High Court ends 18-year bid by migrant worker for permanent residency

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The High Court put an end to the first case for FDW residency filed in Sept 2003

The High Court has finally closed the door on the last remaining challenge to the Immigration Director’s decision to stop migrant domestic workers from acquiring permanent residency in Hong Kong.

In a written judgment handed down on Wednesday, Jan 12, Judge Russell Coleman cited the failure of Filipina former domestic worker Julita F. Raza to pursue a case she filed as long ago as Sept 25, 2003 for his decision to dismiss the case.

Judge Coleman also pointed out that the issues raised by Raza were rendered moot by the 2013 Court of Appeal ruling in the case of Vallejos v Commissioner of Registration that foreign domestic helpers cannot acquire permanent residency.

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Raza first gained prominence when she filed, along with four veteran Filipina migrant workers, a challenge to the Hong Kong government’s decision in February 2003 to cut the salary of FDWs by $400 and impose a levy on their employers in the same amount. That bid was also thrown by the Court of Appeal in July 2016.

In a subsequent case filed in the same year, Raza sought leave from the court to apply for a judicial review of the Immigration Director’s refusal to verify that she was entitled to a permanent identity card.

Raza wanted to challenge the Director’s decision that she could not be treated as ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, meaning she needed only to live in the city for at least seven years to qualify; and that she had not taken Hong Kong as her place of permanent residence.

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In what was then hailed as a landmark decision, Judge Michael Hartmann ruled on Sept 26, 2003 that Raza, who had by then worked in Hong Kong for more than eight years, could apply for a judicial review of the Director’s decision.

However, during arguments on May 17, 2014, the judge ordered that the application for judicial review be adjourned sine die (to an unspecified later time) while Raza first exercised her right to appeal her case to the Registration of Persons Tribunal.

On the same day, Raza applied for a Hong Kong permanent identity card but was refused. As a result, she filed an appeal to Tribunal on May 21, 2004. This appeal was dismissed by the Tribunal on Jan 6, 2006.

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Since then, Raza had taken no action to revive her application for judicial review.

Records kept by the Immigration Department showed she left Hong Kong on Mar 30, 2006 and never came back to live here for work or any other reason. After that she came to visit on 11 different occasions but ceased coming back after Sept 20, 2017.

Since 2006, when the Tribunal declined her appeal against the Director’s decision not to allow her to acquire a permanent HK ID card she made no effort to restore the application for judicial review, despite visiting a couple of times.

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She also no longer had solicitors representing her as a Legal Aid Certificate granted in her case expired on Dec 14, 2006.

Using these as grounds, the Director, through government counsel Gilbert Mok, asked the court to stop serving summons to Raza and for her application for judicial review to be dismissed for want of prosecution and lack of utility.

Mok argued that there had been an unreasonable and inexcusable delay on Raza’s part to restore her case. She left three months after her appeal was dismissed almost 16 years ago, and made no effort to pursue her case even though she made a couple of visits afterwards.

In addition, Raza was no longer represented in the proceeding. Her last known address in Hong Kong was no longer valid, as it was the home of her last employer, while the Philippine address she supplied to court was not complete as it only named a particular municipality in a province

Judge Coleman said he accepted the arguments, adding that “the applicant clearly has no continuing intention to prosecute these proceedings.”

“In my view, the delay is both inordinate and inexcusable, and in the overall context – which includes the point as to lack of utility – these proceedings can, at least at this point in time, be seen to be an abuse,” he added.

Equally important, the judge said the case had to be dismissed because the Court of Appeal ruling in the Vallejos case denying residency to FDWs had become final and executory.

That decision meant that the ground on which Judge Hartmann had initially granted leave to challenge the Director’s decision, “no longer holds good,” said the judge.

He ordered costs to be paid to the respondent Director by the applicant, whose own costs in turn will be taxed in accordance with Legal Aid Regulations.

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North Pt block evacuated after 3 residents test positive for Covid-19

By Daisy CL Mandap 

14 flats in Maple Garden Phase 3 were taken to a quarantine centre this evening

Dozens of residents of a North Point building were evacuated tonight, Jan 12, amid fears of a vertical transmission of Covid-19 after three people living in flats facing the same direction have been found infected.

Residents in 14 households of block B, Maple Gardens Phase Three on Kin Wah street in North Point were picked up by health staff in full PPE just before 6pm and herded onto mini buses with a number of police officers keeping media people and other onlookers at bay.

They were taken to a government quarantine centre where they will stay for 14 days and tested regularly to ensure they were not infected. If they test positive, they will be transferred to a hospital.

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A 48-year-old man who lives in the building and worked at investment bank Citic Securities in nearby Olympia Plaza was on Tuesday confirmed as infected, triggering an overnight lockdown of the block.

However, no one was found infected during the lockdown which ended on Wednesday morning, where a total of 103 people, including 75 residents, were tested.

Today’s two preliminary positive cases were not among those tested, his 83-year-old mother and 32-year-old male neighbor

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The infected man’s mother was taken to a quarantine center after he was listed as a close contact of an infected colleague. She lives in flat 6B of the housing block.

The second patient who is a carpenter, went to Queen Mary Hospital for a check-up after developing symptoms on Sunday. He lives in flat 9B, three floors above the mother and son.

Both patients were vaccinated but were found to carry a heavy viral load.

A scaffolding covers the block, which could allow the virus to build up inside

Health experts visited the building on Wednesday morning after noting that the two preliminary positive cases live in flats that were on separate floors but faced the same direction.

After inspecting the building, microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung said, “We agree that there was a vertical transmission from flats 6B to 9B.”

“The owner of unit 9B never poured water into the floor drain in his bathroom, and so the U-trap dried out.”

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Yuen said virus-infected air from the lower floors could go up the building via the so-called chimney effect, and enter flats where the U-trap has dried out.

He noted that because the building’s external wall was being fixed, the younger man kept his windows closed and turned on the exhaust fan when in the bathroom, allowing air from the dry sewage pipe to easily enter the flat.

Keeping windows shut results in the virus accumulating inside the building, leading to high viral loads, said the expert.

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This is the second incidence of the virus being transmitted vertically in a building since the fifth wave of infections fueled by the highly infectious Omicron variant has swept through Hong Kong in late December.

Vertical transmission also happened in Mei Sun building, officials say

On Sunday, people living in 19 flats in Mei Sun Building in Tai Po, were evacuated for the same reason. A 66-year-old woman who lived five floors above three members of a family who were earlier confirmed to have the coronavirus also tested positive.

At today’s press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said the full genome sequencing results from the infections showed vertical transmission had indeed occurred in the building.

“So the infection was possibly caused by a traveler from overseas,” she said.

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The first to test positive in the residential block was an Indonesian domestic helper who caught the virus during church services in Tin Hau. Another Indonesian worker who was infected by the mother of a Cathay flight attendant had passed on the coronavirus to her and another worker during the services on Jan 1 and 2.

The unvaccinated 62-year-old woman who was a member of a dance club that met regularly at Victoria Park was found to have directly infected eight other people, and sparked fifth-generation infections.

She was also the link to the first resident at Maple Gardens who was found infected. His colleague had eaten at a restaurant in Tin Hau at the same time as the elderly woman.

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Another import-related cluster was traced to a Cathay male aircrew who had lunch with two family members in a Kowloon Tong restaurant, in violation of his home isolation restrictions.

A total of 46 cases have since been traced from the two air crew who flew in from the United States on Dec 25 and 27, respectively.

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Silent Covid-19 transmission in Tuen Mun feared

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

A dispensary inside this Tuen Mun mall was where a family of 4 picked up the virus

Health officials warned on Tuesday, Jan 11, that a silent transmission of the coronavirus, could be going on in Tuen Mun, with three new cases being detected in the district.

As a result, more testing facilities will be set up in Tuen Mun and all residents there could be asked to be tested for Covid-19 for free.

In today’s press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said: “We do think that there may be risks of silent transmission in the community that’s why we are arranging increased testing facilities and ask people living and working in the Tuen Mun to get free tests as soon as possible in the coming few days.”

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Chuang said the three patients are among five preliminary positive cases reported today.

Two are members of a family that lives in Aegean Coast and runs a pharmacy at H.A.N.D.S. mall, both in Tuen Mun. The third is a female security guard at Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre who also lives in the district.

The first two are an 11-year-old boy and his 45-year-old mother who were taken to Penny’s Bay after two other members of their family were found infected earlier.

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These are the boy’s 20-year-old sister and their 47-year-old father who both worked in the Tung Ah dispensary where an infected Cathay flight crew had bought shampoo way back on Dec 27.

Chuang said genomic sequencing showed the virus carried by the two were an exact match to that of the flight crew who returned from the United States on Dec 25, and spread the virus during a family lunch at Moon Palace in Kowloon Tong on Dec 27.

On Jan 1 the father in the cluster developed symptoms but did not see a doctor. It was only after his daughter, who also worked parttime at SOGO department store in Causeway Bay, tested preliminary positive on Jan. 9 that the family’s infection was first detected.

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The father is one of 21 additional cases recorded today. Both he and his daughter are unvaccinated.

His wife and son, on the other hand, both had fever on Monday and Wednesday last week (Jan 3 and 5) and visited a private doctor in Gold Coast, but were not tested for Covid-19.

As the doctor only wore a surgical mask during their consultation, she is deemed to be a close contact and will be sent to a quarantine center.

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Chuang reminded private doctors to test anyone who comes to them with a fever, sore throat or other symptoms, as they could have the virus. Those who experience any of these symptoms should also consult a doctor and ask to be tested.

 “It’s understandable because before the end of December, Hong Kong had no local cases for quite a while, so there may be a lack of awareness in the local community including the medical professionals as well as the general public,” she said.

The source of infection of a security guard at Penny's Bay is still unknown

Meanwhile, the source of infection of the guard at Penny’s Bay is still being investigated. Chuang said the case could be linked to other infections in Tuen Mun, or she could have caught it at the quarantine camp.

The patient is said to be responsible for distributing supplies at Penny’s Bay and helping carry people’s luggage.

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Chuang said her colleagues who ate with her would be sent to quarantine.

Another preliminary positive case is that of the male employer of an Indonesian domestic helper linked to the Moon Palace cluster. He is the fourth resident of Mei Sun block in Tai Po to test positive for the coronavirus.

An employer of another infected Indonesian helper was among the newly confirmed cases reported today. The 32-year-old woman lives with the helper in On Ning Garden in Tseung Kwan O.

Another confirmed case is that of a 48-year-old man who lives and works in North Point. He is the fourth infected person linked to his workplace at Citic Securities Company in Olympia Plaza. His residential block, Maple Gardens Phase III on Kin Wah Street, North Point, will be locked down overnight.

In all, the CHP reported 21 cases, including eight local infections. The rest are all imported cases, including three air crew members who came from various countries, and one foreign domestic worker who flew in from Cebu, Philippines on Jan 4.

For details on the confirmed cases, please check the following:  https://gia.info.gov.hk/general/202201/11/P2022011100655_385332_1_1641900538056.pdf

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Kindergartens, primary schools to shut until CNY, ailing businesses to get aid

By The SUN 

Students in kindergartens and primary schools will go back to online classes from Friday

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced that all childcare centres, kindergartens and primary schools will have to suspend face to face classes from Friday until the Lunar New Year holidays in the wake of the Omicron spread.

Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting today, CE Lam reiterated that suspending classes was one of the most difficult decisions to make amid the pandemic because of its adverse effects on the mental and physical health of children.

But she noted that three young children had been infected with Covid-19 recently, two three-year-olds and one four-year-old. Although they caught the virus at home, their teachers and classmates had to be sent to quarantine after being tagged as close contacts.

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“They did not get infected in kindergartens or nurseries, they got it from their family members at home. But before it was found out, they went to school. That’s why the kindergartens and nurseries had to be closed temporarily, and teachers and classmates who were their close contacts were sent to quarantine camps,” said Lam.

This is very undesirable, as we don’t want to see such small children being sent into quarantine,” she said.

Another reason she cited was the experts’ belief that there are silent transmissions of Omicron in the community. Some asymptomatic people may pass the virus unknowingly to children, who in turn, could spread it in their schools.

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The CE also noted that some schools had outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infections, and since the symptoms are similar to a Covid infection, it's difficult to tell the difference.

Delaying the implementation to Friday will give the affected schools time to prepare, said Lam. But they  should be a able to do so from tomorrow if they can do it.

She also said students in upper classes will continue having face-to-face classes because they are old enough to take care of themselves.

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The top official also said the scientific committee advising the government on its pandemic policy has agreed to allow children aged between 3 to 17 to receive Sinovac jabs, but later on decided to give priority to those aged 12 years old and above.

When classes resume after the holidays, she said children between five and 11 will be offered Sinovac jabs at schools. This will be carried out by outreach teams at a date that has yet to be determined.

“But the policy is we want to vaccinate children,” she said.

CE Lam says a new round of subsidy for affected businesses will be announced on Friday

On Friday, Lam said details of another round of subsidies for businesses affected by the new Covid-19 outbreak will be announced.

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She mentioned restaurants and travel agencies as among those that would benefit from the fourth round of government subsidy for businesses hard-hit by a new round of closures that took effect on Friday.

She said there was still $4 billion left in the fund, and the government could ask the legislature for more if needed.

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Various groups welcomed the move, but the legislator representing the catering sector said it would be better to allow the regulated venues to continue to operate, as there has been no mass outbreak from any of them.

Tommy Cheung said allowing restaurants and bars to continue operating at normal hours would be a bigger help than just granting them subsidy.

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Iba’t ibang mukha ng flight ban

Ni Leo A. Deocadiz 

Flight crew na naghihintay ng kanilang assignment sa airport.

Ang pagsuspinde ng mga flight mula sa Pilipinas simula noong Jan. 8 dahil sa pagtaas ng kaso ng Covid-19 ay isang matinding dagok sa mga matagal nang naghihintay na makalipad papuntang Hong Kong.

Kung noon ay naging problema nila ang pagbo-book ng hotel para sa quarantine, ngayon ay wala naman silang masakyang eroplano. Kung kailan lang ay napasaya sila ng balitang nagpaplano ang gobyerno ng Hong Kong na dagdagan ang quarantine hotel na matitirhan ng mga bagong saltang foreign domestic helper, ngayon ay ni walang kasiguruhan na dalawang linggo lang talaga ang tigil-biyahe at aalisin na ito sa Jan 22.

Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa walong bansa na pinagsarhan ng pinto ng Hong Kong dahil sa pagkalat ng bagong variant ng Covid-19, ang Omicron. Ang pito pang bansang kasama rito ay Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, United Kingdom at United States.

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Ang pinakamatinding dagok mula sa flight ban ay tinamo ng ilang OFW na paalis na sana papunta ng Hong Kong. Hindi lang sila naantala, nagbabanta pang masayang ang kanilang pinagdinaanang hirap habang naghihintay sa Pilipinas na umabot na ng taon.

Ito ay sa harap ng lumulobong utang na pinasukan nila upang matustusan ang kanilang pagluwas-luwas sa Maynila, pagkuha ng mga papeles na kailangan sa pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa at mga pagsasanay na kinailangan nilang pagdaanan.

Inimbita namin ang ilang mambabasa ng The SUN upang iIahad ang kanilang pinag-daanan, at ilan sa aming natanggap ay narito.

Mercedita: Stranded pagkatapos ng bakasyon

Tatlong linggo lang sana ang bakasyon ni Mercedita G. Cuaresma nang umalis siya ng Hong Kong noong Apr 7, 2021. Nakaayos na lahat sa pagbalik niya noong May 2:  naka-book na siya sa Ramada hotel para sa quarantine, at may ticket na siya sa eroplano.

Pero nag-ban ang Hong Kong ng mga flight galing sa Pilipinas noong April 20. Simula noon ay hindi pa siya nakababalik. Dahil nabakunahan siya sa Pilipinas, hindi siya pwedeng mag-book sa hotel gaya ng mga pabalik sa Hong Kong at dito na rin nabakunahan. Kaya ang malaking balakid sa kanya ay ang kakaunting kwarto sa mga tinaguriang designated quarantine hotel para sa mga bagong saltang FDH.

Ito ang kanyang kwento:

“Simula noong April 20, hirap si amo ko na mag-book ng hotel. Lagi daw failed, try again dahil every Monday lang pwedeng mag-book. Try lagi si amo, pero ganun pa rin. Gusto na niya akong makabalik dahil ang tatay niya na alaga ko ay 92 yrs old na.

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“Dahil ang sabi nila ay sa mga agency lahat napupunta ang slot ng hotel, sinabi ko kay amo. Kahit hindi pa na-refund ang bayad niya sa Ramada hotel, pumayag siya na agency ang mag book. Agad naman akong nai-book ng agency matapos ng ilang buwan kong pag-aantay. Ang flight ko sana ay sa January 13. Kaso nag-ban ulit ang Hong Kong.

“Sana ay hindi na lumawig pa ang flight ban para makabalik na rin ako. Kawawa na ang alaga kong matanda. Inaantay pa rin niya ako. Siyam na buwan na ako dito sa Pilipinas.

Mailyn: Pagtupad sa pangarap

Para naman kay Mailyn Lugan ng General Santos City, isang single mom na may dalawang anak, noon pa man ay pangarap na niyang makapagtrabaho sa Hong Kong. Kaya nang umuwi siya mula sa Saudi Arabia noong 2020, agad siyang nag-apply papuntang Hong Kong.  At dito siya nasuong sa matinding pagsubok.

“Nag apply ako sa Kings Manpower Services Gensan Branch noong Sept 30, 2020 pero ayaw tanggapin ang NCII (o National Certificate II for Domestic Work) ko kahit ex-abroad ako. Pinilit akong mag-training muli kasi daw, iba ang culture ng mga Chinese.

“Ako naman na walang alam sa kalakaran tinanggap yong offer ng agency na training center, Philworks Training Center sa Malate, Manila. Wala akong kapera-pera na din pero pinilit ako ng agency kasi rush daw ako, sabi ng employer ko. Php32,000 ang full payment sa training center, Php10k downpayment para makasali ka sa online class.

“Humiram ako sa ate ko para lang makasali sa online class. Noong Feb. 15, 2021, need na daw namin lahat mag face-to-face at maghanda na ng pambayad. Hirap man dahil sarili naming gastos ang tiket sa airlines at allowance, kampante naman ako kasi sabi ng agency 3 to 4 days lang daw kami mag-stay sa Manila pagkatapos ng 12 days sa training center.

“Dahil kampanteng makakaalis after training, umutang ako sa isang coop sa lugar namin ng Php40,000 kasama na allowance ko at ticket. May tubo itong 12 percent.

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“Dumating ako ng Feb 13, 2021 sa Manila para sa face to face pero biglang na-cancel kasi kailangan daw mag-disinfect ng training center kaya naging Feb 20 ang simula. Nakikitira lang ako noon sa malayong kamag-anak.

“Mula Feb 20, ipinakita sa amin kung paano mag-linis, mag-mop, magluto ng Chinese foods para makakuha ng NCII domestic work certificate mula sa Tesda (Technical Education And Skills Development Authority). Nang matatapos na kami sa training noong  March,  bigla na lang nag-lockdown sa NCR at nagsara ang Tesda.

“Agad naman may nag-offer na kung gusto namin, may isa daw taga-Tesda na tutulong. Bayad lang daw kami ng P4,000 para makakuha ng NCII. Kami naman, umutang kami ulit. Desperado nang makaalis dahil din sa utang naming lumulobo.

“Siningil niya kami ng Php4,000 plus Php1,000 para sa antigen test para makapag-assessment kami in 2 to 3 days daw sa Pampanga. Month of May noon, wala pa rin nangyare. Pina-stay nya kami sa training center niya hanggang dinala kami sa bahay niya sa Taguig City. Isang buwan na wala pa rin nangyari, tagalinis kami ng bahay nya, pinalinis kami ng tindahan nya at lagi syang wala at panay sabi na maghintay lang.

“Nag-offer na naman siya ng Php2,000 sa amin para pang gas at bayad sa van papuntang Baguio para doon makahanap ng Tesda na bukas. Umayaw na kami at umalis sa poder nya. Sa Php5,000 na ibinayad namin sa knya, Php2,000 lang ang ibinalik sa amin dahil nag-stay daw kami sa bahay niya at dapat magbayad sa  tubig at kuryente .

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Ako at mga kasamahan ko ay pumunta sa Cebu City para makakuha ng assessment at magkaron ng NCII. Doon na namin nalaman na pinagloloko lang kami ng agency namin. Ang mga taga-Tesda na mismo ang nagsabi na kapag ex-abroad, hindi na kailangan ng training. Ipakita lang ang passport na may visa.

Ang sakit isipin na Php32,000 ang nasayang namin sa training center para mkakuha ng NCII. 

End of May, nakakuha na kami ng NCII domestic work certificate at bumalik na ng Manila para ipasa sa agency ang original copy at makapag-OWWA na rin. Ako at aking mga kasama ay kumuha ng apartment.

Sad to say, nag-ban ang Hong Kong noong June. Noong August naman, nag announce ang HK na kailangan ng vaccination card (yellow card) kaya pumila kami ng madaling araw para magpabakuna kahit puyat, may ulan at baha hanggang tuhod. Sa huli, naubusan kami ng bakuna dahil sa haba ng pila. Kaya pumila ulit kami kinabukasan.

Positive thoughts na lang meron kami at lakas ng loob na in the end, makakaalis din kami.

Wala na kaming pambayad ng apartment namin, nagkakasakit na kami -- ubo, trangkaso, pero awa ni God hindi kami nagka-Covid.

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Sinasadya naming gumising ng tanghali para late ang almusal, kaya sa 1pm ay kape’t tinapay. Pagdating ng 5pm, bibili kami ng kanin para hapunan. Kung hindi kami manginig sa gutom hindi kami bibili ng pagkain para lang makatipid. Wala kaming lutuan at gamit. Hindi na kami bumili kasi akala namin makakaalis din kami agad-agad.

Ang ilan sa kasamahan ko ay umalis na ng apartment. Wala na daw budget.  Kahit ako din, kaya naghiwa-hiwalay na kami. Nakikituloy ako ngayon sa malayong kamag-anak ko sa Taguig. Dito na ako nakakuha ng vaccine at yellow card na tanggap sa Hong Kong. Dahil pahirapan kumuha ng kwarto sa quarantine hotel, nag-expire ang visa ko na hindi nakakaalis.

Nakakaiyak , nakakadepress , nakakawala ng pag asa ang hirap na dinanas namin, at ngayon may ban ulit ang Hong Kong, kaya hindi pa rin kami nakaalis.

Wala na akong pamasahe pauwing probinsya. Kung uuwi man ako, natatakot akong humarap sa mga taong pinagkakautangan ko. Iyong utang kong Php40,000, naging PhpP139,000 na. Saan ako kukuha ng lakas ng loob na mag-explain sa kanila?

Ngayon ay 6 pesos na lang ang pera ko. Kahit ang pamilya ko, ang kapatid ko, wala daw silang pera para ipadala sa akin dito. Nahihiya ako dito sa tinutuluyan ko wala akong naiambag, wala akong naibigay 2 months na, pabigat na ako sa buhay. Wala din akong maibigay sa mga anak ko 

Sana bigyan pansin ng gobyerno iyong mga agency sa Pilipinas na doble-doble kung makasingil sa amin. At sana hindi na muna sila mag-hiring ulit ng panibagong FDW habang hindi pa nakakaalis iyong mga na-stranded.

Wennie: Todo suporta ang employer

Isa sa matagal nang naghihintay ay si Wennie Chavez ng Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, na noong November 2019 pa nag-apply bilang FDH sa Hong Kong. Tumagal ang proseso dahil anim na oras ang biyahe papuntang Bacolod, kung saan kinukuha ang mga kailangan nyang papeles. Inabutan din siya ng lockdown dulot ng Covid-19 sa kanilang lugar, kaya naging mahirap lumuwas at nadoble pa ang pamasahe kung payagan mang makaalis.

Ang ipinagpapasalamat ni Wennie ay nakakuha siya ng employer sa Hong Kong na hindi bumibitaw simula pa noong 2020, at suportado siya hanggang ngayon. Noong nanalanta ang bagyong Odette at nagiba ang kanilang bahay, nagpadala pa ito ng ayuda. “Kahit hindi pa kami nagkikita nang personal, nasalba na niya ang aking pamilya,” ika ni Wennie.

Magkatuwang silang mag-amo sa pagbo-book ng quarantine hotel, pero hindi sila pinalad hanggang isinara sa mga FDH ang Penny’s Bay.

“Nang mag-open ang bagong hotel nitong January, na nai-post ng The Sun Hong Kong, ang saya ko. Ini-screen shot ko, sabay send kay madam at sa awa ng Diyos, nai-book ako at may flight schedule pa,” dagdag niya. Nakatakda pa siyang mag-birthday sa quarantine sa February 14.

 “Pero nang mabasa ko ang flight ban, halos maupos ako na kandila at sabay chat kay madam. Pasalamat ako sa mga amo ko kasi, kung pinanghihinaan ako ng loob, lagi nilang sinasabi na huwag akong mag-alala kasi hinihintay nila ako,” ika ni Wennie. “Ang panalangin ko na lang, at lagi kong iniiyak, ay alisin na ang flight ban bago ang lipad ko sa February 7 kasi lubog na lubog na ako sa utang at interest.”

Charloth: Kahihiyan dahil hindi makaalis

Inilahad naman ni Charloth Alexis Andal Averion, 33, ng Alaminos, Laguna, ang kahihiyang inabot niya, dahil sa gastos -- na ipinangutang niya -- simula nang mag-apply siya papuntang Hong Kong noong January 2021.

“Sa first medical ko, ang binayaran ko ay Php5,800. Nakapasa naman ako sa medical at na hire noong January 18. Agad ako nag-training sa Tesda ng 14 days, na nagkakahalaga ng Php28,500. Mahirap ang pinagdaanan ko sa training pero madami naman akong natutunan.

“Lumabas ang unang visa ko nung March. Kailangan ng rapid test para gamitin sa pag-OWWA, pero ako ay reactive kaya pinaulit ko noong araw din na iyon sa halagang Php1,700. Nang nakapasa ako sa OWWA, nag final medical naman ako, another P5,800 ulit.

“Aalis na dapat ako noong April 13, pero nagka-ban (sa flights papuntang Hong kong). Tinawagan ako ng agency, aalis na daw ako ng June, pero banned pa rin. Tinawagan ulit ako para magpa-medical noong September, aalis na daw, wala naman.

“Hangang sa ngayon, yung pinaka-aantay kong hotel at tiket para makaalis ng Jan. 7, 2022 ay inabutan ng bagong flight ban.

“Alam ko na hindi madali ang mag-abroad kasi napakalaki ng mga gastos ko at napakalaki ng mga pagkakautang ko sa sobrang dami ng pagpapa-medical test na ginawa sa akin. Kailangan na naman gumastos sa medical test bago makapag-trabaho.

“Nabubuhay na lang ako sa pa-extra-extra. Depression ang dinadanas ko ngayon dahil sa mga pinagkakautangan ko, at sa mga salita na natatanggap ko sa ibang tao na peke ang agency ko at hindi naman tunay na aalis pa Hong Kong. Parang ayaw ko na umuwi sa amin dahil sa kahihiyan.

Naiisipan ko na lang na mag-apply sa iba na walang gastos gaya sa Saudi. Naglalaro naman sa isip ko ang paano naman ang mga nagastos ko, paano kung biglang magka-flight.

Puro pambu-bully ang inaabot ko sa mga kamag-anak at kapitbahay ko dahil sa mga nangyari.

PADALA NA!

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