
Guest Speaker: Consul General Antonio A. Morales
Contact: Art Buban, 6129 2907

FBC’s 7th Anniversary Bowling Party
Oct 7, 10am-4pm, South China Athletic Association Bowling Centre, Causeway Bay
Come in your funny costume, and join the games!
Organizer: Filipino Bowling Club Hong Kong
Contact: Jenny 9401 7051

Silid Sining Pinay: Unlocking Pinay Creativity
Painting Workshop Sessions for OFWs in HK with Filipino artist Grace P. Camacho
Oct 7, 9am – 12nn, PCG Gallery
Organized by: PCG with Pitter Painter
Requirements: HKID copy and one 2x2" photo
To register, visit the PCG Cultural Section or email cultural.pcg@gmail.com with subject: “SilidSining”

Couples for Christ (CFC) Christian Life Program
Oct 14, 1pm-5pm,
Bayanihan Centre, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong
For details, contact Bro Tony, 56231373; Sis Jing Mangente, 60131917 or Bro Leo Pasamba, 52741890

Second Session: Oct 20 (Saturday) at Wong Tai Sin Fire Station, 28 Fung Tak Road, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon
Twenty slots are available for each session. Certificates will be given.To register, send your name and mobile phone number by email to gadhongkong@gmail.com with the title: “FIRE”
For other details, check the Philippine Consulate General Facebook page

Nueva Vizcaya Day 2018
Oct 21 (Sunday), from 10 am, Chater Road, Central
Highlights: Search for Saniata ti Nueva Vizcaya 2018 and Sassy Look International 2018
Organizer: United Nueva Vizcayanos – HK

Katutubo Haute Couture 2018
VIP Opening Cocktail/Gala Dinner& Fashion Show
Nov 10, 6:30pm – 11pm, Sheraton Hotel TST, Kowloon
Tickets @$1,800 available through www.likhangpamana.com
Philippine Ethnic-Cultural Performance, Nov. 11, whole day
Chater Road, Central, Open to the public

POLO clarifies training requirements for new or returning migrant workers

Filipino domestic workers with a valid “National Certificate in Household Services” (NCII) need not pay for training again as long as they have worked abroad for at least 24 months.

According to Labor Attache Nida Romulo, qualified holders of the five-year NCII can just exchange it for the new “Domestic Work NCII” to be exempt from the training requirement.

Romulo clarified the rules through a memorandum posted on the Facebook page of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office Hong Kong. This was in response to a number of complaints from workers against employment agencies back home who require them to pay for costly training again, even if their NCII certificates are still valid.

One recent returnee said she was required by her Philippine agency which she named as Concorde, to undergo training in a designated center even after she showed her still valid Household Services NCII.

The worker said the agency told her the certificate was no longer valid and that she must train again so she could return to Hong Kong. She was reportedly charged Php18,000 but ended up watching videos with her group, instead of getting actual training.

Another worker who was sent to the same training center by a different agency said she was charged PhP30,000 for the training.

Workers who commented on the POLO’s post regarding the Domestic Work NCII were all against it. They claimed that it merely allowed agencies to charge them huge fees without providing them the skills they needed for their jobs.

The Domestic Work NCII was put in place in 2015 by the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (TESDA) which mandates re-training for former overseas Filipino workers who apply to work overseas again.

Except for the change in name, the DW NC II is exactly the same as the HS NCII. Both confers a certificate to those with proven competency in house cleaning, washing and ironing of clothes and the preparation of meals and drinks.

The training and assessment for this qualification are offered by TESDA regional training centers, but accredited private sector operators are also allowed to offer the screening, without regulating the services they offer and fees they charge.

Recruitment agencies in the Philippines reportedly charge OFWs between PhP12,000 and PhP30,000 for the DW NCII. But not a few workers complain about not getting any re-training at all, while some say that they were taught Russian table setting, which was useless for their work in Hong Kong. – Vir B. Lumicao