Filipina worker fighting for life in hospital after suffering stroke

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

The Filipina had brain surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after a stroke

A 47-year-old Filipina domestic helper is fighting for her life in Queen Elizabeth Hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a blot clot in her brain due to stroke.

The prognosis on Cherry D. Cariño is not encouraging, however, with her hospital doctor reportedly telling the patient’s male employer that “she may not survive or, if ever, she may take long to recover.”

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Cariño, from La Union province, was taken to the hospital by her employer, Li Sui Hung, after she came home from her day off on Mar 28 feeling dizzy and weak, and was throwing up, said her friends, who wanted to find out about her status.

The worker’s identity and condition were confirmed by Welfare Officer Virsie Tamayao of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Hong Kong when contacted by messenger.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

A day earlier, Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, general manager of the Mission for Migrant Workers, a church-based charity helping distressed foreign domestic helpers, also sent a Viber message to Tamayao enquiring about Cariño’s case.

Abdon-Tellez said an aunt of the worker complained that she had been calling the OWWA but no one was answering.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Tamayao said Li called the OWWA hotline on Mar 30 to inform the government insurance agency about what happened to the worker and that he had taken her to Queen Elizabeth for treatment.

(The) patient is confined at Queen Elizabeth Hospital ICU due to ischemic stroke. Further to employer’s update, (the) patient underwent surgery and is under close monitoring and observation,” Tamayao said in reply to Abdon-Tellez’s enquiry.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The OWWA officer also told Abdon-Tellez about the doctor’s grim forecast for Cariño.

Medical experts say ischemic stroke is one of three types of stroke and is also referred to as brain ischemia and cerebral ischemia.

Call now!

They say this type of stroke is triggered by a blockage in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. As a result, reduced blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain lead to damage or death of brain cells, the experts said.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

 

According to her friends, the helper had been working for nearly six years for Li’s household at Victoria Tower, a residential block on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. 

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

CALL ME!

BioNTech jabs to resume Monday, Apr 5

By The SUN

All those scheduled to get the BioNTech shot from Apr 5 can keep their appointments

The Hong Kong government has announced that it will resume giving free BioNTech coronavirus jabs to residents from Monday, Apr 5, after the expected arrival tomorrow of a new shipment of the vaccine from Germany.

This means that those scheduled to have their jab on Monday will get it as scheduled. Those who were originally scheduled to receive their second dose of the vaccine on or before Apr 4 will be given new time slots between Apr 5 and 10.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Those who missed their booking for their first shot will also be allocated new time slots that they can change through the online booking system: www.covidvaccine.gov.hk

The BioNTech inoculation was halted because of concerns over leaks and other packaging issues with the initial shipment of more than 500,000 doses.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

The resumption of the vaccination came after the German drug company submitted a report to the Department of Health showing that the defects of the vaccine’s vial lids were due to problems during shipment and did not affect the quality or safety of the vaccines.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip who oversees the government’s inoculation programme said 300,000 doses of BioNTech will arrive in Hong Kong Friday and will be used for those who will take the jab from Monday.

The two batches sent earlier, identified as 210102 and 210104, will be kept in storage until the manufacturer submits a final report on the investigation

Pindutin para sa detalye

Nip said about 183,000 people were booked to get their BioNTech jabs during the suspension period. Of these, 30,000 people were scheduled to get their second dose and will be given priority to make full use of the vaccine’s efficacy.

Call now!

“Those two groups, starting from April 2, would receive an SMS concerning their bookings,” Nip said. “If they are not available for vaccination on the allocated date and time, they can change the time when the BioNTech vaccination online booking system reopens at 9am on [Saturday],” Nip said.

Another vaccine made by mainland company, Sinovac is also used to inoculate Hong Kong residents.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

 

Nip said a total of 505,000 shots of the two vaccines have been administered so far. Among them, around 461,000 people have only received the first dose, making up only about seven percent of everyone qualified to get the shot. He said this is far below the target needed to reach herd immunity in Hong Kong.

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

CALL ME!

 

PCG closed from April 1-6

By The SUN 

The PCG announcement of its long holiday which starts today

Filipinos with transactions at the Consulate will have to wait until next Wednesday, Mar 7, when the PCG reopens after the prolonged Easter and Ching Ming Festival weekend.

The Consulate will close for business from Apr 1 to mark Maundy Thursday, a holiday in the Philippines and other Catholic countries but not in Hong Kong.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

PRESS FOR DETAILS

The PCG will remain closed on Sunday, Apr 4, which coincides this year with the Ching Ming Festival or Grave Cleaning Day, one of the statutory holidays in Hong Kong.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Pindutin para sa detalye

The long weekend will stretch to Monday, Apr 5, the day following Ching Ming Festival, and Tuesday, Apr 6, the day following Easter Sunday. These two extra rest days will compensate for Easter and Ching Ming falling on Sunday, a regular holiday.  

 

Call now!

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Both holidays in Hong Kong and the Philippines are observed by the Consulate, as the country’s missions elsewhere observe holidays in their host countries in addition to Philippine holidays.

For the PCG in Hong Kong, it will be observing 21 holidays this year, as Dec 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, was declared a national holiday by Malacañang last year.     

https://hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph/89-holidays

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

CALL ME!

Catholic churches resume public masses Thu, but online services continue

By The SUN 

Public masses resume under strict guidelines

The Catholic Church in Hong Kong, led by Cardinal John Tong, has come out with guidelines on the resumption of public masses and other related services starting tomorrow, at the start of the observance of the Holy Week.

But online masses will continue, along with online observance of such Holy Week traditions like Station of the Cross, Veneration of the Cross, Mass Vigil and Easter Mass.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Fr Jay Flandez, chaplain for Filipinos in Hong Kong, has come up with his own online schedule for services from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday.

According to the Church guidelines issued Wednesday through the Chancery, the following shall be observed:

1. All parish churches are allowed to resume public masses on weekdays and Sundays starting tomorrow, Holy Thursday. During mass, the public may receive Holy Communion.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

2. Churches should be well ventilated and seats disinfected regularly.

3. No more than 30% of the church’s capacity should be filled.

Pindutin para sa detalye

4. Before entering the church compound, everyone must scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code or to record their names, contact numbers, and the date and time of their visits on registration forms. The information collected will be kept for 31 days and will be used solely for contact tracing purposes in case of an infection being reported.

5. Everyone who enters the church compound should put on a face mask, take body temperature and cleanse their hands with sanitizer to be provided at the entrance. The use of holy water at the church entrance should be suspended.  

6. Ushers should see to it that those inside the church maintain social-distancing.

CONTACT US!

 

7. No liturgical booklets or hymnals should be provided, and projectors may be used instead.

8. Sunday collections should be taken up after mass, with one or several donation boxes provided.

9. The sign of peace should be expressed by bowing heads, instead of shaking hands.

10. For the time being, the host should be received only in cupped hands, which should be sanitized before receiving Communion.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

11. No socializing will be allowed after the mass, and all seats should be cleansed and disinfected immediately.

12. If feasible, those who are not able to join the mass inside the church may be allowed to take part in an open, spacious area nearby through online, and receive Holy Communion.

13. Each parish may arrange to give out Holy Communion to those who have attended Sunday Masses online

14. Children, the elderly or disabled and those who accompany them to mass may sit together.

15. Sunday mass remains an obligation of every Catholic, but given the restrictions imposed amid the pandemic, parishioners may (i) attend mass online and receive spiritual Communion, or perform some acts of devotion such as reading the Bible or (ii) go to weekday masses instead.

16. Sunday schools, catechism classes, gatherings of lay associations and small-group meetings may be resumed, provided all anti-pandemic precautionary measures are observed.

17. Having regard to current gathering restrictions, parishes may make special arrangements for the Holy Week Liturgy, in line with guidelines set by the Diocesan Liturgy Commission.

The faithful can also watch online the Holy Week Liturgy (by visiting diocesan website: www.catholic.org.hk and the facebook link of Sunday Examiner https://www.facebook.com/Sunday-Examiner-609821205700415/ )

The following will also be observed from tomorrow:

On Holy Thursday, Cardinal Tong will officiate at the Chism Mass, to be participated only by members of the Diocesan Curia and the Deans who will distribute the newly consecrated holy oil to the affiliated parishes.

On Good Friday, Catholics aged 14 years old and above should abstain from meat. Those who are aged 18 to 59 years old are also obliged to fast.

On Holy Saturday, all priests may administer confirmation to adults or children who received baptism some time ago, provided they have been properly instructed.

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

 

 

 

Migrants group says ‘job hopping’ a myth, slams Immigration crackdown

By The SUN 

Poster announcing the AMCB-led protest against crackdown on 'job hoppers'

A migrant domestic workers coalition has condemned as discriminatory the Immigration Department’s act of refusing work visas to foreign domestic workers they label as “job hoppers”  - even if all they did was to quit bad employers.

More than 170 workers and their supporters vented their anger against the Immigration crackdown in a live online protest on Facebook today, Mar 31, led by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

The rally came on the heels of a statement from Immigration that it rejected 355 work visas in January and February as it strengthened its campaign against suspected job-hopping MDWs. The figure exceeded the total work visa denials for the entire 2020.

The Immigration also said it had launched an operation on Mar 23 in which its officers visited “relevant” agencies to warn them against encouraging or inducing workers to shift employers.

Pindutin para sa detalye

AMCB spokespersons and other protest speakers said it is unfair for Immigration to accuse workers of job-hopping when they all they did was to leave employers who treated them badly in violation of their work contracts.

In an earlier statement, AMCB also dismissed as ridiculous allegations that FDWs accept cash incentives from employment agencies to change employers, or deliberately do bad work so they can be terminated.

CONTACT US!

 

As the processing of work visas usually take between two to three months, it does not make sense for FDWs to change employers on a mere whim because they cannot afford being jobless for that long, AMCB said.

AMCB has led the fight for migrant workers rights amid the pandemic (File)

“This is clear discrimination, stigmatization, and a crackdown amidst Covid-19 against over 350,000 foreign domestic workers who contribute significantly to the Hong Kong people, economy, and government,” said Dolores Balladares, who also heads United Filipinos in Hong Kong.

“This is a crackdown on powerless and impoverished migrant domestic workers who had been hit hard by the pandemic. This is clearly modern-day slavery. What they are saying is that, as domestic workers in Hong Kong, our rights and dignity don’t matter,” she said.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Balladares said the malicious accusations of job-hopping force MDWs to keep silent about their working conditions and to just accept what the employers want them to do so as not to lose their livelihood.

“When we stand up for our rights and voice out our concerns, we are at risk of being accused of ‘job-hopping’ and sent back home. This fear forces many MDWs to accept a slave wage and slave-like working conditions,” she said.

Balladares says accusing FDWs of job hopping is discriminatory 

Cita, an Indonesian helper, said in a testimony that she ended her contract after being forced to work long hours and do excessive work. She found a new employer and got a new work visa, but it was voided when her ex-employer complained to Immigration.

Cita said that despite giving evidence of her poor working conditions, Immigration accused her of job-hopping and upheld the decision to cancel her visa. She was forced to return to Indonesia and reapply to come back and work for a new employer.

Cherry, a Filipina helper who had been denied days off, said in her testimony that she argued with her employer when she insisted on taking a holiday. After she was fired she found a new employer but Immigration rejected her visa application even if she was terminated just once.

The two workers’ testimonies highlighted the confusion caused by Immigration’s policy against so-called job hoppers, which appears to leave the fate of terminated helpers at the discretion of officers handling their cases.

AMCB's Sringatin says it's not a crime to look for a better employer

AMCB said it is obvious that Immigration and anti-migrant legislators and employers clamoring for sanctions against so-called job hoppers are out of touch with reality.

“Their accusations continue to burden many Hong Kong families who wish to hire an MDW who is already in Hong Kong so as to limit the risk of the (Covid-19 infection) and avoid the added expense of bringing in a worker from overseas,” said Balladares.

She urged Immigration to stop discriminating against MDWs and stop tagging them as job-hoppers and punishing them by denying employment visas. Instead, Immigration should investigate the inhumane conditions that many workers are forced to endure, she said.

Balladares also questioned why all other workers apart from FDWs are allowed to terminate contracts without getting any sanctions, and are not sent home if they quit their jobs and move to another employer.

“Why can’t MDWs have the same rights?” Balladares asked.

“We care for Hong Kong families but the Hong Kong government continues to refuse to care for us,” she said.

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

One local, 5 imported new Covid-19 cases reported; 4 with variants

 By The SUN 

CHP chief Ronald Lam says 72% of all cases last week were imported

Six additional cases of coronavirus infections – one local and five imported - were reported in Hong Kong today, Mar 31.

But 10 preliminary positive cases were also reported, including two with unknown sources.

Of the five imported cases, three are Filipina domestic workers aged 29, 40 and 41, who all arrived on Mar 18 aboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J 572.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

The Filipinas all tested negative on arrival, but were found infected on their 12^th day in hotel quarantine. Further tests showed they also had the highly infectious coronavirus variant, identified as N501Y.

Another new arrival, a 53-year-old man who flew in from the United States also on Mar 18, was also found to carry the mutated virus.

The sole imported case that was declared free of the variant strain involved a 38-year-old female cargo plane crew who arrived from Turkey on Mar 29, and tested positive for Covid-19 at the airport.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Dr Ronald Lam, deputy director of health, said that 72% of all infections reported in the past week were imported. Of the 57 cases that were confirmed, 41 were imported and 16 were local.

Those who came in with the N501Y variant have also risen, bringing the total tally to 145. Of these, 71 were identified as British, 20 South African, and 5 Brazilian variants. Thirty-seven of the cases are unidentified, while 12 couldn’t be determines due to the patients’ low viral load.

The building where the sole local case lives will be inspected

Today’s only local case involves a 25-year-old clerk at a property management company in Kowloon whose source of infection cannot be traced. His work involves inspecting buildings managed by his company.

CONTACT US!

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, the patient tested negative for the virus only on Mar 17, when his residential building, Kwai Yick in Sai Ying Pun, was subjected to an ambush lockdown.

Chuang said the man might have been infected during or after the lockdown on his building, which will be inspected by health officials shortly.

Around 10 of his colleagues will be placed under quarantine, and compulsory testing notices will be issued on the buildings he visited for work.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Among the preliminary cases, the two untraceable ones involve a 23-year-old ceiling renovation worker and a 56-year-old tea lady at Majestic restaurant on Fenwick Street in Wanchai.

Chuang said around 30 of the waitress’ colleagues will be quarantined, and the restaurant where she works will be closed for disinfection.

Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority said Hong Kong now has a total of 11,468 confirmed cases of Covid-19 cases, of which 131 are receiving treatment in 21 public hospitals and the treatment centre at North Lantau Hospital.

Among them, nine patients are in critical condition, three are in serious condition while the remaining 119 are stable.

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

Filipino chef gets suspended jail term for slapping 14-year-old boy

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Morrison Hill park is a favorite among skateboard enthusiasts (Photo: Wanchai Worm)

A Filipino chef who admitted slapping a 14-year-old French boy during a dispute in a Wanchai playground was given a six-day jail term, suspended for one year, when he appeared in Eastern Court today, Mar 31. 

S. Bermejo was charged with one count of common assault for the incident that happened on Monday, Mar 29, in the Morrison Hill playground. 

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Court records show Bermejo, a Hong Kong resident, went to play on the skateboard ground in the park at around 6:25pm, but ended up getting into a dispute with the victim over a trivial matter.

In the heat of the argument, Bemejo slapped the boy with his bare hands, hurting his nose. Scared, the boy dialed 999 and reported the incident. He also called his parents.

When police arrived, they saw Bermejo, the boy and his parents at the playground. They took the boy to nearby Ruttonjee Hospital for a medical check-up, where doctors found he had swelling and tenderness in the nose.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Bermejo was arrested and he admitted the offense during questioning at the Wanchai Police Station. The next day, he again admitted the assault in a statement taken with the help of a Tagalog interpreter.

The prosecutor said Bermejo had two previous convictions not similar to the present case.

CONTACT US!

During mitigation, the duty lawyer representing Bermejo said the defendant was was working part-time as a chef earning $5,000 a month. He asked the magistrate impose a fine instead of a jail sentence. 

But Law said that after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea, his previous records, and the boy’s age, a jail term was appropriate, though he decided to suspend it for 12 months.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

That means Bermejo cannot reoffend within this time or he will have to go to jail immediately to serve his sentence, plus whatever is meted him for the later offence. 

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE