HK musicians celebrate return of live music

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Bands will be back in bars starting Friday

Christmas came early this year for many musicians in Hong Kong. This is because after nearly seven months of being sidelined by pandemic fears, the city’s musicians will be back to on stage starting this Friday, Oct 30.

“Feeling awesome! ”, said an ecstatic Manuela D. Lo, chairman of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, shortly after Secretary for Food and Health  Dr. Sophia Chan announced the good news.

“All musicians can have a blessed Christmas (because of this),” Lo added.

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In her much-anticipated announcement, Dr. Chan said: “Live performances and dancing activities will be allowed to take place in catering businesses subject to the implementation of suitable infection control measures.”

The health chief also said that restaurants will now be allowed up to six people per table, while bars and nightclubs can seat a maximum of four people, from the present two.

Dr Chan at a news conference to announce the relaxed rules

In addition, the catering businesses will be allowed to operate up to 75 percent capacity, up from the current 50 percent, and extend their opening hours from midnight till 2am.

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Other leisure and sports facilities like theme parks, swimming pools and performance venues will also be allowed to admit people up to 75 percent of their capacity.

But the government decided to stick to the rule allowing no more than four people to gather in public, saying the plan is for a “gradual and targeted” relaxation of distancing measures.

Dr Chan made her announcement as no new local infection was again reported today, Oct 27. All five new Covid-19 cases involved people returning from overseas, four of them from India, and one from France.

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All eight new cases reported yesterday were also all imported, while on previous days, there was often only one locally acquired case detected, a sure sign that the current wave of infection has eased.

But in a separate address today, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced she was pressing with an inquiry into the legality of making Covid-19 tests mandatory, in the wake of warnings from health experts that a deadlier fourth wave could occur this winter.

Dr Chan explained, “generally speaking, we urge the public not to gather (still). This is important).

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But for musicians, worries over the heightened restrictions are trumped by their joy at being able to go back to work and play music once more.

An HKMU member who was part of a small group Lo created to lobby support for the long-standing call of musicians for live performances to resume, said that all bands will be celebrating on Friday.

“No more karaokes,” he joked, and no more cat and mouse games with the police, which had been zealously checking on bars to ensure the government’s social distancing protocols were followed.

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Lo and her group of advisers had previously held talks with Tommy Cheung, catering sector in the Legislative Council, who later set up a meeting for them with top health officials.

During the talks, the HKMU stressed that the musicians were willing to propose their own safety measures, like singing with masks on, bringing their own microphones and not interacting with patrons during their performances, just to start working again.

Bars across Hong Kong were first closed on Apr 3 this year, after the coronavirus spread across four nightspots in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, leaving more than 20 musicians infected, and about 50 others in quarantine.

The bars were allowed to reopen briefly in July, but were promptly shut again after a third and deadlier wave swept across the city.

On Sept 18, bars were allowed to resume business, but with no live shows still.

Lo says the resumption of live music is an early Christmas gift to musicians

In a letter Lo sent to Cheung on Oct 1 asking for help, she said an estimated 1,000 musicians had been left jobless for nearly seven months by the bar closures.

She said “we have been unfairly shown to be the carriers of the virus, when we were in fact, victims,” referring to health data showing that bar patrons were the first to show signs of the disease, indicating they had infected the musicians.

“And yet, we are the ones who have suffered the most from that incident. Bars and pubs are always among the last to reopen when the government starts relaxing social distancing measures, and even when they are allowed to do business again, very strict regulations are put in place, including a ban on live shows.”

Now that she and her fellow musicians will soon be back at work, Lo has only one more wish, and that is, for them to continue performing in the months and years ahead. “Hopefully, continuous na,” she said.

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The SUN Calendar: What's on where

Gabriela-HK's 7th Anniversary Celebration
Oct. 2, 2-5pm. Edinburgh Place, Central. Featuring: One Billion Rising Dance Competition. Contact: Sheila Tebia

17th anniversary and 5th graduation ceremony
Oct. 2, 11am-4pm. Fulum Palace, North Point
Organized by: Diwa't Kabayan Benlife Society
Contact person Naty Manalo at 9825-6582/9146-4178

HKMU Concert
Oct. 5, 7:30pm. Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Tickets are on sale at $150-$320. Contact: Ella Lo 9771 3655
A benefit concert for HKMU projects

Open Call for Performers
(for the staging of the Filipino musical, "Ang Ugoy ng Duyan")
Oct. 8 (Saturday), 2pm. Sentro Rizal, PCG
Open to all Filipino youth in HK. To register, email teatrofilipino.sentrorizal@gmail.com or call Tess Polo at 9524 2378

Free Forum for Nurses
Oct. 9, Bayanihan Centre, Kennedy Town
Speakers from Australia and New Zealand, and agencies deploying to Germany and Qatar are coming to orient registered nurses about the working conditions in those markets. For full details, visit the FB page, Philippine Nurses in Hong Kong. Like it, and message your full name and mobile number.

2016 Free Breast Cancer Screening and Mammogram
Oct. 9: 10am-1pm Breast cancer screening; 2:30 pm – 3:30pm forum. Venue: PCG Conference Room
Organized by: Philippine Consulate General and HK Breast Cancer Foundation. To register, call Lorna at 2823 8512 or Joel at 2823 8513. Limited slots available

FMWU's 18th Anniversary Celebration
Oct. 9, whole day. Chater Road, Central
Featured Activity: Poetry Reading and Writing Contest with the theme: “Unite and Struggle for Livable Wages and Regulation of Working Hours”. Organizer: Filipino Migrant Workers Union. Contact: Feliza -9104-1411, Iyang- 5119-93643 and Nida-9107-9516

7th Philippine Festival
Opening Gala: Oct 14, 5 p.m. HK Visual Arts Centre, Mid-Levels. Featured Film: "Everything About Her". By invitation only
Oct. 16, 18 (Special Blocked Screenings)
Oct  23, 1pm & 3:30pm, PCG Gallery  (Open to public)
Featured Films: Crazy, Beautiful You & Starting Over Again
Oct. 30, 5:30 pm, HK Visual Arts Centre
Featured Film: "That Thing Called Tadhana"
Organized by: Philippine Consulate General. For tickets and other information, call PCG Cultural Sectioj, 2823 853

2016 Migrants’ Health Matters
Oct 23, 12 noon – 6 pm. Kik Yeung Football Pitch, Kik Yeung Road, Yuen Long, Hong Kong.
PathFinders is teaming up with Christian Action to host Community Health Day for Migrant Workers in Hong Kong Participating groups: Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, Equal Opportunities Commission and other migrant organizations that will set up health and community services information booths to distribute health-related materials and answer questions. Free admission.

Healthy Habits Selfie Competition
(Part of the 2016 Migrants’ Heatlh Matters)
Aim is to promote health awareness among migrant workers
To join, simply upload your healthy habit selfie on the following Facebook pages: Christian Action Centre for Domestic Migrant Workers or PathFinders.  Invite your friends to LIKE your photo and win a prize!

UAAP Rambulan 2016
Nov 26, 11am,Repulse Bay Beach
All alumni of UP, Ateneo, La Salle and UST are invited to join day-long games all in the spirit of fun and camaraderie
For details, check out the FB invite page, Rambulan

A night of movie music from musicians’ union

The performers of HKMU's 'Songs from the Silver Screen' bow out at end of the concert.

The Hong Kong Musicians’ Union (HKMU) presented the second of its yearly showcase entitled “Songs from the Silver Screen”, on Oct 5 at Sheung Wan Civic Centre.

The show featured seasoned singers and musicians from Hong Kong performing classics from favorite Hollywood productions, and also from Hong Kong movie soundtracks.

The show opened with the band’s performance of the iconic James Bond Main Theme which flows to Jozy Patricio’s rendition of Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ from the 007 movie of the same title. The ballad ‘Do You Know Where You’re Going To?’ from ‘Mahogany’ came next, sung by Joana Westbrook.
The audience was then treated to a disco-nostalgia segment by Joseph Manigos, as he sang and danced his way through ‘How Deep Is Your Love?’ and ‘Stayin’ Alive’ from ‘Saturday Night Fever’.

The show’s rhythm comfortably slowed down again as Marlyn Hazelton sang ‘Colors of the Wind’ from the Disney animation ‘Pocahontas’. Bong Galagar came up onstage to sing the duet ‘Up Where We Belong’ from ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ with Hazelton, completing the show’s 4th segment.
“Waves” and ‘Moonlight Lover’ from Hong Kong productions ‘Tea in Summer’ and ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ were also introduced to the audience by Cantopop singer Connie Hau Wai Ning. Danny Chin provided the show with another Chinese pop number with ‘Para Para Sakura’ from the movie of the same name.

Joana Westbrook returned onstage to pull the audience back to a more familiar number in ‘Sway’ from ‘Shall We Dance?’. Boyet Billones ended the first set with his performance of Jim Carrey’s ‘Cuban Pete’ from the comedy film ‘The Mask’.

Floro Senande led the band with his flute in opening up the second hour with an instrumental called ‘Building Bridges’, before turning the stage over to William Elvin’s delivery of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight?’ from Disney’s ‘The Lion King’.

Jazz singer Lulu Calleja powered out her version of the themes from ‘To Sir With Love’ and ‘Alfie’ in the next segment before Bong Galagar brought the pace a bit slower with ‘Beautiful Maria of My Soul’ from ‘The Mambo Kings’.

Vicky Lawrence was up next with ‘There You’ll Be’ from ‘Pearl Harbor’. She was then joined by Jonathan Rebbeck on saxophone for another James Bond classic ‘Nobody Does It Better’ from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’.

Michelle Carrillo treated the audience with jazzed up versions of ‘How Do You Keep The Music Playin’?’ from ‘Best Friends’ and the ‘Green Dolphin Street’ theme, with Jim Schneider on keys.
The night of music ended with the performers rocking their way through The Manhattan Transfer’s theme from ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie’ and Jefferson Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ from ‘Mannequin’.

3 new cases linked to Filipino band members infected with Covid-19

By Daisy CL Mandap

All the Lan Kwai Fong cases have links to Insomnia bar where the band played (TripAdvisor photo)

Three people included in today’s 24 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Hong Kong have been linked to a bar in Lan Kwai Fong where six Filipino musicians who earlier tested positive for the disease had played.

This was disclosed by officers of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection at a press conference this afternoon, Mar 25, as Consul General Raly Tejada affirmed that the six new cases linked yesterday to Insomnia bar in Lan Kwai Fong, are all Filipinos.

Five in yesterday's batch are musicians who played together, and the sixth is a waitress at the bar. Today's new cases include another member of the band, another staff of Insomnia, and a flight attendant who had watched the band play. All are males.

Earlier, the band's vocalist also tested positive for Covid-19.

Congen Tejada inquired with the CHP on the musicians' nationality yesterday, after being told that a newly arrived Filipina domestic worker was included in the day's confirmed cases. However, it took CHP a full day to make the confirmation, citing the big number of patients testing positive in recent days..

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Hong Kong’s total tally for Covid-19 now stands at 411. The new patients are made up of 13 men and 11 women, aged between 11 and 57. Among them, 19 have recent travel history, and 6 are international students.

At the press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of CHP’s communicable disease branch enumerated the four cases linked to Insomnia.

Patient No 389 is said to be with the band whose six other members had previously tested positive for Covid-19. One on Mar 22, and five yesterday.

CHP's patient information bulletin later showed he is male, 43 years old, and lives in Percival House  in Causeway Bay. He developed a fever and headache on Mar 21.

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Patient No 394 is a waiter at Insomnia, and is said to be the first to develop symptoms. He is 28 years old and lives in Yuen Long. He had a cough and sore throat on Mar 10. It is not clear why he did not seek medical help earlier.

Another linked patient, No 411, is a male flight attendant who had visited Insomnia and another bar in Tsim Sha Tsui, All Night Long, where the Filipino band also played. He is said to be a flight attendant at Cathay Pacific Airways, but has not flown for a year. He developed a cough and fever on Mar 20.

Asked if the waiter could have infected all the cluster cases in LKF, Dr Chuang said it would be difficult to infer this, as there were other risk factors, aside from the bar. "So maybe he was was also infected," she said.

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The CHP declined to give the band’s name, citing privacy concerns, but said that aside from Insomnia and All Night Long, the group also played regularly at Centre Stage and Dusk till Dawn in Wanchai.

Congen Tejada said he has yet to get official confirmation about the nationality of the three new cases. 

HKMU's Ela Lo says the stricken band members played at various clubs

Manuela Lo, chairperson of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, says the infected group are not members of her group, but she is willing to intercede for them should they require help.

Lo said the band is made up of mostly young newcomers hired by a company owned by expatriates, which has several outlets in Hong Kong. The band members reportedly perform at the various clubs on a rotation basis.

According to the CHP, some of the band members live together, and at least one couple is married.

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Since the outbreak in Lan Kwai Fong was reported, Lo said she has advised HKMU members to take extra precaution when performing. She also told them not to wander around in the areas where the infected musicians had performed.

So far, 17 Filipinos in Hong Kong are confirmed to have the disease, excluding the 3 linked to LKF today. Four have been released from hospital after recovery.

Congen Tejada said he will await for confirmation on the cases, but in the meantime, has repeated an advice for the Filipino community to continue taking precautions.

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Bright Sunday brings out all the action in Kapangyawan festival

By The SUN

It was dance, dance, dance, throughout the day on Chater Road on Jun 23 (photos by Edmund Cortes)

Sunny weather and a dance-filled day turned Jun 23, supposedly the third Sunday of the month-long Kapangyawan 2019, into the most packed chapter of the month-long celebration in Hong Kong of the 121^st anniversary of Philippine Independence.

Several activities originally scheduled for two Sundays on Chater Road, Central were compressed into one because the festivities set for Jun 16 had to be cancelled amid fears of a spillover from the massive anti-government protests held in nearby Admiralty.

Leo Selomenio, chair of Global Alliance, said the organizers decided at the last minute to cancel the Jun 16 celebration because of security fears, and also because many of the participants had been told by their employers to either stay put, or avoid Central.

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But the day’s activities on Jun 23 began far from Central, with the OFW Amazing Race flagged off at 9am at two points – one at Belchers in Kennedy Town and the other at Central Library in Causeway Bay.

Eight teams each made up of five members split into two groups and carried out assigned tasks along the two routes as they vied to finish the race in the shortest possible time at the Botanical Garden and Hong Kong Park in Mid-Levels, respectively.

The split route was reportedly designed to avoid Admiralty just in case anti-extradition bill marchers would clog Queens Road.

Community zumba dancing set the tone for the day

Over on Chater Road, an hour-long community zumba dance festival got under way with eight instructors leading the mass dancing.

After the warm-up, the community parade began with the national flag bearer leading the MinFed Drum & Lyre band, the Kapangyawan Technical Working Group, and various Filcom groups taking part in a choreographed, colorful march on Chater Road.

Masked dancers from Negros joined the parade

A flag ceremony began at 11am with Consul General Antonio Morales taking the lead. In his opening speech, he again called for unity among Filipinos in Hong Kong, amid the continuing anti-extradition bill protests.

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All participating Filcom groups performed their production numbers after the ceremony, followed by three dance competitions in zumba, modern, and cheer dancing.

Zumba Feels was adjudged the champion with a top rating of 85% in the Hataw Sayaw Zumba Craze competition. It bested first runnerup Zumba Migrants HK at 83.66% and second runnerup Kayumanggi Dance & Fitness, 83%.

In the Modern Dance competition, Federation of Luzon Active Groups, or FLAG, emerged as champion with 95.75%, far ahead of first runnerup Supremacy Dance Group at 57.50% and second runnerup OFW Power Club at 34%.

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FLAG asserted its dancing prowess by topping the Cheer Dance competition with a 94.25% rating. Isabela Federation followed at 86.5% and Global Alliance HK at 75.75%.

FLAG completed a hat-trick when it was announced as the champion in the OFW Amazing Race by finishing the race in 2 hours 31 minutes, more than an hour ahead of first runnerup IFWA from Philippine Alliance, which clocked 3 hrs 35 minutes. DOMO Hong Kong was second runnerup at 4hrs 6 min.

Climaxing the festivities was a live band concert courtesy of  Hong Kong Musicians Union, whose chair Manuela Lo invited J4JO, Humblers Band, Rockin' Chicken and HKMU Assembly to rock the community from 4:15 to 6pm.

ConGen Morales and Bella Foundation reps with blown-up image of cheque to Bethune House 

Ahead of the live band music and dancing, a new foundation called Bella Filipina handed out donations of $75,000 each to HKMU and charitable groups Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge and Wimler Foundation.

On the last Sunday of the month, Jun 30, the traditional Kalayaan Ball, attended mostly by migrant Filipinos dressed in colorful native attires, will be held at One Palace in Tsimshatsui. The Consulate will also hand out certificates of appreciation to participants and organizers during the program.

Selomenio says more than 300 Filipino migrant workers have already signed up to attend  the annual gathering.

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What's on where

PCG CALENDAR
The Philippine Consulate General will be closed on the following dates:
    Mar 29-31 (Thursday to Saturday): Holy Week
There will be no official business transactions at the Consulate and POLO on these dates.
In case of emergency, please call:
    9155 4023 (Consular assistance)
    5529 1880 (POLO)
    6345 9324 (OWWA)

Auditions for “Sayaw Pinoy” Performance
(Kapangyawan Friendship Festival)
Registration Deadline: Feb. 25
Audition Schedules:
Mar. 4, (Sunday), 4-6pm: Maria Clara and Rural Suites
Mar. 11, 4-6pm, Cordillera and Muslim Suites
PCG Conference Room
Groups are required to bring USB drive with their material piece im MP3 format. Details: PCG Cultural Section, 2823 8537

Understanding Hong Kong
(Its traditions, values and what makes it tick)
Mar 18, 2pm-5pm
PCG Conference Room
Resource Speaker: Jason Ng, lawyer and author
Organized by: Wimler Foundation HK. To register, call Anna Regulacion, 6500 9288/ Lorna Mojica, 2823 8512

“Beyond Myself” Art Exhibition
Among those on display are works from the HK OFW group, “Guhit Kulay”.
Ongoing until March 17, 2018
3rd floor, Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Organized by: Goldsmiths, University of London.
Partners: University of Hong Kong, Enrich HK, Scalibrini Migration Center and Vargas Museum.
Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm

Music of Love for Arthur
(A benefit show in memory of Art Manuntag)
Mar 25,  4pm-8pm. The Doghouse Kowloon
Organized by: HKMU & Friends

“Singing While Filipino: Reflections on Authenticity and Labour”
Lecturer: Dr. Anjeline de Dios, Lingnan University
April 9 (Monday), B5-417, AC1, Yeung Kin Man Academic Building, City University, HK. Organized by: South East Asia Research Centre, CityU HK.
Open to the public

PCG says all Filipino Covid-19 patients have recovered

By Daisy CL Mandap

The Consulate announced today, Jun 4, that all Filipinos in Hong Kong who tested positive for coronavirus have recovered.

“Lahat ng mga Pilipino ng mga maysakit na Pilipino ay gumaling na at nakalabas na ng ospital,” said the advisory posted on the Consulate’s Facebook page.

No figures were mentioned, but various reports suggest that about 50 Filipinos, both residents and migrant workers, have been infected with Covid-19.

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A majority of these are musicians who fell ill when the virus raged across four bars they played at: Insomnia in Central, Dusk Till Dawn and Centre Stage in Wanchai, and All Night Long in Tsim Sha Tsui.

But around 20 are Filipino domestic workers, who were mostly infected at home by their employers.

They include two who were employed by a socialite member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club who appears to have also passed on the virus to her pet dog, and one whose elderly employer was infected at a hotpot dinner with family members.

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A few were found infected when they flew into Hong Kong after accompanying their employers to such places as Britain, France, Canada and the United States.

 

Insomnia was shut after its Filipino band soloist tested positive for Covid-19 in late March

According to Manuela Lo, chairperson of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, there were 24 infected musicians who were on temporary work permit, and were thus able to get financial aid from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

HKMU helped them secure the relief aid from OWWA, as well as from Department of Labor and Employment’s Akap program, which extended US$200 for every sickened and displaced overseas Filipino worker.

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A further 49 musicians who did not get sick but were put under quarantine and subsequently lost their jobs when the bars were shut, also reportedly received the Akap cash assistance.

Lo said it was unfortunate no similar help was extended to affected musicians who were already permanent residents in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong health records show that also among those who caught the virus are Filipinos who worked in the bars as food servers. At least two of them passed on the virus to family members: one to her teenage son, and another to her husband.

While bars have been allowed to reopen, live entertainment is still not allowed, so the affected Filipino musicians are now left having to grapple with loss of income.

Filipinos are advised to avoid crowds and observe social distancing

In its advisory, the Consulate reminded Filipinos to remain vigilant, especially in the wake of a new cluster of local transmissions in the city.

They are told to maintain hygiene by washing hands frequently, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, and by following the rule that no more than eight persons should gather in public places.

The advisory also had a message to employers, telling them to “respect” the day-off of their employees who choose to stay at home.

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