OFWs flock to Polo to demand training fee refund

By Daisy CL Mandap 

About 30 OFWs, mostly newcomers, fill up claim forms at Polo

About 30 overseas Filipino workers went to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office today, Nov. 22, to demand a refund of the training fee they paid to their recruitment agencies in the Philippines.

The group was led by Marites Palma, founder of Social Justice for Migrant Workers, who said the claimants sought her help through her group’s Facebook page in asking for a refund of the fee collected from them prior to leaving for Hong Kong.

The clamor came in the wake of Labor Attache Melchor Dizon’s statement during a meeting with a group of Filipino community leaders that recruitment agencies could not compel the OFWs that they deploy to undergo training.

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This was in line with guidelines issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which merely require OFWs to secure the NCII (certificate of competency) from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

An employer who requires the worker to undergo training before taking up employment in Hong Kong should pay for it, said Labatt Dizon.

Palma said the claimants were mostly newly arrived OFWs who paid between  Php30,000 to Php45,000 to their Philippine agencies.

Palma (kneeling, in black shirt) briefed the claimants before they went to Polo

At least one, Jean Enceso, was told to pay her training fee of Php35,300, to her agency in Hong Kong called AsiaOne.

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At the end of October, she said she went to the agency’s office and paid $2,500. When she asked for a receipt, she was given only a small slip of paper with the amount written on it. She is supposed to pay a second and final installment of $2,650 at the end of this month.

More anomalous was her having been made to undergo training despite having previously worked in Saudi Arabia, and still had a valid NCII. Under POEA rules, she should have been exempted from undergoing training all over again, despite being deployed to another territory.

Another claimant, Cherry Anne Zerrudo, who had worked in Qatar for three years and was also in possession of a valid NCII, was told she needed to train all over again as she was moving to another country. She was charged Php37,000 for her training.

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Palma said they were received at Polo by Assistant Labour Attache Angelica Sunga, who told them to fill up forms and leave them with their staff. They were assured that their statements will be forwarded to the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate for notarization.

“Tatawagan na lang daw yung claimant kung may na-set nang conciliation with the agency,” said Palma. (We were told that Polo would just call the claimant once a conciliation meeting had been set with the agency).

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Those who have claims against the same agency will be called together for a conciliation.

Palma said she expects more OFWs to file similar claims next Sunday, as some of those who reached out to her could not make it today.

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Live music, dancing, stopped after new surge in coronavirus cases

By The SUN

 

Bars in popular nightspots like Lan Kwai Fong will again fall silent starting today 

The Hong Kong government has again imposed a ban on live music and dancing, after a cluster of coronavirus cases occurred in the Starlight Dance Club in Wan Chai.

The new restrictions which take effect today, Nov 22, will last for five days, or until Nov 26.

At the same time, the planned travel bubble with Singapore which was originally due to start on Monday, Nov 23, was put off for two weeks because of the surge in local cases, most of which had no known source.

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The arrangement would have allowed travelers from either city to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine on the other end as long as they test negative for Covid-19 before departure.

But the two sides agreed that the arrangements for the travel bubble would automatically be suspended for 15 days if either side reported an average of five or more local cases per day with no known source, for one week.

The recent spike in cases in Hong Kong, mostly with unknown source, appear to have scuppered the deal, at least for now.

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One of the cases that could not be traced to a previous infection was the index patient in Starlight Dance Club, who tested positive on Friday, along with 10 others.

In just two days, the total number of cases linked to the club had ballooned to 32, and health officials fear there could be many more, as teachers and students who went to the club visited 13 others during the incubation period.

Meanwhile, the re-imposition of the ban on live music was met with dismay by Hong Kong musicians, who mostly just got back to work starting on Oct 30, when the government decided to further relax its restriction on gatherings in pubs and clubs.

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Before this, the musicians were off-work for about six months, starting from when an outbreak of Covid-19 cases that began in Insomnia bar in late March caused the authorities to close down all bars, and along with it, live music.

The musicians, as well as bar owners, had hoped the new restrictions would cover only dancing and not live music, which does not necessarily involve musicians getting close to patrons and other people inside the venue.

According to a press statement by the Food and Health Bureau, the following will take place immediately:

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(1) Live performance and dancing must not be allowed in any catering premises (including bars or pubs) as well as clubs or nightclubs.

(2) Premises (commonly known as party rooms) that are maintained or intended to be maintained for hire for holding social gatherings must be closed.

Last week, the government already clamped down on what it called an increase in mask-off gatherings by requiring restaurants and bars to close down at midnight, from the previous 2am.

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In addition, restaurants were put back to sitting only four people to a table, and the bars, to two to a table. Both premises could only fill up to 50% of their normal capacity.

In announcing the new restrictions, the FHB said: "We urge the public to stay at home as much as possible, go out less often unless necessary, and avoid dining out and unnecessary social activities (including private gatherings, in particular mask-off activities or group gatherings in indoor premises).  At this key moment when the epidemic situation is worsening, the public should fight the epidemic together without letting down one's guard and take every possible step to prevent the virus from continuing to spread in the community.”

“Maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene at all times is key to prevention of infection and the spread of the virus in the community." 

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Tests ordered for visitors of 14 dance clubs as 43 new Covid-19 cases reported

By The SUN 

Half of the 43 new cases are linked to the Starlight Dance Club in Wan Chai (RTHK photo)

The government has ordered people who visited any of the 14 dance clubs linked to an outbreak of Covid-19 cases to undergo tests for the coronavirus.

This was announced by the Centre for Health Protection on Saturday,  Nov 21, as it reported 43 new infections, along with more than 60 preliminary positive cases.

Of the confirmed cases, 21 were linked to Starlight Dance Club in Wan Chai, taking the total number of infections there to 32.

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Among the confirmed patients are eight teachers and pupils who visited 13 other clubs that have already been identified by government investigators, and are located in various districts across Hong Kong and Kowloon.

“For those who have been to these 14 dancing places after the first of November, they should come forward for tests as soon as possible,” said CHP’s Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan at today’s press briefing on the Covid-19 situation.

Chuang said they’re hoping the tests would be completed by Nov. 24. Those who don’t submit themselves to a test will be penalized in line with a new regulation allowing the government to impose mandatory testing for everyone it considers as “high risk.”

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Among the venues named were Dance Culture, Dance Star Academy, DanzStage Dance Studio  and Shining Star Dance Studio, all in Causeway Bay; Heavenly Dance Studio in Sheung Wan, Green Apple International Dance School in Tseung Kwan O, Dance Concepts in San Po Kong and Tsim Sha Tsui; and More Dance Fame in Wan Chai.

Chuang also said the trend was worrying, as there was an indication that there were “super spreaders” in the cluster. It was thus likely that more infections would be uncovered in the next few days.

"The numbers are escalating, so the trend of increase is very alarming. We are very worried that a further increase in cases will happen, and it will be very difficult to control.”

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She called on everyone to cancel all unnecessary social activities, especially during the weekends when many people tend to gather together.

Of the day’s confirmed cases, seven were imported, including four foreign domestic workers. Two flew in from Manila, and the other two, from Jakarta. The three others were returnees from Sweden, Britain, and the United States.

One of the Filipinas who tested positive was a 44-year-old who had symptoms when she arrived on Nov 19. The other was a 35-year-old who arrived on Nov 12 and tested positive on her second test while in quarantine at the Metropark Kowloon Hotel.

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The two Indonesian workers are a 36-year-old who tested positive on arrival from Jakarta, and a 34-year-old who was found infected while under quarantine at Silka Hotels in Yau Ma Tei.

Aside from the cases linked to the Starlight Dance Club, only two others were traced to previous infections.

The remaining 13 were of unknown sources, which Dr Chuang said was worrying, as they were found in various districts, and no high-risk factors were detected.

Dr Chuang asks people to cut back on social events, especially during weekends

“This shows that in many districts across Hong Kong we have many silent transmitters,” she said.

The untraceable cases include a construction worker, several retirees and housewives who live as far apart as Ma On Shan and McDonnell Road in Mid-Levels. The other patients live in Wong Tai Sin, Tai Kok Tsui, Fo Tan, Mong Kok (2), Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Tsuen Wan, Prince Edward, Tseung Kwan O and Tin Hau.

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Dr Lau Ka-hin of the Hospital Authority, meanwhile, said work is under way to make sure there are enough hospital beds in case the Covid outbreak worsens.

He said close to 4,000 beds, about half of them installed at a temporary medical facility at the Asia World-Expo, will be available at 72 hours’ notice.

Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 tally now stands at 5,561, with 108 deaths. A total of 132 confirmed patients are now in several public hospitals, with eight of them in critical condition, two serious, and 122 in stable condition.

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PCG to lose about $4.5 M monthly after contract authentication scrapped

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Congen Tejada (L) with Labatt Mel Dizon says authentication now 'superfluous'

The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) has done away with the authentication of all Filipino domestic workers contract as part of its streamlined approach to services, but at a tremendous cost to government coffers.

The new policy, which took effect today, Nov 20, was announced on the Facebook page of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office yesterday.

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The announcement said all standard employment contracts of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will no longer be authenticated at the Consulate. But they will still have to be submitted to Polo for verification.

No explanation was given for the move which could potentially result in the loss of at least $4.5 million monthly revenue to the Consulate and the Department and Foreign Affairs, given the number of contracts that are processed in Hong Kong daily.

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An insider said that before the coronavirus pandemic threw the country’s overseas deployment in disarray, between 1,000 and 2,000 contracts went through Polo and PCG each day. Using the smallest figure given, the monthly take of PCG would still come up to $4.5 million.

But no matter.

The advisory says FDW contracts will no longer pass thru PCG starting Nov 20

Asked for the reason behind the move, Consul General Raly Tejada said:  “Our accession to the Apostille Convention made it a superfluous process.”

Under the Apostille Convention signed in the Hague in 1986, signatories agreed to do away with authentication (or legalization) of a document signed in the originating country for use in another signatory country.

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The Philippines officially became a party to the Convention on May 14, 2019.

Congen Tejada added: “Where processes are unnecessary then we need to eliminate them. Verification of employment by Polo remains compulsory for the protection of our workers.”

Through verification, the Philippine government, through Polo, is meant to study the contract and ensure it fully protects the rights of Filipinos working abroad.

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Dolores Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, welcomed the move to speed up the processing of migrant workers’ contracts.

“Welcome ang magandang balita. Malaking kaluwagan sa mga OFWs ang bawas-gastos na ito per contract lalo na ngayong may pandemic. Bawat sentimo, mahalaga,” she said.

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(This is welcome news. The reduction in fees per contract will greatly ease OFWs’ concerns, especially since there is a pandemic. Every cent counts.)

Balladares also recalled that the authentication of contracts had long been resisted by migrant organizations that see it as superfluous, and a mere excuse to exact more money from OFWs.

“Actually natanggal na rin yan noon, ibinalik lang muli,” she said.

(This was actually scrapped before but was just put back)

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Another veteran Filipino community leader, Eman Villanueva of Bayan Hong Kong and Macau, recalled the same incident, when the authentication process was stopped in 2003 after a row between DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment over rent at the Consulate.

Authentication was first halted in 2003 after a row over rental of the PCG offices

But when then ConGen Corazon Belmonte-Jover assumed office later that year, she immediately had the old system revived, much to the dismay of Filcom leaders.

Two years later, then Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas tried to discard authentication again after getting reports from that some PCG officers in Hong Kong were interfering, and even reversing, Polo’s decision in some conciliation cases.

But after a meeting with her Foreign Affairs counterpart, Albert Romulo, the plan was shelved.

At that time, Unifil said only one other destination country apart from Hong Kong, was collecting a fee for authenticating contracts of OFWs.

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Filipina among 13 arrested in anti-illegal work operations

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Filpina was among those arrested in Immigration's anti illegal work operations (GIS file photo)

  

A Filipina was among 10 suspected illegal workers arrested by the Immigration Department in operations across Hong Kong from Monday to Thursday this week. Three suspected employers were also arrested, the government said in a press release.

The Filipina was arrested doing illegal work when Immigration officers from the Task Force “Twilight” raided a guesthouse between Nov 16 and Nov 19, reliable source said.

The source did not give personal details of the arrested woman.

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The officers raided 37 target locations including a car park, a food processing factory, a garbage collection depot, guesthouses, an industrial building, massage parlors, residential buildings, restaurants, a shopping mall, a vegetable stall and warehouses.

Two of those arrested were men and eight were women, aged 33 to 55. Three of the women were suspected of using and having forged Hong Kong identity cards.

Meanwhile, two men and one woman aged 27 to 39 were suspected of employing them illegally, the government said.

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In an earlier raid on Nov. 5, seven suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested in 15 locations, including factories, a food processing factory, recycling sites, residential buildings, a restaurant and a warehouse.

They comprised six men and one woman, aged 40 to 48. One man was suspected of using and having a forged Hong Kong identity card. One woman, aged 46, was suspected of employing the suspected illegal workers.

One of those arrested, a Vietnamese man aged 40, was convicted and jailed by a Shatin magistrate on Nov 7. He was nabbed in a raid on a residential building in Tai Hang while working as a cleaner.

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Immigration officers again conducted raids on 28 other locations from Nov 9 to Nov 11 and netted a total of 17 suspected illegal workers and seven people suspected of hiring them.

The raided sites included a fitness center, a food processing factory, massage parlous, premises under renovation, a recycling site, residential buildings, restaurants, a store and warehouses.

Nine men and eight women, aged 23 to 59, were arrested. Three of the men were holders of recognizance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment. A man and a woman were also suspected of using and having forged Hong Kong IDs.

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Meanwhile, three men and four women, aged 32 to 63, were suspected of employing the workers.

"Any person who contravenes a condition of stay [imposed on him] shall be guilty of an offense. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration,” a spokesman said.

He said offenders are liable to prosecution and face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years in jail upon conviction.

More men than women have been arrested in the raids

“Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties,” the spokesman said.

He warned that it is an offense to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong ID card issued to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years’ imprisonment, he added.

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The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offense to employ people who are not lawfully employable. He said the maximum penalty for this offense is three years in jail and a fine of $350,000. The employer of an illegal worker will be given an immediate custodial sentence, he said.

Under the existing mechanism, Immigration will screen vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers who are arrested during any operation to ascertain whether they are human trafficking victims.

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Identified trafficking victims will be given various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counseling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other support services.

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HK records 26 confirmed, over 40 preliminary positive cases of Covid-19

By Daisy CL Mandap

Food & Health Secretary Sophia Chan confirms a new wave of infections has begun

In what could be an indication that the fourth wave of coronavius infectious has truly begun, Hong Kong health authorities reported 26 new Covid-19 cases and more than 40 preliminary positive ones today, Nov. 20.

Secretary for Food and Health Dr Sophia Chan said in a press briefing that a new wave of infections has started in the city, citing experts and data from the Centre for Health Protection.

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“But of course we are now doing our best, and before this severe situation started, in the past week, we have already tightened many of our measures, including border control measures, quarantine measures, hotel regulation measures, and also some of the social distancing measures,” Dr Chan said.

“We have also ramped up our testing capacity and set up four community testing centres, and also improved the accessibility of people getting tested, not only the distribution of bottles, but also getting tested in our centres.”

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What appears to bother the experts the most is that many of the new cases have unknown sources, indicating there are many silent carriers around who could unknowingly spread the virus to a lot of people.

Of today’s confirmed cases, five were imported, involving a returnee each from Pakistan and Romania, two from India, and a pilot from the United Kingdom.

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Of the 21 locally acquired cases, 12 were linked to previous infections, and 9 had unknown sources.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said in a separate media briefing that most of the new preliminary cases were local cases, and untraceable.

Setting off the alarm further is a cluster of infections that has emerged from the Starlight Dance Club on Lockhart Road, Wanchai.

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Among the new confirmed cases today is a 75-year-old businesswoman who visited the club on Nov 14. She lives at Victoria Heights on Stubbs Road, and works at Lyndhurst Terrace in Central. Among the places she visited during the virus incubation was the Hong Kong Golf Club in Deepwater Bay.

Dr Chuang said that apart from the businesswoman, nine other cases had been to the venue, including at least five dance instructors and one staff member. Among the preliminary cases, at least seven are also linked to the club.

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Many of the instructors at the club also taught dancing in at least two other venues, Heavenly Dance Studio in Sheung Wan, and Dance Culture in Causeway Bay. Chuang said it was possible other dance studios may be added later as the teachers went to several schools.

 

Some teachers at Starlight also held classes at Heavenly Dance Studio (RTHK photo) 

She said the patients had been to the club between Nov 12 and 14, so people who had been there during those dates should have themselves tested.

Also among the new confirmed cases is a 27-year-old male “bar bender” at a construction site in Yuen Long. His 12 close associates will be sent for testing, while more than 100 others who worked at the site will be given specimen bottles.

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He developed symptoms on Nov 15, but still went to join a birthday party in a room at the Olympian Hong Kong Hotel two days later. One of his family members has also tested positive.

Another case is a 73-year-old man who tested positive at the same time as  his 37-year-old man male relative who attended a special needs school, the Leung King Adult Training Centre in Tuen Mun. Another seven students and staff at the school will be tested, while the school will be closed for disinfection.

The other untraceable cases are 61-year-old female security guard at Greenwood Garden in Shatin, a 63-year-old taxi driver who lives in Tseung Kwan O and shared his vechicle with two other driver; a professional man who works in San Po Kong and lives in Lam Tin; and a 42-year-old woman who lives at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tseung Kwan O, and arrived from Japan earlier this year to visit relatives and friends.

They also include a 59-year-old housewife who lives at Pacific Palisades in Braemar Hill, North Point; another housewife who lives at Lee Man Building in Mong Kokl; and a 57-year-old who lives in Tsuen Wan, and attended an oldies’ party during the incubation period.

Asked about reports that four taxi drivers previously confirmed as having the coronavirus subsequently tested negative, Dr Chuang said it is suspected that the test samples were contaminated.

“It’s hard to say that the tests were false positive. Some cases were positive before, and they were tested negative after admission to hospital. So, the case numbers will not be deleted because the test samples were negative subsequently and there was no antibody detected,” she said.

The total number of cases in Hong Kong now stands at 5,518 with 108 deaths, which mostly occurred during the third wave which began in early July.

Only 115 confirmed patients are still being treated in 19 public hospitals, with 8 in critical condition, 2 in serious condition, and 105 in stable condition.

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