Re-opening of schools in Philippines moved to Oct 5

By The SUN

 

All Philippine schools will now open on Oct 5 instead of Aug. 24 (Asia Foundation photo)

Schools across the Philippines will now open on Oct 5, as the country’s two leading regions are not yet ready because they are under modified emergency community quarantine until Aug 18, the Department of Education said.

Speaking in a virtual press briefing, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said President Rodrigo Duterte has approved her recommendation to defer the opening of School Year 2020-2021 to give the National Capital Region and Region 4A enough time to prepare.

“As per the memorandum of the President, he has given approval to the recommendation of DepEd which, I repeat, we submitted last Aug 8. Thus, we will now implement such a decision to defer school opening to Oct 5,” Briones said.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Malacañang Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum today to Briones informing her that Duterte had approved the deferment, about a month and a half later than the initial schedule.

Classes were initially slated to open Aug 24, but several lawmakers and groups urged the DepEd to delay the start to so there will be more time to prepare for the transition to blended learning.

This refers to studying from home with the use of learning modules provided by schools for their students to download online. It was devised by educators to complement actual classes that were seriously disrupted by the current Covid-19 pandemic.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Briones said the National Capital Region and Region 4A, or Calabarzon, where 65% of the country’s economic activity is based, are having problems with their preparations due to the MECQ that will last until Aug 18.

The NCR or Metro Manila, Calabarzon comprising Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite and Quezon provinces, as well as Bulacan in Region 3, have sought to delay the opening of classes.

 “We shall use the deferment to provide relief to the logistical limitations faced by the areas placed under MECQ and to fill in the remaining gaps of the school opening that we are currently addressing,” Briones said.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The President signed a law recently that allows for adjusting the start of the school year beyond August in the event of an emergency or calamity.

Under Republic Act 11480, the President, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Education, has the power to set at any date the opening of classes nationwide or in selected affected areas as the situation requires.

RA 11480 amended RA 7797, which set the opening of classes as early as the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

 “We trust that this is the final adjustment of the school opening. Even with the implementation of MECQ, we will use this time to make the necessary adjustments and ensure that all preparations have been made for the successful opening of classes for School Year 2020-2021,” Briones said.

She said the postponement of school opening applies to both public and private schools. She admitted that private schools, many of which have already started classes, may continue their calendar provided they follow existing community quarantine guidelines.

Briones said that although private schools have their own operational plans, they fall under the umbrella of the DepEd and have to comply with its policies as well as the requirements of the MECQ or of the Department of Health.

She said areas outside MECQ were directed to continue orientations, dry runs, and delivery of learning resources for the Oct 5 opening.

Call us now!

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Migrants accuse police of discrimination by enforcing 5pm curfew on Sunday

By Daisy CL Mandap

Cheung says it didn't make sense that police enforcing the gathering ban came by the dozen

Leaders of foreign domestic workers have accused the Hong Kong Police of discrimination and harassment for allegedly telling them to get off their usual hangouts last Sunday, Aug 9, and ordering them to go home by 5pm.

The police took action in the wake of an outbreak of Covid-19 cases in several dormitories where Indonesian domestic workers had stayed.

But during an online press conference today, Aug. 14, the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body called the police action last Sunday discriminatory and a violation of their right to free assembly.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

“Hong Kong police ordering on Sunday the foreign domestic workers to go home at 5pm to vacate their place of stay is not only violative of our rights but also discriminatory, singling out the FDWs,” said the statement read out by AMCB spokesperson Sringatin.

She said the police should realize that FDWs are given 24 hours of rest, and if they are made to return to their employers’ homes they would be forced to work.

Sringatin also pointed out that based on documented reports, it is usually the employer who passes on the virus to a helper, and not the other way around.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

AMCB chair Dolores Balladares Pelaez said they would send a complaint letter to the Commissioner of Police about the incident. They would also tell members not to be intimidated and to go back to their usual meeting places.

“This coming Sunday we are planning to tell our members to go back to assert their right to be there (meeting place),” said Pelaez.

 

Pelaez holds up a poster addressed to police and individuals who unfairly label FDHs as virus spreaders

Labour Party Legislator Fernando Cheung backed the migrants’ demand, and said that if the government does not want FDWs to congregate in parks and other open spaces, they should open community halls to them on their rest days.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Cheung had earlier called for holiday camps to be opened for migrants who are in-between jobs so the cramped dormitories and boarding houses where they are forced to stay would be less crowded.

The lawmaker said he would write to the Home Affairs Department himself to make both proposals official.

He also scored the police for the arrests of a number of FDWs last Sunday for allegedly violating the rule that no more than two people should be together in a public place, and the one that makes the wearing of masks outdoors compulsory.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Cheung said “it did not make sense” to limit the number of people gathering in public spaces, pointing out that the officers themselves came in groups of around a dozen when they carried out the enforcement operation.

“Why were they not afraid (of infection)?”, asked the lawmaker.

A police spokeswoman had informed The SUN on Monday that 16 Filipino domestic workers were arrested last Sunday in Central and Tseung Kwan O for violating the gathering ban and the rule requiring the public to wear masks outdoors.

Cheung said police should exercise discretion in enforcing the social distancing rule, and that their action should be more informative rather than punitive.

Two FDWs, an Indonesian and Filipino, gave testimony about the police crackdown last Sunday, while another Filipina helper related that she decided to leave her employer’s house because she had been prevented from taking a day-off since December last year.

Also at the press conference was Johannie Tong, community relations officer of the Mission for Migrant Workers, who said they received reports from migrant workers who were stalked not just by the police but also by individuals who took photos of them while they were taking their day-off.

Tong said the targeting of migrant workers was unfortunate, as it reinforced the discriminatory notion that they are potential virus-spreaders.

Call us now!

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Maid who stole $4,500 in nursery school jailed 16 months

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

Panaguiton entered the victim's office in the school three times to steal money 

A Filipina domestic helper was sentenced to 16 months in prison by a District Court judge after she pleaded guilty this afternoon, Aug 13, to three counts of burglary at the Braemar Hill Nursery School on Tai Hang Road, Jardine’s Lookout.

Mary Joy Panaguiton, 28, admitted before Judge Sham Siu-man charges that she entered the office of the school’s assistant principal on three occasions in October and November last year and stole a total of $4,500.

Sham sentenced the Filipina to 12 months for each of the three charges, with the sentences for the second and third offences running consecutively after the first two months, for a total of 16 months.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The defendant had been in detention since her arrest on Nov. 28 last year, when she trespassed into the assistant principal’s office for the third time, and took two $500 bank notes from her wallet that was in an unlocked cabinet.

The prosecution said the maid arrived at the school that morning with her employer who was the school principal, and took the latter’s two children to their classroom.

The assistant principal arrived at 7:35am and worked in her office, which was off limits to anyone without her permission. At 8:20m, she put her wallet in the cabinet, then left with the door ajar. When she returned to her room at 9:20am, her money was gone.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The victim checked the CCTV footage and saw Panaguiton enter the office, open the cabinet, take the wallet and pull out two $500 bills.

The police were called in.

The victim knew Panaguiton because she took the principal’s two children to the nursery every school day, the prosecution said.

Unknown to the maid, a CCTV system was installed in the victim’s office after the two previous occasions when her money was stolen.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

The first happened on Oct 16 last year, when $2,000 was taken from the victim’s wallet. The second was on Nov. 5 when $1,500 was stolen, also from the wallet.

The defense lawyer said the defendant, a secondary school graduate, came to Hong Kong in 2016 to work for the school principal. She was supporting her parents and a 4-year-old son by her boyfriend who is a construction worker.

For the sentencing, the lawyer cited two previous cases of burglary, one involving a man who entered an office and took a pack of cigarettes. The starting point adopted was 15 months.

In the second case, the defendant also entered an office because the door was ajar. There was no ransacking and a steel cabinet was opened. The starting point was 18 months.

He said in Panaguiton’s case, she walked around the premises after taking the kids to their classroom then saw the assistant principal’s office door was ajar, so she walked in, opened the cabinet and took the money. “It was an opportunity offense,” he said.

Judge Sham asked for a 30-minute break and came back with his sentence.

After the sentencing, the lawyer approached the maid, who was crying, and told her she won’t have to serve the whole sentence as she had been in detention since Nov 28.

CALL ME!

Call us now!

4 FDHs among 69 new Covid-19 cases

By Daisy CL Mandap

The 2 Filipinas should have presented negative Covid-19 test results before being allowed to fly to HK

Four foreign domestic workers, two Filipinas and two Indonesians, were among the 69 new Covid-19 cases reported in Hong Kong today, Aug 13, which brought the city’s total tally to 4,313.

The Filipina helpers flew in from Manila on Aug 5 and 11, respectively, and are among four imported cases. They should have tested negative for the coronavirus disease before being allowed to board their flight to Hong Kong, in line with travel restrictions imposed on Jul 25.

The third imported case is an Ethiopian pilot who came from Brazil and South Africa, while the fourth is a returnee from India.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The two Indonesian maids are among 65 local cases. Both tested positive at a quarantine centre where they were taken after a fellow Indonesian who stayed with them in a dormitory in Tsuen Wan was found infected earlier.

The boarding house was previously described as run by the David Cheung Employment Agency on Heung Wo Street in Tsuen Wan.

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, also among the new cases was a patient linked to another boarding house in Mong Kok where another infected Indonesian helper, Case No 4159, had stayed.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Chuang said the new patient was a family member of the person who was running the unit on the ninth floor of Cheung Hing Building in Mong Kok.

Case No 4159 pointed out to the unit as the one where she had stayed with about eight other maids, but the one in charge of the place has reportedly denied renting it out, making it difficult to locate the other tenants.

Chuang said the police are still looking for the landlord of the unit and see whether there were records of the people who had stayed there temporarily, so they could be tracked and tested.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

She repeated an appeal to employers who recently hired domestic helpers to get them tested to make sure they were not infected in temporary shelters they had stayed in previously.

She also warned that more infections could be found from the same building later, as a number of FDHs who were staying in another dormitory on the seventh floor had been put under quarantine while waiting for the results of their tests.

 

The two Indonesian patients today stayed in an agency-run dormitory in this Tsuen Wan building

Including today’s cases, there has been a total of 11 Indonesian domestic workers who have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past eight days, after staying in dormitories while waiting for their new employment visas to be released.

Of the 65 local cases, 32 are linked to previous infections, 27 of them involving family and friends who had gathered or had meals together. The 33 others are of unknown source.

The local cases include one linked to the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, where the doctors believe the infection spread in the changing rooms, as most of the patients did not know each other.

There was also a nurse at United Christian Hospital who tested positive and another worker at a construction site of the Water Supplies Department in Fanling. A staff of China Light and Power at Lung Kwu Tan tested preliminary positive.

Chuang said the 33 cases with unknown source include several elderly patients and housewives, and people from all walks of life.

She said the voluntary mass testing for all Hong Kong residents that Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced last week could help identify asymptomatic or cryptic patients who may be spreading the virus unknowingly.

Dr Linda Yu, chief manager of the Hospital Authority announced that the death toll has reached 65, after two more elderly patients passed away in the past 24 hours.

An 88-year-old woman passed away at 1:13 pm today in Tuen Mun Hospital, while a 74-year-old male patient died at 2:35pm at United Christian Hospital.

A total of 857 confirmed patients are being treated in 19 hospitals and the isolation facilities at Lei Yue Mun and AsiaWorld-Expo. Among them, 32 are in critical condition, 50 are in serious condition, and 775 are in stable condition.

Responding to a question from the press, Chuang advised the public to be careful when handling frozen food after the coronavirus was found in frozen chicken wings from Brazil and frozen prawns from Ecuador.

“Cook them thoroughly as high temperature will kill the virus,” she said.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that the work from home arrangement for most civil servants will be extended until Aug 23.

But those providing emergency and necessary public services will continue reporting to their workplaces.

CALL ME!

Call us now!

DH warns against using slimming product

Sample of the product tested by the Government Laboratory.

The Department of Health (DH) today warned the public against using a slimming product that is being sold on social media.

The DH said Fit Fit Day has been found to contain undeclared and banned drug ingredients that might be dangerous to health. 

In a statement, the DH said a public complaint prompted it to buy a sample of the product for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the product contained sibutramine, fluoxetine and orlistat, which are all Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138) (the Ordinance).

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The DH said its investigation is continuing.

Sibutramine was once used as an appetite suppressant. Since November 2010, pharmaceutical products containing sibutramine have been banned in Hong Kong because of an increased cardiovascular risk. Fluoxetine is used for treatment of mood disorders and may cause hallucinations and insomnia. Orlistat is used for the treatment of obesity. Its side effects include faecal urgency, fatty stool, increased frequency of defecation, faecal incontinence, headaches and abdominal pain. Severe liver injuries may also be induced.

Pindutin para sa detalye

According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons are criminal offenses. The maximum penalty for each offense is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.

Members of the public who have purchased the above product should stop consuming it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if feeling unwell after consumption.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

The DH strongly urged the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources.

It said weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control.

They may visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH for "Health messages on overweight problem and slimming products" and "Information on slimming products with undeclared Western drug ingredients" for more information.

The public may submit the above product to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1801, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.

CALL ME!

Call us now!

Filipina jailed six months for stealing $80k from employer's safe

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

Borines admitted stealing the money from two safe boxes with defective locks, then sent it all home

A Filipina domestic helper was sentenced to 6 months in jail today, Aug 13, in Eastern Court after she admitted stealing $80,000 from her employers’ safe boxes in Quarry Bay between May 1 and June 28 this year.

Marites Borines, a 34-year-old single mother, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft when she appeared before Eastern Court Magistrate Bina Chainrai before noon. She had been in police custody since her arrest on Jun 28.

The maid lived in the employers’ a flat on Tower 1 of Kornville, a residential block at 38 Yau Man St.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The prosecution said that in May, the female employer, Ms Chan, kept $180,600 in two safe boxes in the couple’s unlocked bedroom. She had $120,600 in a gray safe box, and $60,000 in a beige safe box.

On June 28, when the employer checked the money, she was surprised to find that only $70,600 was left in the grey box and $30,000 in the beige box. A total of $80,000 was missing.

Chan asked her husband as well as their son and daughter if they had taken the money, but all denied doing it. 

Pindutin para sa detalye

The female employer next asked Borines and the maid immediately admitted taking the money to repay her debt, the prosecution said.

The prosecutor said Borines was able to open the two safe boxes because, the employer admitted, their mechanical locks were defective and could be opened by anybody without the right combination.

Chan reported the theft to the police and when officers arrived, they arrested the maid. The officers searched her bedroom and found $1,410 in her wallet.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

The prosecutor said none of the missing money was recovered as the defendant had sent them all to her family in the Philippines. The employers sought compensation from Borines but the maid said she had no more money.

The prosecutor said Borines had a clear record. She had a $30,000 loan that she and a domestic worker friend took out from a lending company. Borines said the friend left Hong Kong last year but has not returned so she was repaying the loan all by herself.

In mitigation, the defense lawyer said his client came to Hong Kong in 2017 to work as a helper to support her daughter aged 9 and her parents. She was sending them only $1,500 every month because she was repaying the loan at $3,000 a month.

The defendant’s mother fell ill in February so she sent $11,000 for her hospitalization, the defense lawyer said, as he asked for a lenient sentence.

Chairnrai said after considering the facts of the case and Borines being unable to compensate the employer, she was sentencing the defendant to six months in jail after the one-third discount for her guilty plea.

CALL ME!

Call us now!

                                                                                          

Polo set to move to United Centre Sept 13

By The SUN

 

Polo's announcement on the move to United Centre

It’s confirmed. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office is moving back to United Centre in Admiralty starting on Sept. 13.

This was announced by Polo in a Facebook post today, Aug 13, indicating it will be relocating to office no. 2 on the 29^th floor of United Centre, where the Philippine Consulate occupies the entire 14^th floor.

Polo’s office address indicates it will be occupying half of a floor in United Centre, with the floor area measuring about 10,000 square feet.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Consulate sources earlier said the rental will be lower than the $500,000 or so that Polo is currently paying for its offices on the 16^th and 18^th floor of YF Life Tower on Lockhart Road, Wanchai, which measure 12,000 square feet in total.

Polo’s current landlord has also reportedly asked for an increase in the rental under a new lease contract, and a three-month rental deposit.

Meanwhile, Consul General Raly Tejada said it appears all Polo personnel have tested free of Covid-19, following a scare caused by a liaison officer of an employment agency testing positive after transacting business on Aug 2 at the Polo offices on the 18^th floor.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Polo had to close from Aug 3 until Aug 9 so its offices could be disinfected. Congen Tejada also suggested that all staff in the labour office submit themselves for testing “for good measure.”

This will not be the first time that Polo will be holding office in United Centre. Until 2005, or a few years after the government bought the unit in the Admiralty building, Polo shared office space with the Consulate.

United Centre is in a prime location, being a stones' throw away from the Central Government Offices

But in December 2005, Polo which was then under Labor Attache Manuel Roldan, asked the home office to lease a unit in nearby Admiralty Centre  so it could have its own offices.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Polo stayed in the building for only two years because the landlord reportedly jacked up the rent when the lease agreement became due for renewal.

After looking for a suitable and more affordable space in nearby buildings, then Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre settled on YF Life (formerly Mass Mutual) Tower, despite it being several blocks away from the Consulate.

The impending move has been widely welcomed by members of the Filipino community, particularly domestic helpers who have to go to both offices when renewing or processing new employment contracts.

YF Life Tower is about 10 minutes away by foot from Admiralty, where the nearest MTR station is located, atop United Centre. Alternatively, one can take the tram and get off at the Hong Kong Police headquarters on Arsenal St., then walk north to Gloucester Road. Or, get off at next stop, and walk towards Lockhart Rd.

CALL ME!

Call us now!

 

Filipina maid charged with stealing $140k cash and jewelry from employer

By Vir B. Lumicao

It's the second day in a row that a Filipina helper appeared in Eastern Court
on theft charges involving huge sums and expensive jewels

A 40-year-old Filipina domestic helper was charged today, Aug 12, in Eastern Court of stealing more than $140,000 worth of cash and jewelry from her employer in North Point for the past 8 months.

Aileen Rima appeared before Magistrate Bina Chainrai, accused of stealing four gold necklaces and two gold bracelets, as well as Hong Kong dollars, US dollars and euro banknotes equivalent to more than $90,000, all belonging to her employer, Elena Chan.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The prosecution said the cash were stolen in batches of $4,810 local currency, 600 euros, US$2,000 and $8,300. It said the thefts occurred between Dec 19 last year and Aug 5 this year.

The alleged theft took place inside Chan’s house at Block 8, City Garden, at 233 Electric Road.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

No plea was taken and Rima was remanded in custody.

Chainrai adjourned the case until Sept 23 for further investigation.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The case was heard a day after another maid, Margie Tagulao, 41, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of theft involving $543,000 worth of jewelry and gold bars from her employer in Shek O.

On Monday, another Filipina, Edarlyn Emperador, 50, was accused in Kowloon City court of stealing $860,000 worth of watches, jewelry and gold bars owned by her employer in Homantin, Kowloon.  

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Lov

The theft took place over a period of 10 months from Oct 1 last year, the court was told.

CALL ME!

Call us now!