Comatose Filipina flown home

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Candy is dearly loved by her wards, says Li (photo from Li's GoFundMe post)

The Filipina domestic worker who was left comatose by a stroke is now back in her hometown in Cagayan province, after being flown home on the Cathay Pacific flight that left for Manila at 7am on Monday, Oct 26.

The 37-year-old mother of three called Candy was accompanied on the flight by a fellow domestic worker who responded to an appeal for volunteers by the patient’s employer, Lewin Li, who also arranged for bringing her home.

Candy was brought to the airport from Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital by an ambulance arranged by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which also booked the second ambulance that brought her to Cagayan.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Li, who has managed to raise more than USD25,000 so far for Candy’s treatment and future needs, said she was worried that the Filipina wouldn’t get to see her family immediately after the 12-hour journey from Manila.

The kindly employer also said that sending Candy home did not give her complete comfort.

In a post the day before Candy’s flight, Li wrote: “I actually sense a bit of sadness, and hard to accept that she is returning home this way - completely bedridden, drifting between vegetative state and being comatose, not responding to anyone or anything... I don’t know how her kids would feel when they see her like this. I don’t know how she would feel? I’m also worried about the tremendous burden she could become to her family. It’s a long painful and stressful journey for them without any end in sight. I wish we could’ve done more for her.”

Pindutin para sa detalye

In truth, Li has done far more than anyone to help Candy get the best treatment possible, despite the big odds.

From the money that she has raised, Li said various equipment would be bought for Candy, such as a hospital bed (Php14,000); phlegm suctioning machine (Php1,400); special milk powder (US$310/month).

Part of the money would also go toward buying a house for Candy and her children, as well as her future medical needs. Should there be some left after all these are paid for, the amount would be divided equally among the children for their studies.

Li began her difficult campaign to get Candy home shortly after the helper suffered a massive stroke on Aug 24, which left her comatose and fighting for her life in hospital.

Call us!

After consulting with Candy’s mother, doctors at PYNEH took her off a ventilator on Sept. 4, with instructions not to resuscitate her if she deteriorated. But despite the dire prognosis, Candy’s condition stabilized, and she managed to breathe on her own although still unconscious.

A few days later, Li faced another challenge when doctors told her she should start planning for Candy’s discharge. After contacting social workers and doing some research, Li said she came to the sad conclusion that Candy was not eligible for subsidized care from the Hong Kong government, given her visa status and age.

Putting her in a private care home was also out of the question, as it would cost at least US$3,000 a month. But sending her back to the Philippines given the quarantine restrictions due to Covid-19 was also a problem, given her sensitive condition.

Eventually, however, sending her home proved to be the only recourse left. In a post that accompanied an online funding campaign she set up for Candy on Aug 27 (https://support.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000288632), Li said the helper’s children wanted to see their mother again.

Candy's kids wanted their mother home

“Doctors said there is over 50% chance she may be in vegetative state even if she lives,” said Li in her post.  “Her children are desperate to see their mother and hear from her again (she used to FaceTime them every night before bedtime).  We are clinging on to any hope we can find.”

Though Candy had worked for her family for just five months, Li said the Filipina had made a tremendous impact on them because of her “big, pure and loving heart.”

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Li added, “Our son adores her and misses her tremendously.  He looks for her all the time.  We really wish a miracle can happen to her and her loved ones.”

Now that the helper that her children loved dearly was finally home, Li said: “It still feels surreal that just two months ago Candy was still dancing and singing with us every day. We will miss her smile and warmth forever. Although she’s only worked for us for five months, her impact on our family is lifelong.”

In a bid to ensure Candy and her children could continue getting help from kind-hearted people, Li said she would keep the donation page she had set up indefinitely.

“Perhaps her family may need help along the way. I wish her kids can grow and perhaps I can pass this page onto them to manage,” she said.

CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Call us!

PADALA NA!

 

 

Filipina DH, Irish kid among 6 new Covid-19 cases in HK

By The SUN

3 of the new imported cases tested positive at the airport, and the other 2, while in quarantine

A 36-year-old Filipino female domestic worker who tested positive while in quarantine was one of six new Covid-19 cases reported today, Oct. 25. Five were recent arrivals from abroad, while one was a local case with no known source.

They took the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong to 5,296.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Another imported case was a girl who turned 8 today, a day after she flew in from Ireland with her family, and tested positive at the airport. Her mother’s plea to stay with her in hospital was reportedly denied by Hong Kong health authorities.

The girl’s parents and a younger sibling were deemed close contacts and were put in a quarantine facility.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The other imported Covid-19 cases included a 52-year-old male returnee from France, a 30-year-old female resident who flew in from Pakistan, and a 34-year-old male air crew who came from the United States who arrived on Oct 13 and was spending his quarantine at Auberge in Discovery Bay.

There was also one case of local transmission, involving a 42-year-old man with no recent travel history and lives in Beverly Garden in Tseung Kwan O. He last went to work in Sheung Wan on Oct 21, after getting a sore throat the day before.

Call us!

A total of 108 confirmed patients are currently being treated in 18 public hospitals, among which 12 patients are in critical condition, four are in serious condition and the remaining 92 patients are in stable condition.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said the patient sought treatment at Tseung Kwan O (Po Ning Road) General Out-patient Clinic on Oct 22 and submitted a deep throat saliva sample the next day, which tested positive for coronavirus.

People are reminded anew about social distancing amid the long holiday

The new cases were confirmed as health officials reminded all Hong Kong residents to avoid social gatherings, wear a mask and observe proper hygiene.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Thousands of locals including the elderly and children, however, trooped to cemeteries today to mark Chung Yeung festival by doing the traditional grave-sweeping and offering of flowers and food to their departed loved ones. 

A bigger turnout is expected tomorrow due to the extended holiday.       

CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Call us!

PADALA NA!

Govt must ensure well-being of OFWs in quarantine, say Filcom leaders

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The lack of adequate support for quarantined workers was the topic of The SUN Interview

 

Filipino community leaders are urging officials from both the Hong Kong government and the Philippine Consulate to ensure newly arrived migrant workers are provided enough food and support while under quarantine

The call came after it emerged during a live Facebook interview by The SUN on Oct 21 that most overseas Filipino workers who spend the mandatory 14-day quarantine after arriving in Hong Kong are fed only greasy noodles and fried rice.

In many cases, quarantined workers are each given only a small bottle of water to drink per day that they are reportedly forced to drink water from the toilet taps, causing them diarrhea.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The worst case reported by far is that of a first-time OFW who was forced to subsist for three days on mangoes she brought with her from the Philippines because she was not provided food in the tiny room booked for her by her employer at Chung King Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui.

On hearing these dire stories, Marites Palma, founder of Social Justice for Migrant Workers, decided to help by kick-starting a fund-raising campaign for the needy migrant workers like herself.

At first, she said she tried to alert the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration about the plight of the quarantined workers, but with no help forthcoming, convinced her fellow administrators to pool their resources and extend help directly.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The group raised a total of $23,000 which they also used to help cash-strapped workers stranded in the city by the pandemic. The fund was later supplemented by a grant of $29,800 that Palma obtained from the non-government organization, HerFund.

Palma said the money they raised has helped about 400 OFWs who were either stranded, quarantined, or found infected with Covid-19 on their arrival in Hong Kong, and were promptly sent back home by Immigration after being treated and discharged from hospital.

But the money has since dried up, even as the number of OFWs who come to Hong Kong for work, and inevitably end up being quarantined, continues to rise.

Poster for the charity hike to benefit quarantined workers

Not wanting to give up helping, Social Justice is to hold a charity walk today, Oct 25, so it could continue supplementing the food needs of quarantined workers.

Janette Carnay, a volunteer at the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, said it is good that the community is coming around to help, but adds the primary responsibility for ensuring the well-being of the quarantine workers lies with both the Hong Kong and Philippine governments.

Call us!

“Sino ba ang mas may resources para tumulong, di ba sila?,” Carnay asked. (Aren’t they the ones with the resources to help?)

Hong Kong’s Labour Department has stated that employers should bear the cost of the hotel quarantine and should provide a food allowance to the worker. But since the current food allowance is just $1,121 per month, the worker can rightfully claim to only about $40 for all three meals each day.

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office echoed this in a memo to agencies, but is not seen to have actively done anything to ensure that the directive is followed.

Labor Attache Melchor Dizon signed the POLO directive

Given this, Carnay said there should be a close coordination between the two governments so the newly arrived workers are assured of having enough sustenance during the quarantine period.

The Consulate, in particular, should be involved in this undertaking, said Carnay, “kasi mamamayan nila ang mga ito.” (because the quarantined workers are their citizens)

She also said the organizations would have difficulty sustaining the food needs of the workers on their own because of the sheer number of those who are starting to come in after travel restrictions in the Philippines were relaxed further.

CONTACT US!

Latest statistics from the Immigration Department show that the number of Filipino domestic workers shot up by more than 2,300 last month, after a six-month decline.

Gail Hills, president of Pintura Circle, a group of Hong Kong-based Filipino artists, agreed that there is a need for both HK and the Philippines to do more to ensure that the workers in quarantine are given adequate food and care.

But she said institutional help might take time, so apart from raising the issue at government level, organizations like Social Justice and Bethune House should tap other individuals and groups to immediately join the food aid campaign.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

“Tell us how we could help,” said Hills, who was herself spending her quarantine in a hotel, after arriving from the United Kingdom a few days earlier.

She was particularly touched by the stories of two OFWs who shared their quarantine stories during the interview.

Food pack given by Palma's group to a quarantined worker

One of them, Grace, related that all she was given while in quarantine was a pack of noodles and one small (375ml) bottle of water each day.

Luckily, she brought some canned goods on the advice of other recruits of her agency in Manila who had gone on ahead in Hong Kong.

She also happened to stay next door to another OFW whose family members in Hong Kong supplied her with food and water, so Grace managed to get a share of her neighbor’s ration.

But the food was still not enough, so Grace said she purposely did not sleep until 2 am so she could skip a meal by having both her breakfast and lunch at 11am the next day.

“Ang masaklap sa akin, nanghingi ako ng pagkain, hindi ako binigyan,” said Grace, who is now staying temporarily at Bethune House, a few days after her employer who did not respond to her appeal for food during quarantine, terminated their contract.  (What made me feel bad was that nobody responded when I asked for food)

The other OFW who shared her story was Mai Gutierrez, who counted herself lucky because her employer responded promptly to her complaint about the greasy food she was given at the hotel, which said the meal was part of a “package” purchased by her agency.

With their daily meal consisting of just plain noodles or fried rice for lunch and dinner, Mai and her fellow OFWs who were on different floors of the hotel decided to pass on food to each other through the hotel staff, until the practice was stopped because of the health risks it posed.

After her employer complained to the agency, which in turn raised the matter with the hotel, Mai was given some fruit and vegetables.

Mai said she developed allergies subsequently, which she suspected came from the spices in the food served by the hotel, so for the rest of her stay, she decided to just eat fruits.

Mai, who is now on an extended quarantine of seven days, said she hoped employers, agencies and hotel staff would in future discuss the food served to the quarantined workers so they will all know how unappetizing or inadequate the provision is.

But after hearing Grace’s story, Mai felt she was a bit lucky already, as she was given a 750 ml bottle of water each day. “Pag naubos, puwedeng tumawag ng dagdag ng walang extra charge.”(If it runs out, you can ask for more at no extra charge).

Palma, who out of frustration, recently posted a tearful appeal for help for the needy workers on Facebook, said she hoped people in authority would step in soon because her group’s resources are running low - and because it’s the right thing to do.

“Sana maging sensitibo sila sa pangangailangan ng mga OFW, at tingnan kung paano sila makakatulong,” she said. (I hope they'd be more sensitive to the needs of our OFWs, and find out how they could help)

She now plans on initiating a petition that will draw attention to the problem, and hopefully, get those who should be responsible, to act fast. 

CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Call us!

PADALA NA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 people jailed for violating quarantine order

By The SUN 

The 14-day mandatory quarantine was first imposed on new arrivals from the mainland

The government has warned anew against any violation of the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving passengers, saying any infringement of the law will be dealt with severely.

The statement came as four people were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 days to eight weeks (suspended for 24 months) for violating the Quarantine Ordinance.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The sentences were imposed for the past two days (Oct 22 and 23) in four different magistracies, all in accordance with the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C and Cap 599E).

Under Cap 599C, starting Feb 8, save for exempted persons, all persons who have stayed in the Mainland, Macau or Taiwan in the 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong, are required to spend 14 days in quarantine on arrival.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Under Cap 599E, the same rule was extended to all persons arriving outside China starting Mar 19.

The latest case involved a  29-year-old woman who was ordered to serve 14 days in jail at the Kowloon City Court today, Oct. 23 for violating Cap 599C.

Call us!

A statement released on the government website said the accused left her home where she was supposed to be on 14-day quarantine on May 17, without reasonable excuse nor permission from an authorized officer.

Yesterday, three other persons were sentenced for the same violation.

CONTACT US!

The first case involved a woman aged 48, who left her place of quarantine on Jul 12 without justifiable reason. She was sentenced at the West Kowloon court to immediate imprisonment for 10 days for violating Cap 599C.

The second case, a man aged 20, was found to have left his quarantine place several times on Mar 23. He was charged with three counts of violating Cap 599E and was sentenced at Tuen Mun Magistracy to eight weeks’ imprisonment for each of the three charges, suspended for 24 months.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

The third accused, a woman aged 37, left her place of quarantine and was stopped by an immigration officer at Hong Kong International Airport on Sept. 28. She was also found to have removed her tracking wristband.

The tracking wristband which helps ensure one does not leave the designated quarantine place

She was charged with three counts of violating Cap 599E and was sentenced at Kwun Tong court to immediate imprisonment for four weeks for each of the three charges, which are to run concurrently.

Under the two quarantine regulations, anyone found breaching a quarantine order could be subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for up to six months.

As of today, a total of 60 persons have been convicted for breaching compulsory quarantine orders and have received sentences of up to three months in jail, or a fine of $15,000.

CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Call us!

PADALA NA!

Free Covid-19 tests for FDHs in-between contracts to resume Tuesday

By The SUN

The free test kits may be collected from the 1st floor of Immigration Tower in Wanchai

 

The Labour Department has announced that the free Covid-19 testing for foreign domestic helpers waiting to move in with their new employers will resume on Oct 27 (Tuesday) until Nov. 21, 2020.

Eligible FDHs may collect and return specimen collection packs at the temporary distribution/collection point located on the 1/F (footbridge level) of Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, from 11am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.

No appointment is necessary.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The free tests are specifically aimed at FDHs staying in boarding houses, who may even take another test closer to joining their employer’s family.

“We strongly encourage FDHs staying in boarding facilities while waiting to change employers to actively participate in the free testing to safeguard their health,” said a statement from the Labour Department.

“If an FDH needs to stay in a boarding facility for an extended period of time while waiting to change employer, he or she may retake the test as appropriate, especially before joining the new employer's family.”

Call us!

The LD also called on employment agencies to assist FDHs in collecting the specimen bottles and to return the same at the collection area at Immigration Tower on the same day.

Employers, on the other hand, are advised to ensure their new helpers have a negative test result before allowing them to move into their homes.

FDHs lining for the free tests during the first round between Aug and Oct 15

Free tests for FDHs whose previous contracts had expired or had been terminated were given from Aug 25 to Oct 15 this year, after a number of infections were recorded among helpers staying in agency-run boarding houses.

CONTACT US!

FDH applicants are advised to bring along their HKID card, passport and other documents that show their eligibility for the free tests, including the reference number and limit of stay as shown in their latest visa, or the date of application for a visa extension.

The applicants will be asked to sign a consent form for taking the test, and to confirm his or her eligibility for the testing service before being issued with the specimen collection pack. 

Pindutin para sa detalye

They will then be asked to register their personal information www.tgptest.gov.hk, (please select "Non-Government Staff - Foreign domestic helpers waiting to join new employers' family") in order to receive SMS notification of the test result.

The FDH should collect the deep throat saliva specimen herself and return it to the temporary collection point on the same day.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Participants will be notified of a negative test result via SMS. Positive cases will be referred to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH), which will contact the FDH and arrange for treatment. 
      
For enquiries, please contact the LD through the dedicated FDH hotline at 2157 9537 (manned by 1823) or by email to fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.hk.      

CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Call us!

PADALA NA!