DMW plug for OFW Pass gets online jeer

 

A Facebook post by the Department of Migrant Workers today promoting the OFW Pass as a faster, safer and more convenient alternative to the OEC printed Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) has been met with adverse reactions.

“Ang OFW PASS ay ang digital replacement ng printed Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). Mas mabilis, mas ligtas, at mas convenient—lahat ay maa-access na sa eGovPH app,” the post said. “I-download lang ang eGovPH App sa App Store o Google Playstore.”

Fourteen hours after being published, the DMW post has attracted 559 comments, mostly pointing out that the new pass that OFWs should be able to use to travel abroad in lieu of the overseas employment certificate (OEC), was not being recognized at the Manila airport, both by the airlines when they check in and at Immigration.

DMW's latest push for OFW Pass

Some complained of wasted time going back to the DMW counter at the airport terminals to get the their copies of their OEC.

The post also earned 1,000 likes, 166 hearts, 47 laughing, 11 caring, eight angry, five surprised snd four sad emojis.

The post followed the one DMW posted last Dec. 11, 2025, which said: “𝗢𝗙𝗪 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀: 𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

It urged OFWs to download the GovPH App from the Apple App Store or Google Play. After ID verification, they can go to the DMW section where they can access the Balik-Manggagawa service, which can automatically generate the OFW Pass.

It added that the pass has the following color codes to designate its status: Gray (not yet Generated/Voided), Green (Active), Blue (Used), Amber (Expiring Soon), and Red (Expired).

Another post quoted DMW Sec. Hans Leo Cacdac as saying that the OEC and e-Travel Pass have been combined to make it easier to process OFWs.

He said some 70,000 OFWs have used the pass in its pilot run.

Basahin ang detalye!

But some OFWs are  not impressed. A sampling of the comments:

Grace Altillo, who works in Hong Kong: “Hi Department of Migrant Workers opo naka- access na po kami bilang isang OFW. Na print na rin po. Pero ang problema pagdating sa Airport ng Pilipinas, hinahanap parin po pag check-in ang Print Out ng #OEC. Two copies pa hinanap. ISA for (travel tax) refund at yung isa for Immigration purpose.”

Aldrin Bautista: Napaka hassle po.. nagprepare pa din ako nung printed pero pagdating sa immigration eh magkaiba daw sa nandun sa system pinabalik pa ako ng dmw sa airport to verify tas sasabihin po ng staff nyo ay hindi makapagdecide ang immigration.. Sana mayroon kayong proper coordination dahil nakakaabala kayo. Ang haba ng pinila ko sa immigration tas papabalikin lang.. Jusko PILIPINAS!

Jojo Claros Yaun: Hassle ang ginawa nyu sa mga OFW, yung Ibang lahi na mga kasama namiin dito sa Middle East ticket, visa at passport lang (and kailangan para mag-travel)

The comments have yet to be answered by DMW.

Cold Sunday morning forecast

Victoria Harbor, photo taken by HKO at 7:55pm tonight

Those going out on Sunday will need warmer clothes, as Hong Kong will have its coolest day of the week, with the morning temperature down to 14 degrees Celsius – which could possibly hit 12 degrees if enough cold air from northern China reaches on the territory, the Hong Kong Observatory predicted tonight.

As the day progresses with sparse rainclouds arriving, the temperature is expected to gradually rise to 19 degrees due to sunny intervals during the day.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The cold brought by the northerly airflow is expected to be felt starting late Saturday, replacing the easterlies that are now affecting the coast of Guangdong, including Hong Kong.

The present weather is mainly cloudy, with one or two rain patches. Temperatures will range between 17 and 20 degrees. Fresh easterly winds, occasionally strong offshore and on high ground, are expected until Friday, the Observatory said.

Basahin ang detalye!

After the cold northerlies blow past on Sunday, the easterlies are expected again to engulf Hong Kong, bringing warmer weather during the rest of next week with the highest daily temperatures reaching 24 degrees.

Free shuttle, legal support for MWO shelter residents

 

Chavez (with beret) meets media and NGO heads in 2nd day of Filcom consultations

Distressed overseas Filipino workers who will be accepted into the new shelter to be opened by the Migrant Workers Office in far-off Tai Po won’t have to worry about the costs of attending their court hearings or other official appointments as they will be driven there on new vehicles to be bought with funds from the Philippine government.

This was according to Labor Attache Cesar L. Chavez, Jr. during his first meeting on Wednesday with members of Philippine media and some non-government organizations supporting Filipino migrant workers.

“We want everything to be right. It should be the best that the government can do for them,” said Chavez, as he gave more details about the new and bigger shelter that the Department of Migrant Workers has secured for OFWs facing legal, health and other challenges.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

He said the Hong Kong government has yet to give its approval for the new shelter to be recognized as an extension of the Consulate but he decided to make the required payment to secure the lease for the new premises that can accommodate more than 30 residents at any given time, as well as four dedicated staff.

“We are getting four times the allocation for the previous shelter but we really need to provide temporary shelter for more (OFWs in need),” said Chavez.

The bigger funding support from the DMW will also cover the cost of commissioning four law firms to help with court cases involving Filipino migrant workers, including those at the shelter, which he said, appear to be on the rise.

Basahin ang detalye!

Along with this, more staff will be added to the assistance to nationals team at the MWO, including translators who should be able to read, speak and write Cantonese.

Chavez disclosed that Social Welfare Attache Rem Marcelino who is with the ATN section is already due for recall to the Philippines, but he has asked that she be retained to help with the transition.

Earlier, the new labor chief told The SUN that a bigger space in the same building in Admiralty is being eyed to replace the space that MWO is now occupying, when their lease ends in August.

Chavez bared many other plans, including making employment agencies and employers more accountable for the Filipino domestic workers that they hire.

These include requiring employers sign an undertaking that they will provide not just for free air ticket, but also luggage allowance for the return home of a Filipino worker whose contract they just pre-terminated.

 

Police probe damage to seatbelt on KMB bus

 

The seatbelt buckle on the KMB bus appears to have been cut

Police were called Wednesday afternoon after a seatbelt was found to have been deliberately cut on a Kowloon Motor Bus plying the Sha Tin to Ma On Shan route.

Two passengers aboard bus 86K told the driver about the cut seatbelt on one of the upper desk seats when the KMB bus arrived at the bus terminus in Ma On Shan at around 5pm.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Officers who responded to a call from the bus company said they considered it a case of criminal damage.

The incident happened four days after a new regulation mandating passengers to use seatbelts on public and private buses, took effect.

Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to three months’ imprisonment.

The new law presents problems for some passengers who need extra space 

The new law has drawn widespread criticism from passengers who complained of seatbelts that were either dirty, broken, too loose or too tight. Others complained of having to buckle up on short routes.

The public backlash in turn caused Hong Kong’s major political parties for a review after an adjustment period of between six to nine months.

Transport Minister Mable Chan said the department valued the lawmakers’ opinions but stopped short of responding to a call for a review.

Basahin ang detalye!

Instead, she reiterated that passengers’ safety was behind the new requirement which aligns with common international practice.

"I want to reiterate that we understand overall that with the introduction of this regulation, people need time to adapt," she said. With this in mind she said enforcement will take into account “legal, rational and humanistic” considerations.

She said authorities will work closely with bus companies to promptly address public feedback on practical concerns, such as seatbelt cleanliness and fit.

Earlier, Chief Executive John Lee told reporters that the recommendation for mandatory seatbelt use was given in the review of the tragic bus accident in Tai Po in 2018, which resulted in 19 deaths and 66 injuries.

“I understand the measure will require a change in behaviour, and passengers may feel inconvenient at the beginning,” said the CE.

However, he said studies showed that buckling up could reduce serious injuries by 70 per cent and deaths by 40 per cent in traffic accidents.

 

Pinay gets 16 months jail for laundering almost $1M

 

File photo

A Filipina whose bank account was one of 13 through which a crime syndicate channeled money it raised from a romance scam, was sentenced today at the Eastern Court to 16 months’ imprisonment for money laundering.

Jennifer Kiaki, 32 years old and holder of a recognizance form to serve as her identification document as an asylum seeker, pleaded guilty to dealing with HK$944,080.50 through her account with Hang Seng Bank Limited between May 20, 2020 and May 13 the next year.

 Her crime was dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Principal Magistrate David Cheung noted that the operation of the bank account lasted for a year, during which it received deposits from the victims of the love scam.

Magistrate Cheung acknowledged that Kiaki had no knowledge of the scam but he was convinced, based on reasonable inference, that she was involved in the money laundering.

She even participated in withdrawing some of the money from her account, he added.

Basahin ang detalye!

In his plea for a lenient sentence, Kiaki’s lawyer suggested a starting point of 12 months’ jail, based on a previous case, but Magistrate Cheung cited another case that suggested a starting point of 24 months.

He arrived at the final sentence by deducting the one-third discount, or eight months, she was entitled to for her guilty plea.

Pinay DH jailed 12 months for laundering $1M

 

West Kowloon Court

Another Filipina whose bank account had been used as depository for more than $1 million that came from crime, was jailed for 12 months today after she pleaded guilty at West Kowloon  Court to money laundering.

Principal Magistrate Don So handed down the sentence to  Aurora Panes, 48 years old, after she admitted dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The police complaint said Panes, a domestic helper, dealt with $1,013,419.10 through deposits and withdrawals from her Mox Bank account between Feb. 28 and March 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Magistrate So sentenced Isabelita Quijalvo, 40 years old, to four months’ imprisonment for wounding a fellow Filipina, Marianie Wanal.

Basahin ang detalye!

The unemployed Quijalvo was charged with violating section 19 of the Offences Against the Person Ordinance, Cap. 212, Laws of Hong Kong.

The offense took place last Nov. 29 in a flat in Siena Two, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island.

 

 

New labor attaché bares plans for bigger shelter, office space

 

Labatt Chavez promises an open-door policy during his watch

The Philippine Migrant Workers Office is set to open thus week a new and bigger shelter for distressed Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

This was one of the changes disclosed by the country’s labor attaché to Hong Kong, lawyer Cesar L. Chavez, Jr, when he met with a select group of Filipino community leaders at the OFW Global Center in Admiralty on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Labatt Chavez said in an interview with The SUN afterwards that he intends to hold more meetings with stakeholders in the next few days so he can get a better grasp of the issues and concerns affecting Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

He said the new shelter in Tai Po will have 6-7 bedrooms, and can accommodate more than 30 OFWs at any given time.

This is more than three times the capacity of the existing halfway-home in Kennedy Town which has three bedrooms and can only take in a maximum of 10 residents.

Basahin ang detalye!

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac first disclosed the move to set up a bigger shelter during his visit to Hong Kong in November last year (see story here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=OFW+shelter)

Secretary Cacdac said then that he wanted a more vibrant refuge for OFWs in distress, “not ostentatious but something that is clean, up to standard, spacious, and can house a whole array of activities and events.”

Chavez addresses Filcom leader at Sunday's 'meet and greet' (photo by Marie Rivera)

In line with this, Chavez said the MWO is hiring four “house mothers” to oversee operations at the shelters on a permanent basis, so that OFWs who run into trouble can seek refuge there “at any time of the day and night.”

Apart from the four new personnel who will be assigned to the shelter, the MWO is also asking the head office for six additional personnel who will be tasked with handling their frontline operations.

Chavez said one of his immediate concerns is to improve services to the OFWs through automation, installing queue ticket dispensers and providing bigger space for their transactions.

He said there are plans to move the current MWO to a bigger space, also at United Centre building, when its lease expires in August this year.

This should allow the MWO to conduct more trainings and other activities for OFWs, alongside those provided at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of the same building, which is managed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

At his dialogue with the Filcom leaders, Chavez said many participants asked for improvement in services, in particular, to address the perennial overcrowding and long queuing time for those applying for the overseas employment certificate, especially during the peak travel season around Christmas.

The queue for OEC applications often spill out into the lift lobby, all the way to the ground floor

Asked if it was possible to get volunteers to help speed up the processing of OEC applications, he said the MWO could not share sensitive records in their system because of data accountability.

But he agreed that those who have not changed employers since they last obtained their OEC need not spend their precious time queuing at the MWO as their records do not need any updating. 

They can simply ask a friend or a volunteer to help them obtain the exit clearance they are required to present at Philippine airports online, wherever they may be.

Chavez took over as MWO head after his predecessor, Melchor Dizon,  retired and went back to the Philippines months ago. Appointed in the interim as officer-in-charge was assistant labor attache Tony Villafuerte who has since been recalled to the home office.

 

Intimate video of foe sends Pinay to jail

 

Tuen Mun Court

A 20-second video of intimate images of a woman, published as revenge after an earlier dispute, has resulted in a Filipina domestic helper being jailed for four months.

Merlita Banquil, 37 years old, received the sentence calmly at a hearing today at Tuen Mun Court as Acting Principal Magistrate Daniel Tang gave her credit for pleading guilty: a one-third discount from a starting point of six months.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

She had earlier pleaded guilty to publication of intimate images without consent on April 24, 2025, contrary to section 159AAM (1) and (5) of the Crimes Ordinance.

The complaint filed by Tuen Mun Police accused Banquil of publishing “an intimate image of female X, and you intended the publication to cause humiliation, alarm or distress to X or knew or was reckless as to whether the publication would or was likely to cause humiliation, alarm or distress X, and no consent was given by X to the publication, and you disregarded whether X consented to the publication.”

Basahin ang detalye!

In mitigation, her lawyer said the offense was one off, which she realized she should not have done, and for which she was sorry.

He added that her employer was willing to rehire her after she finishes her sentence.

Filipina jailed for 57 months in $8.7M money laundering case set to appeal

The bulk of the more than $8 million in tainted money was found in Acosta's Mox bank account

A 40-year-old Filipina who was paid $400 to share her HKID card with two mainland Chinese men for a “game” was today sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment after she was found guilty of complicity in an $8.73 million money laundering case.

The sentence imposed at the District Court on Lynie B. Acosta, a widow with a teenage son in the Philippines, was the longest ever meted on a foreign domestic worker in Hong Kong for money laundering.  

It was made longer by nine months because of the prosecutors’ request for an enhancement of the sentence as further deterrence, citing statistics showing a continuing rise in money laundering cases in Hong Kong.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

A stunned silence followed the pronouncement of the sentence, apparently because of its severity. The defence had urged for leniency in an earlier hearing, saying the sentence should be no more than two years in jail.

Acosta who was already red-eyed at the start of the sentencing, wept as she was led away from the dock. Her lawyer hurriedly gave her instructions on how she must fill up a form so an appeal against her conviction could be launched immediately.

Even before the sentence was read out by District Judge Edward Wong, the defence counsel said he  was lodging an appeal, insisting that Acosta had no involvement at all in the crime she was charged with.

Basahin ang detalye!

Outside court, the lawyer said, “She was only told she was going to join a game, and there was no mention at all of a bank account being opened.”

But in sentencing, Judge Wong reiterated his reasons for finding Acosta guilty in an earlier hearing. He said the defendant should have known that the bank accounts that were opened using her HKID card and “selfies” she willingly took for 45 minutes were able to take in money from illicit activities.

“Any reasonable person would find it hard to believe that she did not know the money (that passed through her accounts) was tainted,” said the judge.

This is despite acknowledging the defense submission that there was no international element in the offence, that the defendant had no control over the three stooge accounts opened in her name, and there was no evidence that she made any more money apart from the $400 that was deposited into her Alipay account.

The judge cited a Court of Appeal ruling that a money laundering case in which at least $8 million was involved should merit no less than four years in jail. In that case, the sentence of three years and six months was deemed to be “too low,” he said.

Using 48 months as a starting point, he added a 1/5 enhancement in line with the prosecutors’ request, to come up with a total of 57 months in jail for the first charge, and 14 months each for the second and third charges, with the sentences to run concurrently. 

“There is no mitigating factor involved,” said the judge in closing.

Acosta was charged with three counts of dealing with proceeds from crimes along with three persons, a fellow Filipina named Jane Corpuz and two unidentified Chinese men who she said had tricked her into passing on her HKID card to them, saying it was for an online game.

In the first charge, she and the three unknown individuals are alleged to have dealt with the biggest chunk of the money, amounting to to $8,597,833.36, which passed through a Mox Bank  account in her name between March 25 and May 19, 2023.

In the second charge, Acosta was charged with working with the three in dealing with tainted money amounting to $92,940.08 in her account with the Standard Chartered Bank on March 31, 2023.

The third charge was over the $45,100.78 deposited into her account with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, which she again allegedly dealt with, along with Corpuz and the unknown males.

Acosta pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was put on trial.

In her defense she said she did not know that her personal details that Jane and the two men had obtained would be used to open the three bank accounts in her name. Bank records showed the listed contact person for the accounts was Chinese, with a Sham Shui Po flat as the mailing  address.

During the trial, among those who testified were local people who had deposited money into Acosta's bank accounts for online purchases that were not delivered, including one for a PS5 game console, and another for concert tickets. 

For earlier stories on the case, please click this link: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=lynie+acosta

 

Mandatory use of seatbelt on buses takes effect Sunday

 

Most buses still have only a few seatbelts installed 

Passengers on public buses and coaches must wear seatbelts – if they are installed on the seat they are occupying – starting Saturday.

The tighter laws caused confusion among passengers wary of being fined, and even possibly, jailed for non-compliance, as many of the buses are still not fitted with seatbelts, or have ones that do not work.

Not a few fiddled around their seats to look for the confining straps before sitting down, only to realize that the bus that they are on still lacks them.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The confusion continued online, where some netizens seriously asked if standing on buses would no longer be allowed, as passengers who can’t get a seat will obviously not be able to strap in during their commute.

In a TV interview, Transport Secretary Mable Chan eased the concerns, saying the new regulations are meant to protect passengers and not punish them.

“We hope to enforce the law in a humane manner,” she said. “Introducing this policy is not to penalize passengers or to give them a fine.”

Chan said the intention of the law is to ensure passengers wear seatbelts for their own safety, adding that even the police had said early on that they will carry out more publicity and education campaign than to imposed penalties.

Under the new law, failing to wear a seatbelt could incur a maximum fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to three months.

Another law that took effect Sunday requires drivers to install no more than two mobile devices on their vehicles, with their screens measuring a maximum diagonal length of 19 centimeters.

Basahin ang detalye!

The regulation was imposed to curb the previous practice of some taxi drivers of installing as many as 10 mobile phones on their dashboards to maximize income by monitoring numerous ride-hailing apps and local booking services simultaneously in search of passengers.

Violators face a maximum fine of $2,000.

 

High Court to sentence Pinay for drug trafficking

 

Sentencing for the drug trafficking case to be made by the High Court

A magistrate has elevated the sentencing of a Filipina to the High Court after she pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in a case that dates back to 2024.

Eastern Court Magistrate Minnie Wat left to the High Court the scheduling of the next hearing for Ma. Divina Yap, 49 years old, unemployed, with no permanent address -- and remanded her back to jail.

Magistrate Wat made the order after Yap pleaded guilty to trafficking in dangerous drugs, contrary to sections 4(1)a) and (3) of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Cap. 134 in a hearing on Thursday (Jan. 23)..

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

A police complaint said Yap was arrested in Aug. 1, 2024 at the basement of 43-45 High Street, Sai Ying: Pun, for allegedly selling a dangerous drug, namely 22.37 grams of a crystalline solid containing 22.37 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (otherwise known as shabu or ice).

In a separate case at Shatin Court on the same day, Filipina Vanessa Poblacion was sent back to jail after the two charges of drug trafficking, with three Indian co-accused, were adjourned to March 19.

Poblacion was not included in the first charge, where Bawa Karnesh, Alam Aftab and Mohammed Kalimuddin, were accused of trafficking 3,050 gram of cannabis in herbal form on May 30, 2023 at Tsing Kwai Highway, Tsing Yi, New Territories.

In the second charge, she was accused along with the three, for trafficking a long list of drugs on May 30, 2023, at a room of Rambler Oasis Hotel, on Tsing Yi Road, New Territories. The drugs included:

• 694.64 grams of cannabis in herbal form;
• 1,718.7 grams of cannabis resin;
• 603 grams of a solid containing cannabis resin;

Basahin ang detalye!

• 39.6 grams of a crystalline solid containing 39.6 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride;
• 11.9 grams of a solid containing 9.90 grams of ketamine;
• 15.6 grams of a solid containing 8.70 grams of cocaine;
• 15.4 grams of a solid containing 13.5 grams of a solid containing N,N-dimethylpentylone;
• 2,861 grams of a solid containing 1.71 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol;
• 25.1 grams of a liquid containing 18.11 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol;
• 21.7 grams of a solid containing 16.7 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine;
• 339 tablets and 1 tablet fragment containing 21.97 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; and
• 0.06 grams of a solid containing lysergide.

Of the three Indians, Bawa was allowed bail of $60,000 plus surety of $30,000, while Alam was allowed bail of $100,000 and Mohammed was remanded,

Anti-illegal work operations nets 19 people in 7 days

 

11 women and 2 men were arrested for illegal work

A combined team of operatives from the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Labour Department carried out anti-illegal work operations in the past week, or from Jan 16 to 22, and arrested a total of 19 people.

Those arrested comprised 13 suspected illegal workers, four employers and two aiders and abettors. They were arrested during raids on several target locations across the city, including restaurants, flats under renovation and grocery stores.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

IOf the 13 suspected illegal workers, there were two mean and 11 women, aged 24 to 62. Two of the women hold recognizance papers or applications against deportation, which prohibit them from taking up employment.

The suspected employers were all locals, two men and two women aged 36 to 62. The aiders and abettors, or facilitators of the suspected illegal employment, were a man aged 35 and a woman aged 50.

Immigration said an investigation into the employers is continuing, and further arrests are likely.

It also again warned that taking up illegal work, or one that is not approved by the Immigration Director, is a serious offence, for which the maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $50,000.

If the offender is an illegal immigrant, an overstayer, or subject to deportation, the maximum jail term goes up to three years.

Basahin ang detalye!

Aiders and abettors are equally liable.

Employers face the more severe penalty of up to 10 years in jail, and a maximum fine of $500,000.

The High Court also mandates immediate custodial sentence for those found engaging, abetting or contracting illegal work.