PathFinders steps up community engagement as number of pregnant MDWs grows

By The SUN 

CEO Gurtin (right) with a mother and child PathFinders helped last year

A private charity that helps migrant women and their children says that despite 2020 being its “toughest” year so far due to the social unrest and coronavirus pandemic, it was able to improve the lives of 581 babies and young children in Hong Kong.

In its “Impact Report 2020” released on Sunday, Apr 4, PathFinders says these kids were among the 1,153 babies, children and mothers who sought its help in the past year.

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Announcing the release of the report, board chair Vivien Webb and chief executive Catherine Gurtin said in a letter to supporters and friends that the NGO engaged 44,098 migrant domestic workers in crisis prevention initiatives.

The NGO said it handled a total of 397 cases last year, including 244 new cases of mothers and babies seeking help, and 175 hotline enquiries. It had successfully closed 245 cases, but many more needed prolonged help due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

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This led to an increase in demand for its emergency shelter, where the occupancy rate rose to 98% and the average stay lengthened to 92 days, a 50% increase from 2019.

PathFinders’ approach to tackling the growing problem is based on its three-pronged “Theory of Change”:

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·         Intervene during crisis to care for children born to migrant mothers in Hong Kong and ensure they have a nurturing care plan in place during the most critical years of early childhood development.

·         Empower migrant women to make well-informed life decisions and prevent future crisis, and equip employers with information and practical solutions to enable pregnant MDWs to enjoy their right to maternity leave and maintain employment.

·         Engage with the general public and policymakers to increase understanding, acceptance and support for children born to MDWs, and create systemic change by ensuring policies protect pregnant MDWs and their children.

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PathFinders said Covid-19 presented unprecedented challenges, especially in the NGO sector. Last year, the group made its first public appeal for funds to fill its budget shortfall for 2020.

“As we entered a ‘new normal’, requiring even greater resilience, adaptability, and prioritization, we strengthened our commitment to protect all children in Hong Kong and deliver solutions that address the root causes of crisis through the development of our Theory of Change,” the NGO said.

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“The Theory of Change will be critical to ensuring we can continue to pivot where needed, while staying true to our vision, mission and values. It will also empower us in our commitment to do even more to monitor, evaluate and hold ourselves accountable in using our finite resources from our donors, supporters and friends efficiently and effectively to achieve the greatest impact for our babies, children and mothers,” it said.

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PathFinders was set up in 2008 on the belief no child should be born alone and deprived of an identity, basic supplies, healthcare and shelter. Since then, it has improved the lives of almost 8,000 babies, children and women, the NGO said.

Some of PathFinders' 74 ambassadors who help reach out and empower their fellow MDWs

Webb and Gurtin praised the role its 74 ambassadors played in achieving a 31% increase in its engagement of MDWs to prevent crisis by educating them on the importance of making well-informed life decisions while working in Hong Kong.

The NGO put its ambassadors, who are MDW community leaders, through its “Train the Trainers” program to teach them how to empower their peers.

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“This represents significant progress towards achieving our ambition of creating a sustainable community outreach model led by MDWs for MDWs,” the executives said.

PathFinders expects the problems it tackles to escalate by 2047, when the number of MDWs employed in Hong Kong is forecast to rise to 600,000 to help care for a rapidly ageing population.

Without a systemic change, the problems that PathFinders tackles will likely escalate, Webb and Gurtin said.

“We believe with imagination, collaboration and a commitment to strengthening protections for the children we serve, practical and affordable solutions can be found,” they said.

To this end, PathFinders engages in dialogue with HKSAR government departments, consulates, United Nations agencies, academics and other key stakeholders to ensure policies are enforced and continue to protect the children and mothers.

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Sick OFW goes home with $70k goodwill gift from employer

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Madayag shares her story at HK Airport just before her flight Monday

On being told that she had a rare bacterial infection that had affected up to 80% of her lungs and threatened to end her 20 years of work as a domestic helper, 55-year-old Corazon Madayag chose not to be despondent.

Instead, she looked at the brighter side of things, including what an amazed doctor had told her -  that the bacteria had affected only her lungs and liver, but did not spread throughout her body, which could have put her life at grave risk.

Madayag, a devout Christian who regularly attends the Jesus the Living God church, also turned to prayer, not just for herself but also for the people she cares about, including her elderly employers.

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But the blessings she reaped from taking a positive attitude to the challenges that were thrown her way were much more than what she had dared hope for.

After being discharged from hospital, her kindly employers, aged 84 and 79 years old, booked her in a hotel for 10 days so she could recuperate fully before her scheduled flight home yesterday, Apr 5.

Then, days before she was due to return to her home in Quezon City to take the six months’ rest prescribed by her doctor, she received a most unexpected blessing.

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Her employers, whom she had looked after for four years and five months, surprised her with a most generous going-away gift of roughly $70,000 (Php434,000), which was far more than she had hoped to get.

They also promised to re-hire her if she’s given a clean bill of health after her six-month rest in the Philippines. 

Madayag gives testimony at the JLG service on Sunday, presided over by Bishop Vallo

In a conversation with her spiritual adviser Bishop Gerry T. Vallo at the airport shortly before taking her flight back to Manila, Madayag said she knew she could not claim long service pay as a matter of right as she had not served her employers for a minimum of five years as required by law.

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But what she got was not just payment for long service, but her salary for an entire year. She was also given generous pay for unclaimed annual leave. Then, during her last conversation with her employers, she said she was given an extra $10,000 for her 16-year-old daughter.

Madayag had a simple explanation for her good fortune, “God touched my employers’ heart. Ginamit ng Diyos ang aking mga amo para mabiyayaan ako.” (God used my employers to bless me).

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Though overwhelmed by their generosity, Madayag said she had always had a good relationship with her employers, who treated her like family. She responded in kind, by always praying for them and anticipating their needs.

“Give and take lang yan. Kapag sinabi ng amo mo na hindi ka muna lalabas, pagbigyan mo kasi lahat ng hinihiling mo ay binibigay (din) nila,” she said. (It’s all a matter of give and take. If your employer asks you not to take your day off, give way because they also grant your requests).

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“At saka lagi-lagi ko silang pinapanalangin kasi iyon ang nararapat, iyon ang importante.” (Also, I always pray for them because that’s just right, that’s what is important).

To those who are not blessed with employers who are as kind and generous, she has a simple advice: “Panalangin lang, madadala yan sa panalangin,” she said. (Just pray, everything could be achieved with prayer).

Bishop Vallo explained why Madayag was moved to share her good fortune.

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“Hindi natin ito ginawa para ipagpunyagi kung ano man ang natanggap niya kundi nais nating ibahagi na kung tama ang iyong ginagawang pagtatrabaho ng iyong employer na walang kapalit na hangad, ang Diyos na ang kumikilos. Hinihipo ng Panginoon ang puso ng amo.”

(We are not doing this to boast about what she had received but to share with others that if you work properly in your employer’s house without waiting for anything in return, God will take action. Our Lord will touch the employer’s heart).

Bishop Vallo also said the story comes with a message that there are still a lot of good-hearted employers out there so migrant workers should take heart. Doing good and being good will always be rewarded.

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7 new Covid-19 cases reported as expert cautions against travel ban

By The SUN

Residents line up for Covid tests in Yau Tong, where a family of 4 were infected

Hong Kong recorded seven new coronavirus infections, four local and three linked to a case reported yesterday, bringing the city’s total tally to 11,532.

The three local cases are the family members of a sales staff who tested positive yesterday, and whose source is unknown.

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They include his 12-day old baby boy, 7-year-old daughter and 31-year-old wife who were all found infected while under quarantine. They all live together in Wah Tong House at Yau Tong estate.

The four imported cases involve three residents who just flew in from India, including one who had onset of symptoms on Mar 24, and one returnee from Pakistan who had symptoms on arrival.

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The new figures were reported amid calls from various health experts to halt flights from the Philippines, India and Pakistan, the three high-risk countries said to have the most number of travelers coming in with the mutated form of the coronavirus.

But infectious disease expert, Joseph Tsang, today said he didn’t see a need for Hong Kong to ban flights from the three countries just yet, saying there’s a need to first assess the impact of such a move on the community, including families waiting for foreign domestic helpers.

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Tsang, who is with the Medical Association, said the mutated strains of the coronavirus can now be found around the globe.

“When the mutated virus strains are everywhere in the world, it’s hard to say what places are high risk or low risk,” Tsang said in an interview with RTHK.

Tsang says the mutated virus is all over the world, not just in 'high-risk' places (RTHK)

He said that to safeguard against the possible spread of the mutated virus in the community, the government should rethink its policy of relaxing quarantine requirements for incoming travelers, even if they are from countries considered as “low risk.”

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Local officials recently said the city’s strict 21-day quarantine could soon be cut to just 14 days for travelers from “low-risk” places such as Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, though they will have to self-monitor their health for seven more days.

However, microbiologist Prof. Ho Pak-leung reiterated his earlier call for a ban on the high-risk places, saying in particular that the three targeted countries have contributed to many recent imported infections in Hong Kong.

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Speaking during an interview with Commercial Radio, Ho, who is with the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, warned the coronavirus variant from these countries could lead to another mass outbreak in the city.

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Of the 127 new infections recorded in the past two weeks, 98 were imported cases. Of the 29 local cases, nine had no known sources.

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16 new Covid-19 cases recorded, including 6 Filipina DHs

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Many Filipinos still come to HK with the virus, despite testing negative back home

There has been a renewed call to ban foreign domestic helpers from entering Hong Kong as six more Filipina migrant workers were included in the list of Covid-19 cases today, Apr 5. Three of them carried the highly infections N501Y strain of the coronavirus.

A total of 16 new infections were reported, and all but one were imported cases.

The other imported cases included five returning residents from India, and four from Pakistan. Two travelers from India and another two from Pakistan also had the coronavirus variant.

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The sole local case had an unknown source.

A second infectious disease expert has called on the government to consider banning people from high-risk places from coming to Hong Kong, or limit the ban to FDHs since many of them have come in with both Covid-19 and the mutated strain of the virus.

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Speaking on an RTHK program, Dr Leung Chi-chiu warned there was an increasing risk that mutant variants could spread in the city, as most of the recent Covid infections were imported cases.

Leung said the government should review whether to continue letting travelers from high-risk places enter Hong Kong, and suspend the entry of FDHs.

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His views echoes those of microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung who warned earlier of a possible leak of the variant in quarantine hotels where new arrivals are held for 21 days and tested two more times for Covid-19 before being given the all-clear.

Responding anew to queries about the proposed ban, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection reiterated that Hong Kong has enough restrictions in place to stop the spread of the mutated viruses in the community.

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“We are already instituting one of the strictest border controls in the world, the 21-day quarantine in designated hotels,” said Chuang.

On top of this, she said new arrivals are subjected to frequent testing to make sure that they are not infected with the coronavirus before they are allowed to join the community.

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“But of course, the government may consider other restrictions in the future.”

She made her statements amid reports of an unprecedented surge in infectious in countries where many of the new arrivals in Hong Kong come from.

India's surge in Covid-19 cases is partly blamed on people flouting quarantine rules

In India today, the daily infections rose above 100,000 for the first time. Only the United States and Brazil have seen triple-digit increases in Covid-19 cases in one day.

In the Philippines, whose population of about 110 million is a tenth of India’s, the daily tally also rose to a record 15,000 plus cases last Friday. It declined to 8,355 today, but the daily surges for the past week has pushed the country’s total active cases to 143,726, the highest in the region.

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According to Chuang, all the infected Filipina DHs flew in aboard Cebu Pacific Flight 5J272, although on two different dates.

One, who is 42 years old, arrived on Apr 3 and tested positive at the airport. The five others, aged 27, 28, 31, 34 and 37, came on Mar 23 and tested positive on their second test while in hotel quarantine.

The five passengers from India all flew in aboard Vistara Airlines, four on Apr 4 (UK6395), and one (UK6391) on Mar 1. As a result, Hong Kong has imposed a 14-day ban on passenger flights of Vistara from Delhi starting tomorrow, in line with anti-epidemic regulations.

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It is not clear, though, why the same ban was not imposed on Cebu Pacific, which flew in five passengers in a single flight from Manila.

The four passengers from Pakistan came on two different dates, but all flew aboard Emirates Airlines Flight EK384. Two arrived on Apr 3 and tested positive at the airport while the two others, on Mar 23, and were found infected on their 12^th day in hotel quarantine.

Meanwhile, the sole local case is said to be a 32-year-old salesman at a Fortress shop at Wai Fung Plaza in Mong Kok who stopped going to work on Mar 22 so he could look after his wife who was about to give birth.

His wife gave birth on Mar 24 at United Christian Hospital, but Chuang said the patient did not enter the delivery room or the wards and just waited outside in the corridors.

But he did go to the wet market on the ground floor of Lei Yue Muen Plaza every day for the past week, where a couple who recently tested positive for Covid-19 had also been to.

The man’s wife and their baby are now said to be in quarantine, as well as some other family member and dozens of his colleagues.

CHP has issued a compulsory testing order on anyone who had been to the wet market or the shop on Nathan Road in the past 14 days for at least two hours.

Chuang said there were two or three preliminary positive cases, but all were imported.

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CG says HK flight ban on Philippines not necessary

By Daisy CL Mandap

Congen Tejada says HK is able to effectively screen out variant carriers

Consul General Raly Tejada has said that Hong Kong has enough safeguards in place to ensure the highly infectious coronavirus variants do not spread in the community, including those brought in by foreign domestic workers from the Philippines.

“Apart from the rather lengthy 21-day mandatory (hotel) quarantine, I believe the current law governing the deployment of Filipino workers to the territory is adequate for now,” said ConGen Tejada.

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He was responding to articles in local media calling on the government to study the recent surge in the number of travelers from the Philippines coming in not only with the coronavirus, but also with the mutated strain, said to be 70 times more infectious.

Among those who urged for a study of data of travelers from the Philippines was Dr Ho Pak-leung, head of the Infectious Diseases Centre of the University of Hong Kong.

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Ho said in interviews on Apr 2 that the number of imported cases in the previous 10 days was high, and they were mostly travelers from the Philippines and Indonesia.

On that day, six of the 13 confirmed Covid-19 cases recorded in Hong Kong were FDHs from the Philippines, and they all carried the N501Y variant. Two were Indonesian DHs, but they did not have the variant.

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Ho noted that there had been a serious rebound in cases in the Philippines, and the government should review the percentage of recent arrivals from the country who had tested positive and were found to carry the variant.

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He also pointed out that despite having negative test certificates prior to boarding their flights, many of the passengers from the Philippines still tested positive on arrival in Hong Kong.

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He said this showed that either the epidemic situation in the Philippines is serious, or the tests carried out are inaccurate.

If the number of infections with the variant continues to increase, he said the government should consider suspending flights from the Philippines, for the same reason it banned flights from the United Kingdom when the mutated virus was first reported from there.

Ho says HK should consider suspending flights from PHL

Ho raised the specter of the variant leaking from quarantine hotels and into the community as another reason why a flight ban from the Philippines should be considered.

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But when asked the same question during a news briefing that day, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said, “There are other factors to consider.”

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Chuang pointed out that there are enough restrictions in place to avert the possible spread of the variant, including the stringent 21-day quarantine and the negative test result required of travelers from high risk countries.

She also said the much-feared variant has not been seen in any local case.

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