Warm weather forecast for Chinese New Year

It will be cloudy and warm when the CNY parade is held on Feb 17

After this weekend’s cold weather, temperatures will gradually rise, peaking at 25 degrees a week later, just two days before the Lunar New Year.

The unseasonably warm weather is forecast to continue until the next few days, when the temperature is expected to hover between 19 and 24 degrees.

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The first day of the three-day Chinese New Year holiday will also be generally cloudy, with only brief sunny periods during the day.

But in the meantime, the cold snap brought on by a strong northeast monsoon will moderate progressively, before hitting a maximum of 24 degrees on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

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On Sunday, the mercury dipped to 13 degrees in the urban areas, a plunge of between four and six degrees from Saturday.

Temperatures were a couple of degrees lower in the New Territories and upland areas.

 

2 Pinays operating “clinic” busted

 

The alleged illegal practice of medicine happened in this building

A Filipina  and her domestic helper are facing serious charges at Eastern Court after they were allegedly caught providing medical services in a room on the 10^th Floor of Sunny House in Central in January.

Liberty De Leon, a 41-year-old businessman-merchant, accounted for four of the five charges filed by police from the raid on Sunny House, 12-16 Li Yuen Street West, Hong Kong Island, while domestic helper Margaret Estrada, 43 years old, accounted for one.

De Leon and Estrada were scheduled to return to court on March 11.

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In a hearing Friday (Feb. 16), Principal Magistrate David Cheung granted a $1,000 bail for Estrada, while he did not mention De Leon’s conditon as her case was heard separately.

According to the complaint filed by police on Jan. 29,, 2026 De Leon was charged with implying to be qualified to practise medicine by unlawful use of title etc., contrary to section 28(1)(b) of the Medical Registration Ordinance.

She was charged that on Jan. 27, 2026 at Room 1003 of Sunny House in Hong Kong she “falsely (took) or use name implying (she was) qualified to practise medicine, (such as) that providing intravenous injection service."

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De Leon was also charged with possession of Part I poison, contrary to sections 23(1), 33(1) and 34 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.

She had n her possession “poisons included in Part I of the Poisons List, otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.

De Leon was charged with possession of substance to which the Antibiotics Ordinance applies, contrary to sections 5(1) and 10(1) of the Antibiotics Ordinance.She allegedly had in her possession suspected antibiotics.

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Finally, she was charged with employing a person not lawfully employable, contrary to section 171(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance as she was the employer of Estrada.

For her part, Estrada faced breach of condition of stay,contraży to section 41 and by virtue of Regulation 2(1)(a) of the Immigration Regulations.

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She allegedly contravened a condition of stay which provides that she will “not take up any employment other than domestic helper whether paid or unpaid…at the said place without permission of the Director of Immigration.”

3 FDHs working in guesthouses among 56 arrested in anti-illegal work operations

 

3 FDHs, 2 asylum seekers and 1 overstayer were arrested in the raids on guesthouses

Guesthouses in the Yau Tsim Mong (Yaumatei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok) district were the latest targets in the anti-illegal work operations of the Immigration Department.

Six suspected illegal workers, aged 29 to 51, and an employer aged 75 were arrested.

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Among the workers were three current foreign domestic helpers found doing room cleaning in the guesthouses. The other three included two men holding recognizance papers to signify their status as asylum seekers and one former FDH who overstayed her visa.

The seven suspects were among 56 people arrested by a combined force from Immigration, Hong Kong Police Force, Home Affairs Department and Labour Department during operations carried out aross the city from Jan 30 to Feb. 5.

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Those arrested comprised 43 suspected illegal workers and 13 employers.

During other anti-illegal worker operations, investigators raided multiple target locations including restaurants, cleaning companies and flats under renovation, and arrested 37 suspected illegal workers and 12 employers. 

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The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 35 men and two women, aged 26 to 56. Among them, a man was holding recognisance form.

Nine men and three women, aged 33 to 61, suspected of employing the illegal workers, were also arrested.

Immigration says an investigation into the cases is continuing and that the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

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It reiterated the warning that anyone found guilty of contravening their visa conditions are guilty of an offence. Illegal work carries a maximum penalty of between two and three years in jail, and a fine of up to $50,000.

Employers found guilty of hiring illegal workers face a maximum penalty of $500,000 fine and 10 years in prison.

Sr Felicitas, former DPCF head, passes away at 93

 

Sr Felicitas served the Filipino migrant community in HK for decades
(photo from Sunday Examiner)

Sister Felicitas Nisperos, a well-loved pillar of the Filipino Catholic community in Hong Kong, passed away at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wanchai at around 4:15pm on Thursday, Feb. 5, after a lingering illness.

She was 93.

Her death was announced by the Sunday Examiner, a weekly publication by the office of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.

Sister Felicitas, who was with the Sisters of Good Shepherd, headed the Diocesan Pastoral Center for Filipinos for years, and was an adviser for nine years (2008-2017) of its brainchild,  Simbayanan-KAMMPI, a Church-based association of Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

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She was well known for her wit and humor, as well as her fluency in Cantonese. She used to joke that the first Cantonese she learned were swear words because she learned the language from street thugs in communities she used to serve.

She was also a wide reader, and used to call The SUN to comment on news events, or to plead, half-jokingly, to spare nuns and priests from its jokes section.

Consulate officials led a birthday tribute to Sr Felicitas in 2018

In 2018 Sister Felicitas was honored on her 86^th birthday by then Philippine Consul General Antonio A. Morales, for her “immeasurable contribution to uplifting the spirit of Filipinos in Hong Kong.”

Congen Morales thanked Sr Felicitas for being a longtime partner of the Philippine Consulate General in assisting Filipinos in distress, particularly in providing them shelter and involving them in capacity building programs.

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With her at the helm of DPCF (now DPCM for Diocesan Pastoral Center for Migrants), Sister Felicitas joined the Coalition of Service Providers for Ethnic Minorities (CSPEM), a network of church and non-government organizations that ensured no migrant worker in distress was left without a roof over their head.

(The SUN condoles with the family and friends of the good sister, who will surely be missed by many Filipinos in Hong Kong, particularly the migrant workers. Rest in peace, Sr Felicitas).

Phl consular service fees may now be paid thru FPS

 

The new payment system is meant to cut the waiting time for consular services (File photo)

Payments for consular services at the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong may now be made through the Faster Payment System (FPS) that can be activated using one’s personal bank account.

A statement posted by the PCG on its Facebook page on Thursday said applicants for passport, Philippine visa, notarial and civil registry services may now avail of this online mode of payment by using their banking app with their mobile phone.

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Payments for these services could only be made in person, and by cash, previously.

FPS is a payment portal introduced in 2018 by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and operated by the Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited (HKICL) to enable instant payments in Hong Kong.

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It is touted to provide consumers and merchants a safe, efficient and easily accessible retail payment service anytime and anywhere. It enables free, real-time, cross-bank/e-wallet transfers in HKD or RMB using just a mobile number, email address of FPS ID.

It allows person-to-person cash transfers, merchant payments, and government bill payments via QR codes.

 

Pinoy remains in jail despite bail grant

Wanchai corner where the teenagers were arrested (Google Maps photo)

A 16-year-old Filipino remains in jail custody despite being granted bail at Eastern Court, charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.

The reason is that R. San Jose,  listed in criminal complaints filed by police anti-triad squads in Wanchai and Yau Tong, Kowloon, is facing a more serious charge before the Kowloon City Court -- causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

In a hearing on Wednesday (Feb. 4), San Jose pleaded guilty to possession of a knuckleduster, a metal fist reinforcement meant to leave serious injuries on opponents in fisticuffs.

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Eastern Court’s Principal Magistrate David Cheung released San Jose on bail of $2,000 after adjourning the case to Feb. 25 to give time for community service and probation officer reports which will be used as basis for sentencing.

San Jose was charged along with Kokou Clement Kouakouvi, an 18-year-old student and asylum seeker from Togo, Africa, who was granted bail of $500 after his case was adjourned to March 25.

The Wanchai Police Anti-Triad Squad accused San Jose of violation of Section 4 of the Weapons Ordinance, after he was arrested in possession of the weapon on April 7, 2025 on the corner of Lockhart Road and Cannon Street in Wan Chai. Details of Kouakouvi’s case were not released.

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But San Jose remained in jail because he is facing a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, contrary to section 17(a) of the Offences Against the Person Ordinance, for which he was remanded by the Kowloon City Court after a hearing on Jan 30.

The charge arose from the assault on a male, Todd Warren Tomlinson, on Nov. 29 last year inside the King George V Memorial Park Kowloon in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

A complaint by Yau Tong anti-triad police alleged that San Jose and three other males “unlawfully and maliciously cause(d) grievous bodily harm to … Tomlinson… with intent to do grievous bodily harm….”

191 Filipinos rescued from Cambodia scam hubs airlifted to Phl

 

The trafficked Filipinos came from different parts of Cambodia (DMW photo)

A total of 191 Filipinos trafficked to Cambodia for illegal work were flown home on a chartered flight early today, Thursday, and were met at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and other government officials.

The newly arrived workers took the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Cambodia since 2022 to 877.

The Filipinos were rescued from various regions in Cambodia - Phnom Penh (169), Pailin (13), Koh Kong (3), Mondulkiri (2), Svay Rieng (3), and Siem Reap (1) before being put on a Philippine Airlines plane.

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Cambodia is a hotbed for scam hubs that lure Filipinos with offers of high-paying jobs, often as call center agents in a neighboring country like Thailand. But they are then transported to Cambodia, where they are forced to work as online or telephone scammers.

The rescued Filipinos were escorted on the flight by Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, head of the  DMW’s Rapid Response Team which assists distressed overseas Filipino workers in abusive situations.

The repatriation was facilitated by the DMW Migrant Workers Office in Singapore and the Department of Foreign Affairs led by Ambassador to Camboia, Flerida Ann P. Mayo.

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The repatriates will get support from various government agencies, including immediate financial, legal and welfare assistance from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; medical care from the Department of Health, psychosocial support from the Department of Social Work and Development.

Unlicensed recruitment agency in PH shut down; ‘no placement fee’ policy reiterated

 

RCEIGN office being sealed off by DMW agents

An unlicensed employment agency that recruits workers for abroad, including Hong Kong, was recently shut down by the Department of Migrant Workers over its illegal job offers.

Three women identified as being behind the operation of RCREIGN International Manpower Agency located in Cubao, Quezon City, were arrested. They were identified as Anne Marie Gladys Guevarra, Kristine Mae B. Abaygar, and Ma. Kristina Corpuz.

Among those offerered by the group were domestic worker jobs in Hong Kong, for which each applicant was made to pay a processing fee of Php35,000, the equivalent of the promised monthly salary.  This, said the DMW, violates the no-placement fee policy for all overseas Filipino workers.

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For domestic workers bound for Qatar no fee was charged, but applicants were told they would be paid only the equivalent  of Php23,000 a month, which is below the USD500 minimum salary set by DMW.

Worse, the company did not have a license to recruit Filipino workers for any job abroad, said the DMW in its press statement.

The closure order came after DMW learned that RCREIGN was also recruiting low-skilled workers for such jobs as kitchen assistant, housekeeping,  and skilled workers like marine HVAC technician, plumber and air duct installer for Greece.

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The salary offered was according to the position being applied for. However, each Greece-bound worker was asked to pay a whopping Php375,000 as processing fee.

The DMW statement did not say how many job applicants, if any,  had been victimized by the unlicensed agency.

DMW assured that all those behind the illegal operation of RCREIGN would be charged with illegal recruitment. In addition, RCREIGN and all those responsible for operating it will be included in the DMW List of Persons and Entities with Derogatory Records which means they will no longer be able to operate or run a recruitment agency.

All the victims of RCREIGN are encouraged to contact the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through this link: https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip so they can be given free legal assistance.

 

 

Mother with baby jailed for 7 months for conspiracy to defraud Immigration

 

Shatin Court

A Filipina mother walked into jail today clutching her seven-month-old baby after she was sentenced at Shatin Court to seven months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud the Immigration Department, by signing a fake employment contract that led to her being given a domestic helper’s visa.

Mariclaire Calagui, 41 years old, pleaded guilty in March last year but her sentencing had been postponed pending the result of a separate case in which the agent who allegedly arranged her fake contract was facing a similar charge.

Ironically, that agent, Kathleen Emily Vizcarra, 36 years old, was acquitted last Jan. 26 after a trial also at Shatin Court, over her role in the conspiracy, which was to submit to the Immigration Department the fake contract  in which Calagui signed on as a domestic helper of a certain Lee Ka Ming Billy.

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Both were charged by the Immigration Department with conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law and punishable under section 1590(6) of the Crimes Ordinance.

The conspiracy committed between September 2021 and Nov. 29, 2023. induced Immigration officers “to act contrary to their public duty,” the complaint said, “under circumstances which they would not otherwise have granted.”

Upon learning of Vizcarra’s acquittal, Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong asked Calagui if she would like to change her guilty plea. When she said she would stick to her plea, Magistrate Cheang was left to set the sentence.

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In mitigation, Calagui’s lawyer said Calagui committed the offense not to compete for local jobs, but to take care of her two children in Hong Kong; her husband works as a family driver.

He urged Magistrate Cheang to give her a 50 per cent discount for her guilty plea, and choose a starting point of six months in jail, based on a case decided by the High Court in the past.

But the prosecutor suggested another past case in which the starting point was higher, prompting Magistrate Cheang to call a recess twice to consider the two suggestions.

He said later that he found four relevant cases and chose one which suggested a starting point of 12 months. He then gave Calagui a 40 per cent discount, instead of the one-third (or 33 per cent) cut usually given in return for a guilty plea, resulting in a final sentence of seven months.

80-year-old cabbie gets bail over crash that killed Filipino tourist

 

Aftermath of the crash that killed Remyl Matignas

An 80-year-old taxi driver charged with dangerous driving causing death in the crash that killed a Filipino tourist last year was allowed to post a $50,000 bail when he appeared before the Shatin Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Wong Kwong-cheung, 80, was behind the wheel of a taxi that struck 35-year-old Remyl de Leon Matignas on Aug. 5, 2025 as he was walking on the elevated pavement just outside the lobby of the Nina Hotel in Tsuen Wan.

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Matignas was declared dead about an hour after being taken to hospital.

The magistrate adjourned the case to Mar 31 at the prosecution’s request, pending a forensic pathology report.

DETAILS HERE

Video footage of the incident that circulated on the internet showed the taxi hitting Matignas as he walked out of the hotel lobby with a suitcase in hand, then pinned him to a wall before stopping.

Police report indicated the driver had complained of chest pain and injuries to his head and hand, so he was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was later arrested and detained for investigation.

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No plea was taken at today’s hearing, and the magistrate imposed as conditions for the bail that the defendant reside at his reported address and does not leave Hong Kong.

Sources at the Philippine Consulate say Matignas’ family has been granted financial aid from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance scheme of Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department as a result of his death. 

 

 

Overstaying Pinay who suffered stroke gets bound over for overstaying

 

A 64-year-old Filipina charged with breach of condition of stay for overstaying for almost two years, walked free today from the Shatin Court after the charge was dropped because the prosecution offered no evidence against her.

Instead, A, Agustin was bound to a promise not to commit any criminal offense for one year, otherwise she will be fined $1,500. She was also charged $500 for court costs.

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Magistrate Raymond Wong explained that the bind-over will not leave her with a criminal record in Hong Kong.

DETAILS HERE

A source said the prosecutors did not pursue Agustin’s prosecution after finding out that she suffered a stroke while working as a domestic helper. She now walks with a cane.

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She was terminated on Dec. 31, 2023 and was given two weeks to leave Hong Kong. However, she stayed on under the care of a charity operating a home for the aged, so she could get rehabilitation treatment.

The Immigration Department filed a complaint last Nov. 3, 2025 for breach of condition of stay, contrary to section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.

Filipina arrested for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes may face 4 charges

 

The Filipina refused to cooperate with FEHD agents, say police

Hong Kong Police have confirmed the arrest of a Filipina in Statue Square on Sunday, and said she is being investigated for three more possible offences.

According to a police spokesperson, the 55-year-old woman could be charged with selling duty-not-paid cigarettes, possession of Part 1 poison (believed to be vape oil), obstruction and breach of condition of stay.

Though the police spokesperson could not confirm if the woman is a domestic worker, the breach of condition charge suggests this to be the case.

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Police records show that at around 12:30pm yesterday the Food and Environmental Health Department received a report about the woman selling what appeared to be illicit goods.

FEHD agents approached her near Exit K of the Central MTR station but she allegedly “refused to cooperate” with them so they called the police. This could explain why there was a swarm of officers in the area after this.

DETAILS HERE

The spokesperson said an analysis of the cigarettes and suspected vape oil was necessary to see if charges would be laid over them.

Hong Kong law prohibits the handling, possession, sale or purchase of cigarettes for which tax was not paid. Violators could face up to HK$2 million in fine and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

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Currently, tobacco duty amounts to HK$3.306 per stick, raised from 80 cents in 2024. This hike brings the tax to around 70% of the retail price, but still slightly the price recommended by the World Health Organization.

Under Hong Kong law, handling, possessing, selling or purchasing illicit cigarettes is a serious offence. Violators face a maximum fine of up to HK$2 million and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Also strictly prohibited by Hong Kong law is the importing, manufacturing, selling of possessing alternative smoking products like vape.

Mere possession of the ASPs in public place could lead to one being fined up to $50,000 and jailed for up to six months. Importing could incur a far more severe penalty of a fine of up to $2 million and 7 years’ imprisonment.

Obstruction in a public place is another serious offence, with penalties of up to HK$5,000 in fine and 3 months’ imprisonment. The fixed penalty for street obstruction was raised to HK$$6,000 in October 2023.

Breaching conditions of stay in Hong Kong, such as overstaying or working without authorization is another serious crime. Convictions can result in a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to 2 years' imprisonment.

The jail time goes up to three years in cases of illegal immigrants, overstayers and non-refoulement claimants who are found to have worked without permission. 

In all cases, an immediate custodial sentence is prescribed for the offender.