Friday surge in voters pushes OV turnout to 53,500 so far

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

About 1,600 people cast their votes Friday (Photo from ConGen Raly Tejada's FB page)

Friday delivered an unexpected surprise in the ongoing overseas voting in Hong Kong, when  around 1,600 Filipinos turned up to cast their ballots at the Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town.

The renewed weekday surge pushed the total turnout in 27 days of voting to 53,500 - or more than 57% of the total registration figure of 93,625.

If the current trend continues, and with three days left in the voting – including a Sunday and a statutory holiday on Monday - the total turnout could well pass the 60% mark, far higher than the 49% set in the last presidential vote in 2016.

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The recent spike in the weekday turnout started on Thursday, when members of the Iglesia ni Cristo known for bloc voting, began trooping to Bayanihan after the church hierarchy publicly endorsed their chosen candidates in the election.

The Sunday and Monday voting tally could also boosted by those whose names were mistakenly excluded from the Certified List of Voters but recently received approval from the Commission on Elections to cast their votes.

Among them is Liezel Lao who was in grief after being told that her name was not in the CLOV, hours after she queued up with thousands others on the first day of voting on Apr 10.

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Lao, who had kept her registration receipt which clearly showed she had registered at the Consulate on Aug 29 last year, immediately asked the OV Secretariat to get Comelec to allow her to vote.

She kept following up afterwards, fearful that she would not be able to vote anymore as she had only one day-off left before the May 9 close of the polls. Finally, with just four days left in the election, she got word from the Secretariat that she could already vote.

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“Please be informed that the Comelec allows you to cast your vote until 09 May 2022. Kindly proceed to the Secretariat in the Bayanihan Centre and you will be endorsed to SBEI 10,” said the notice.

To this, Lao replied, “Thank you so much! Good luck and God bless. I am so happy makaka vote na ako.”

Voting on the last day will be held from 8am until 7pm, when all the polling places across the Philippines will close at the same.

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More than 67 million Filipinos have registered to vote in the election where the top contenders for the presidential post are Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

In the last general election in 2016, Robredo beat Marcos in the vice-vice-presidential race, despite initially ranking last in surveys. A series of election protests resulted in Comelec unanimously affirming her victory.

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Migrants hit out at PhilHealth’s plan to start collecting 4% premium

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Pelaez speaking at an anti PhilHealth rally in Central in 2021

Migrant workers groups have again hit out at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) after it announced that it will start collecting the mandated four percent annual premium from members starting next month.

In a statement issued Wednesday, PhilHealth said it would resume collecting the higher rate on Malacanang’s directive, after lawmakers failed to pass a law suspending the mandated increases.

Previously, President Rodrigo R. Duterte suspended the collection of the accelerated premium contributions from members amid the pandemic following raucous protests from Filipino migrant workers around the globe.

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The collection of higher PhilHealth contributions is provided for in the Universal Health Care Act passed in 2018, which mandated premium rates to gradually increase from 2.75% in 2019 until it reaches 5% for both 2024 and 2025, with a salary cap of Php80,000.

For Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong earning the minimum wage of $4,630 which is the equivalent of Php30,000, this would mean an annual premium of Php14,400 this year. That’s a massive six-fold increase from the flat rate of Php2,400 collected from them before the new law was passed.

What makes the burden far heavier for migrant workers is that failing to collect directly from their employers, PhilHealth, like the Social Security System, classifies them as “self-paying,” meaning they get to bear the financial burden of both employer and employee.

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PhilHealth said in its statement that the 4% contribution rate will be collected starting in June. Those who paid at the old rate of 3% from January to May will be allowed to pay the difference until December this year without interest.

“PhilHealth assures all members that legislated contribution schedule will continue to provide all Filipinos with adequate financial protection against hospitalization costs,” the state health insurer said.

The announcement was immediately condemned by Bayan Muna Partylist Hong Kong which called the PhilHealth premium hike as government extortion.

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The group called not just for the scrapping of the higher rates but also of mandatory membership for Filipino migrant workers who they say are already covered by a medical insurance that their employers are obliged to take in their name under Hong Kong laws.

Bayan Muna Hong Kong chair Dolores Balladares Pelaez said the money paid to PhilHealth will be of better use if sent to their families back in the Philippines instead of a government agency “with unresolved corruption scandals.”

In 2020, Philippine lawmakers initiated an investigation into alleged corruption in PhilHealth, after whistleblowers had claimed that up to Php15 billion in funds were pocketed by its executives.

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The allegation sparked anger among Filipinos, as the country was then experiencing the worst Covid-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia.

However, PhilHealth officials have denied the allegation and after a few highly publicized congressional hearings, the issue died down. 

A sign-up desk for a petition to stop all government exactions on Filipino migrant workers (File)

Pelaez said whoever wins in the upcoming presidential election will have to deal with the PhilHealth issue right away.

Should Vice President Leni Robredo win, Pelaez said there is hope that the mandatory collection of PhilHealth premiums from OFWs will be stopped.

But if the vote goes to her main rival, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., an avowed Duterte supporter, Pelaez said not only will the higher PhilHealth fees be implemented, but there is also a possibility that other government fees will be collected.

Just recently, migrant workers groups were also up in arms after the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency announced that OFWs will have to pay for membership in Pag-IBIG Fund before they can be issued overseas employment certificates.

The Fund is responsible for the administration of the national savings program and affordable housing financing for Filipinos while the OEC serves as the exit pass for OFWs who are about to leave the country or return to their jobsites abroad.

Currently, the OEC is not tied to either PhilHealth or Pag-IBIG Fund so Filipino migrant workers are not obliged to pay for membership to either agency.

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Rapid tests at HK airport to cut waiting time of inbound travelers

By The SUN

 

Arriving passengers will be able to get to their quarantine hotel if they test negative on rapid tests

Travelers arriving in Hong Kong from Monday will no longer have to wait for a long time for their Covid test results, as they will be given both PCR and rapid antigen tests at the same time.

If the rapid test shows a negative result, the passenger will be able to go through immigration immediately and head to his or her designated quarantine hotel to await the PCR test result.

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As before, those who test positive on subsequent tests during quarantine will be moved to an isolation facility until they are deemed recovered.

Health officials said passengers who have recovered from Covid in the past 90 days but still test positive for the virus with a low viral load will not be classified as confirmed cases. As such, they will be allowed to continue their quarantine at their hotels.

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Meanwhile, 29 imported infections are among the 324 new Covid-19 cases reported today.

The patients flew in from various places such as the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Vietnam. Among them 11 tested positive at the airport while the rest were found infected during hotel quarantine.

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Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection said 23 other cases were detected among students and teachers, but there has been no indication of an outbreak at schools.

He said the cases were all unrelated and the patients did not know each other, so it was not likely they caught the virus at schools.

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Hospital Authority’s Dr Larry Lee also reported 11 more Covid-related deaths, including six people who died at public hospitals on Thursday.

The total infection tally in the fifth wave of the epidemic has reached more than 1.19 million, with 9,131 related deaths.

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PathFinders pays tribute to migrant worker-moms on Mother’s Day

 By Catherine Gurtin, CEO, PathFinders

Sunday, Mar 8, is Mother’s Day - a big pat on the back to all mothers in Hong Kong (HK), especially our resilient migrant domestic workers (MDWs), many of whom are mothers too!

We can't thank MDW mothers enough for all the sacrifices they make, not only for their own families and children, but for the tens of thousands of households in our community that also rely heavily on their care and support - especially for children and elderly parents.

For almost half a century, MDWs have made tremendous contributions to our society. Far from being mere "helpers", many operate as second mothers raising generations of children in HK; typically at the expense of heart-breaking separation from their own children.

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Many MDW mothers spend many years away while their children are growing up, to provide financially for their families with the hope of giving their children a brighter future.

"The separation of a mother from her family is always painful, and the trauma lingers," said  Xyza Bacani, a renowned Filipina author and photographer based in Hong Kong and New York, as she opened up about her own experience of being left behind at an early age by a MDW-mother.

Xyza’s mother, Georgia, hugs youngest daughter Sharila just before returning to HK in 2017

"I grew up without her, so I know how challenging it is (for children) to be away from (their) mothers," shared Bacani. "Saying goodbye was a routine we had done countless times since my mother left for work in 1996, but the pain never ceases."

Bacani's story is not unique - it is the story of millions of children of migrant parent(s). For decades, HK has heavily relied on MDWs’ support to care for children and elderly so that employers are able to work themselves.

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The city currently employs 340,000 MDWs, with the number forecast to rise to over 600,000 by 2047 to help care for a rapidly aging population. More than 80% of MDWs are women of childbearing age. This means the number of children left behind in the MDWs’ home countries will inevitably continue to escalate over the coming years.

As a result of this separation, some children are left in extremely vulnerable situations due to a lack of parental care and support. They are also at greater risk of experiencing violence, exploitation and abuse, often from the very caregivers their mothers entrusted them with.

Ms Remilene Marcelino, the newly-appointed social welfare attache to the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, has shared her deep concern for the children of migrant mothers in their home country.

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After coming across an alarming number of teenage mothers who were raped or abused by people their mothers had entrusted them with, her advice to MDW mothers is to keep a close eye and communicate frequently with their children to ensure their protection, safety and wellbeing.

More often than not, many MDW mothers struggle with long-distance parenting and to maintain heart-to-heart connections with their children across the miles. As their working day runs late into the night, they are unable to speak with their children who have already gone to sleep by the time they finish work.

The Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the situation, with prolonged travel restrictions preventing many MDW mothers from returning home at the end of each two-year contract to see their children, who miss them terribly.

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If you employ a MDW, please take moments to show your care, appreciation and support through simple gestures. Ask how she is and find out more about her family.

If she is a working mom, encourage her to take short breaks throughout the day to connect with her children. She would appreciate this time to connect, albeit virtually, to at least ensure her children are well taken care of, helped with their homework, and to just be there for them.

As a community, let’s come together to ensure adequate and much-needed support is in place to safeguard the wellbeing and best interests of all children born to migrant mothers.

It is a child’s basic right to feel safe, supported and cared for, so they can survive and thrive - something all parents desire for their children every day. 

(PathFinders is the only Hong Kong charity dedicated to supporting migrant women and their children. For more information check their website: https://www.pathfinders.org.hk/en/ or call ther hotline for migrant workers: 5190 4886)

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INC votes help push OV tally to more than 52k

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The total turnout with 4 days left in overseas voting is now at a high 56%

More than 2,000 voters, mostly from the local chapter of the Iglesia ni Cristo church, cast their ballots Thursday in the overseas voting for Filipinos currently underway at the Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town.

The unexpected surge in the daily tally pushed the total turnout to more than 52,000 after 26 days of voting.

The cumulative total has surpassed the 50,000 target set by Consul General Raly Tejada, who had initially worried about the possible impact of the strict anti-Covid restrictions in Hong Kong on the in-person election.

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It has also gone beyond the 46,396 turnout recorded in the last presidential election in 2016, which amounted to 49% of the total voter registration figure of 93,978.

It came one day after the INC’s hierarchy in Manila endorsed the candidacy of former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr who is running for the presidency, and his running-mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Before this, INC members who are known to observe bloc voting, were seen to come in trickles, and voted mostly on Sundays.

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The weekday tally, meanwhile, had continued to drop from a high of more than 2,000 in the first week of voting to about 650 last Tuesday.

Consulate insiders say Consul General Raly Tejada had written to the church leaders earlier, asking them to encourage their members to vote as soon as possible to avoid a possible last-minute deluge of voters in the coming long weekend.

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Sunday, May 8, is likely to be hectic as Mother’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday both fall on this day. The next day, May 9 has been declared as a statutory holiday and also happens to be the final day of voting so a big crowd is also likely to gather at Bayanihan.

Overseas voters get to elect a president, vice-president, 12 senators and one party-list while those in the Philippines can also vote for local officials, including a representative in the Lower House of Congress.

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About 67 million people are registered to vote across the Philippines on May 9.

In Hong Kong, the total number of registered voters this year is 93,625, which means that the total turnout with four days left in the election is already at 56%.

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Unidentified man found collapsed on street among 5 new Covid deaths

By The SUN

Tests at Caritas Medical Centre showed the unknown man had brain hemorrhage

A man whose age or identity is unknown was among five Covid-related deaths reported Thursday by health authorities.

The man was found unconscious in the street at about 5am on Monday and was initially rushed to Caritas Medical Centre where a brain scan showed he had brain hemorrhage.

He was then transferred to Kwong Wah Hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19 with a Ct value of 34.2, indicating a low viral load. He was intubated but eventually died early yesterday.

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Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority said they have yet to establish the person’s identity, medical history or age, but initial reports said he was not an elderly person.

The four other fatalities, on the other hand, were aged between 86 and 97 years old.

Meanwhile, the number of new confirmed cases increased slightly to 321 but officials said infections are falling steadily.

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Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Authority said the daily figures may continue to fluctuate, making it hard to foresee a trend.

But he warned cases may rebound after social distancing measures were relaxed ahead of the long weekend holiday, which includes Mother’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday on Sunday, and the preceding statutory holiday on Monday.

Among the new cases, 148 were confirmed via PCR tests and 173 through positive rapid test results reported by residents.

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There were 17 imported cases, including 12 detected at the airport. The remaining five were reported on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth day of quarantine of passengers who flew in from France and Singapore.

Au also said there were 26 new cases detected, which included 14 students and one teacher in primary grades and 10 pupils and one teacher in secondary schools.

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The overall infection tally from the fifth wave has now exceeded 1.19 million with 9,120 related deaths.

In the past 24 hours, 152 patients have recovered from Covid and 99 of them have been discharged. 

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With HK relaxing anti-Covid measures, would quarantine be next?

Quarantine restrictions are an obstacle to Hong Kong's travel industry revival.

Covid-19 cases have not increased despite the recent relaxing of anti-pandemic measures, prompting experts to encourage the government to remove more obstacles to the push toward the normal.

For example, Hong Kong still quarantines arriving passengers in hotels for seven days, and is one of the few remaining places with such a travel restriction.

Dr. Ho Pak-leung, microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong, told a local radio program that a lot of places have dropped quarantine and testing arrangements for travelers.

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Hong Kong could follow suit to revive its travel sector.

"We should catch up," he said. 

"I hope the new government will do better in terms of boosting vaccination and putting in place targeted anti-epidemic measures so life could return to normal sooner," added Dr. Ho, who is also chairman of the Health Protection Program for Antimicrobial Resistance in the Centre for Health Protection, and chairman of the Specialty Board in Clinical Microbiology and Infection at the Hong Kong College of Pathologists.

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After all, recent indicators point to a waning trend in the Covid-19 spread.

World Health Organization, for example, reported: “During the week of 25 April through 1 May 2022, over 3.8 million cases and over 15,000 deaths were reported, decreases of 17% and 3% respectively, as compared to the previous week,” the report said. 

Dr. David Hui, chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and also an adviser on the government's coronavirus strategy, asserted that the city's pandemic situation has stabilized.

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He noted, for example, that Covid-19 cases had not increased even after the government relaxed some social distancing restrictions last month.

He also noted the lowered infection risks for people dining out because of the introduction of the vaccine pass and policies requiring restaurants to improve their ventilation by installing high efficiency air purifiers. 

But Hui also cautioned that Covid-19 has become endemic.

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"After we had a serious Covid outbreak here, it's difficult for the virus to disappear. Many people without symptoms are carrying and transmitting the virus in the community. The antibody level of those vaccinated drops over time. This is how powerful Omicron is. It's become endemic and will continue to exist in our community," he said.

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