Pagbabayad sa PhilHealth, hindi raw sapilitan sa mga OFW

Ni Daisy CL Mandap

 

'Pinagkakakitaan!" Ito ang sagot ng mga OFW sa tanong na ito ni Alann Mas

Hindi kailan man ikinabit sa OEC (overseas employment certificate) ang pagbabayad para sa PhilHealth kaya hindi ito sapilitan sa mga overseas Filipino workers.

Ito ang sinabi ni Ringo Danao, senior social insurance officer ng PhilHealth o Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, sa isang pakikipag-usap sa mga lider ng migranteng Pilipino sa Hong Kong na ginanap nitong Linggo sa Wesleyan building sa Wan Chai.

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Isinagawa ang pulong sa pagitan ng mga kinatawan ng mga opisyal at ahensya ng gobyerno at mga lider ng komunidad sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng Rise Against Government Exactions o Rage, na itinatag ng ilang grupo ng mga OFW matapos ipasa ang Universal Health Care (UHC) Law noong Pebrero ng 2019.

Bukod kay Danao, dumalo din sa online na pagtitipon ang manager ng OFW Operations Centre Department ng Pag-IBIG Fund na si Rosette Ignacio, Consul Paulo Saret ng Konsulado at Assistant Labor Attache Angelica Sunga.

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Ayon kay Danao, hindi isinama ang pagbabayad para sa PhilHealth sa listahan ng mga singilan na ikinabit sa OEC noong Agosto ng taong 2015.

“Hindi requirement ang pagbabayad sa PhilHealth sa pagkuha ng OEC,” sabi ni Danao.

Humingi din siya ng pag-unawa sa mga OFW lider na mariing tinututulan ang puwersahang paniningil para sa PhilHealth. Ayon sa kanya, ipinapatupad lang nila ang mga panuntunan na nakasaad sa UHC law na pinirmahan ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

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Sa ilalim ng batas na ito ay umaabot na sa 4% ng buwanang suweldo ng isang OFW ang dapat nilang ibayad para sa PhilHealth. Ibig sabihin, ang dapat bayaran ng isang OFW sa Hong Kong na kumikita ng pinakamababang sahod na $4,630 ay mahigit Php15,500 sa isang taon, o Php31,000 sa bawat dalawang taon na kontrata.

Ayon sa kinatawan ng mga OFW, kung pagsasamahin ang lahat ng mga pwersahang singilin sa mga OFW kasama ang para sa PhilHealth ay aabot ito sa mahigit Php40,000 bawat taon.

“Kaunti na lang ay pwede nang bumili ng tricycle,” sabi ni Eman Villanueva ng Bayan Hong Kong and Macau na isa sa mga nagsalita. Pero kahit sa mga OFW-driver na higit na malaki ang sinasahod ay mahihirapan daw maglabas ng ganito kalaking halaga taon-taon.

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Ayon kay Danao, ipinaabot na daw nila kay Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople ang kanilang posisyon tungkol sa usaping ito, dahil una nang isinapubliko ng kalihim ang kanyang pagkabahala sa malaking halaga na sinisingil sa mga OFW para dito.

Naging palaisipan naman ito sa mga lider ng RAGE na pinangungunahan nina Dolores Balladares-Pelaez at Alann Mas, dahil naging malaking balita noong 2020 ang pagpatigil ni Duterte sa paniningil para sa PhilHealth nang umalma ang maraming OFW sa iba-ibang parte ng mundo.

Pinakita ni Mas ang sisingilin para sa PhilHealth sa isang OFW na kumikita ng minimum sa HK

Pero kung nakaluwag sa isipan nila ng bahagya ang sinabi ng taga PhilHealth ay kabaligtaran naman ang epekto ng pahayag ni Ignacio ng Pag-IBIG.

Kinumpirma ni Ignacio na simula ngayong Lunes, Aug 1, ay ipapatupad na ang pagkakabit sa ng Pag-IBIG sa OEC. Ibig sabihin, lahat ng kukuha ng OEC ay dapat nang ilagay ang kanilang Pag-IBIG membership number sa online form na kailangan nilang sagutin, bago sila makakuha ng exemption at makaalis ng bansa.

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Dagdag niya, para daw ito masiguro na ang bawat perang binabayad ng isang OFW para sa Pag-IBIG ay naipapasok sa kanilang account. Kahit magpalipat-lipat daw sila ng bansang pagtatrabahuan ay sa iisang account lang papasok ang kanilang bayad.

Nagbigay din si Ignacio ng datos na nagpapakita na mula sa Php100 kada buwan na binayad ng mga OFW ay libo-libo na ang nakinabang sa pamamagitan ng housing loan at iba pang benepisyo.

Nilinaw naman ni Balladares-Pelaez na hindi nila tinututulan ang pagbabayad para sa Pag-IBIG ng mga OFW dahil marami din naman ang naniniwala na malaki ang naitutulong nito para sila kumita o magkabahay.

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Ang ayaw lang daw nila ay ang gawin itong sapilitan dahil higit na nakakarami ang mga OFW na gipit sa pera o walang balak mangutang para sa pagpapatayo ng bahay.

Ang iba pang nakalinyang bayarin na mahigpit na tinututulan ng mga OFW sa pangunguna ng RAGE ay ang para sa expanded mandatory insurance na kasalukuyan nang ipinatutupad, at sa SSS o Social Security System na ayon kay Mas, ay di hamak na malaki ang idudulot na kawalan sa mga OFW.

Nanawagan sila na ibasura na lang ang OEC para hindi na daw ito gamitin ng iba-ibang ahensya na gustong makasingil nang sapilitan sa mga OFW.

“Bagong Bayani ba tayo o Gatasang Baka?” sabi ni Mas sa paninimula ng kanyang pagbabahagi sa pulong. Ang nagkakaisang tugon ng mga OFW sa pulong, ""Gatasang Baka."

SA SUSUNOD: Ang singilan para sa expanded mandatory insurance at sa SSS

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Trekkers hold beach cleanup to raise funds for cancer patient

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Trekkers picked up this much trash in their beach cleanup charity drive

A group of Filipino domestic workers who combine hiking with charity work scheduled a beach cleanup in Sai Kung for Sept 19, hoping to raise funds for a cancer patient in Manila.

But barely a week before the cleanup, the intended beneficiary, Marc Arquisola Palapaz, 38, passed away at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Centre due to Stage 3 sarcoma in his right leg.

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Palapaz’ death did not deter the Bagong Bayani (The Trekkers) group from their plan to help, though. They decided to push through with the project as scheduled, but this time, the funds to be raised would be sent to the family of the deceased.

Trekkers is a group founded nearly two years ago by Ligaya Francisco to hold charity hikes and trail or beach cleanups regularly to raise funds for members of the group whose families back home may have urgent need for financial help.

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Francisco has said in a previous interview the priority is her fellow OFWs who have been excluded from any government dole-outs even if they, too, need help.

She said the group reaches out to any OFW, even a non-member, who is in dire need, especially those with a sick family member. In this particular case, Palapaz was a nephew of a group member.

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On Sept 19, a handful of Trekkers numbering 13 led by Ligaya Lorilla, the “Ate” or big sister of the group, met up in Tseung Kwan O and headed all together to Clear Water Bay Beach 2.

The group targeted Clearwater Bay beach 2 for the 2-hour cleanup

The beach cleanup began at 11am and lasted until 1pm. The Trekkers were joined by a local Chinese resident who said it was her first time to participate in such a cleanup and found it fun.  

At the end of the two-hour endeavor, the group collected 11 plastic rubbish bags of litter from the right flank of the beach. At the same time, the group was able to collect donations totaling the equivalent of Php12,400.

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The fundraising was triggered by an appeal from a niece of Trekkers member Mary Ann Rebucan Bautista for a charity cleanup to help Palapaz. The cancer-stricken patient at the time also suffered from pneumonia.

Bautista consulted Lorilla and the group, who agreed to the proposed cleanup for the cancer patient, who had a wife and two young children.

Palapaz passed on before the group could hold its fundraising for him

“Naawa sila sa sitwasyon niya kasi ang bata pa niya, 38 years old, may asawa at dalawang anak. Natigil din siya sa work kasi nagkasakit,” said Bautista. (They took pity on his [Palapaz’] situation because he was young, only 38, married and had two children.)

“Sa kasamaang palad, binawian din siya ng buhay, Sept 13, isang linggo after his surgery and before our cleanup for a cause event para sa kanya,” she added. (Unfortunately, he died on Sept 13, one week after his surgery and before our cleanup for a cause dedicated to him.)

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Bautista said the Trekkers frequently carried out beach or trail cleanups to raise funds for the needy and to protect the environment.

“Ang paglilinis ng coastal areas ay malaking tulong para mapanatili nating ligtas ang ating kalikasan at kayamanang pandagat, lalo na sa mga seafoods na ating kinakain,” she said.  (Cleaning up the coastal areas is a big help in keeping nature and marine resources, especially the seafood we eat, safe.)

On Oct 3, the group will hold a more relaxing project near Discovery Bay Beach. The so-called “hammock festival” will see members tying colorful hammocks to tree trunks, in which they can take a nap or simply rest and enjoy the breeze.

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OFW artists assert unity, fortitude and hope in battle vs virus

By Vir B. Lumicao  

Consulate officials pose with the contestants in the drawing and poetry contests

Art-minded overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong were the stars on Sunday, Jun 13, as the Consulate celebrated the 123^rd Araw ng Kalayaan and 26th Migrant Workers Day indoors for the second year in a row.

Guia Mae C. Ico from the Filipino Image Society won the grand prize in the drawing contest while Gemma Lauraya, president of the National Organization of Professional Teachers Hong Kong Chapter, topped the poetry-writing contest.

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The event was described as a success, despite being constrained by safety protocols to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The twin events were aptly themed “Bangon Manggagawa sa Kabila ng Pandemya” (Rise despite the pandemic, Worker) and featured the talent of the OFW participants in both visual and literary arts.

“We celebrate this day in recognition of the valuable contributions and sacrifices of our overseas Filipino workers,” Consul General Raly Tejada said in a speech delivered by his deputy, Germie Aguilar-Usudan.

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ConGen Tejada said Migrant Workers Day is a celebrated by virtue of the enactment or RA 8042, which aims to advance the well-being of OFWs, their families, and specially distressed overseas workers.

“The PCG organized the contest “to encourage the Filipino creativity and ingenuity through sketching and expressing their ideas clearly and effectively through writing,” ConGen Tejada said.

Guia Mae Ico with her obra that won the grand prize in the drawing competition

The 21 aspiring poets and 18 artists who participated in the poetry and drawing contest adhered to the theme and expressed their views about Covid-19, the impact of the health crisis on their own and their family’s lives, as well as their hopes.

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The strength of a migrant worker in the face of great challenges is evident in their work: from the bleakness and uncertainty brought about by the virus as it initially ravaged the Chinese city of Wuhan and then crept into Hong Kong and other places in early 2020, hope helped her keep her nerves as the disease hit her relatives and friends back home.

Ico, who was adjudged as the best in the drawing contest, depicted Hong Kong people from various sector joining hands to fight the virus.

Noemi Manguerra's piece that depicts the virus being trampled took second place

In second prize was Guhit Kulay’s Noemi Manguerra whose drawing shows a domestic worker joining other members of Hong Kong society in crushing the virus underfoot. Manguera was sponsored by United Migrants for Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Association (Umela).

Third-place winner Jacklyn Evangelista, a pencil portraitist also from Guhit Kulay, depicts a boatload of masked Hong Kong people on a mask-boat navigating a sea of coronaviruses.  She was sponsored by Balikatan sa Kaunlaran Hong Kong Chapter.  

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

On all three winning drawings, the sun shining in the sky represents hope in overcoming the crisis as society joined hands to combat the virus.

Jacklyn Evangelista's depiction of unity amid the pandemic won 3rd place

Angst caused by the pandemic as OFW mothers separated from their families by the need to build a better future for everyone is palpable in the poems, but hope, as in the drawings, was the underlying thread that kept the worker intact, body and soul, in the face of the pandemic.

Lauraya’s winning entry, “Pagbangon sa Pandemya,” expounds on the virtues of “bayanihan” (helping hands) and national unity, to help the country rise above the crisis.

Lauraya combines her adeptness in the national language with anti-pandemic slogans to come up with prosody that lends smoothness to her verses:

Bayanihan para sa ating Inang Bayan,

Buong mundo sa krisis ng pandemya ay lumalaban.

Sa panahong ito tayo ay pantay-pantay

Walang mahirap, walang mayaman

Sandigan ang Diyos, We pray as one.

Katatagan sa kabila ng takot at pangamba

Buhay at kalusugan pati kaligtasan ng pamilya

Ngayon ang bakuna ay naririto na.

Alisin ang takot, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa.

Palawakin ang kaalaman, We heal as one.

The former teacher urges the modern-day heroes to stay on the right path as they earn bread for their families and renew their hope in order to overcome this dark episode:

Itaguyod ang pamilya sa marangal na paraan.

Sa likas na talino at sipag mong taglay.

…
Bagong pag-asa ang tanging hiling

Anumang unos malalampasan natin.

Magandang kinabukasan paggising natin

Second placer Amelita Jr. Alba’s winning piece, “Bangon Manggagawa sa Kabila ng Pandemya,” affirms her resolve in fighting Covid-19 as she expresses her hope of reuniting with her loved ones in the near future.

Lugmok man at pag-asa ay pansamantalang naantala,

Sa pagsubok ng pandemya ako ay di madadala

Bagkus pagtitiis ko’t sapalaran ay pag-iigtingin pa

Para sa pamilyang naghihintay sa akin tuwina.

She urges her fellow OFWs to take care of themselves but remain firm and armed with prayer:

Kahinaan ay ipagwalang-bahala, katatagan ating ialsa

Alalahanin lagi ang ating mga pamilyang umaasa

Na naghihintay sa ating pagbabalik bukas makalawa.

Third-prize winner Margie Cataina Belardo’s poem “Pinoy Tayo, Matatag, Palaban” shows OFWs’ fear for the safety of their loved ones as the pandemic began to take hold across the globe.

Ano itong ganap, sa mundo ay lumaganap?

Nagdulot ng takot, takot sa pagkatao mo’y bumabalot

Pangamba at kaba para sa pamilyang sa iyo ay umaasa

Umaasa na sa isang umaga, ikaw ay makasama, mayakap, madama.

But Belardo, representing Happy Hearts Isabela Federation, advises her fellow migrant workers not to lose hope and keep pursuing their dreams:

Masdan mo ang liwanag ng araw na nagbibigay pag-asa

Pag-asa na dapat tayo’y lumalaban sa pagsubok

Pagsubok na sumusubok upang tayo ay pilit na ilugmok

Ngunit ito’y hindi dahilan para itigil ang bawat pangarap na nasimulan.

The winners received cash and prizes in kind donated by sponsors from the Filipino community.

The twin competitions were held under the auspices of the Consulate and managed by Welfare Officer Virsie Tamayao of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Lauraya's winning entry in full: 

Gemma Lauraya's poem on fortitude won the grand prize

Pagbangon sa Pandemya

Bayanihan para sa ating Inang Bayan,

Buong mundo sa krisis ng pandemya ay lumalaban.

Sa panahong ito tayo ay pantay-pantay

Walang mahirap, walang mayaman

Sandigan ang Diyos, We pray as one.

Katatagan sa kabila ng takot at pangamba

Buhay at kalusugan pati kaligtasan ng pamilya

Ngayon ang bakuna ay naririto na.

Alisin ang takot, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa.

Palawakin ang kaalaman, We heal as one.

Mabuhay ka, manggagawang Pilipino!

Sa mga kamay mo nakasalalay paglago ng bayan mo.

Itaguyod ang pamilya sa marangal na paraan.

Sa likas na talino at sipag mong taglay.

Saludo kami sa’yo, Bayani kang totoo.

 Pagbangon sa krisis na dulot ng pandemya.

Malasakit sa isa’t-isa at solusyon sa problema.

Iwasan ang sisihan bagkus ay magtulungan

Sumunod sa batas para tayo’y maging ligtas

Sa COVID-19 tayo ay maka-iwas.

 Bagong pag-asa ang tanging hiling

Anumang unos malalampasan natin.

Magandang kinabukasan paggising natin

Adhikain ng pangulo makalikha ng trabaho

Sapat na proteksyon at serbisyong totoo.

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Trekkers ease OFW depression with charity hikes and eco-cleanups

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Trekkers gather for their first anniversary to hike, do beach cleanup, and eat

It began with a call for help from a fellow overseas Filipino worker whose village in Mindanao was ravaged by two earthquakes in the closing days of October last year.

Veteran hiker Ligaya Francisco said she and a bunch of friends wanted to help but knew it was difficult to solicit donations since her fellow helpers were also hard-up. They eventually decided to raise funds by hiking.

“Naging successful naman ang fundraising. Noong nagkasunud-sunod na ang mga humingi ng tulong ay nagtatag na kami ng grupo,” Francisco said on Nov 22, as Bagong Bayani (The Trekkers) celebrated its first anniversary with hiking and a beach cleanup in Discovery Bay, Lantau.

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The 54-year-old unassuming woman, who is called “Nanay” or “Happy” by members of The Trekkers, said there had been several requests for help this year as natural calamities and pandemic safety protocols put communities back home in difficult situations.

As the hikes for a cause became frequent, more workers joined, Francisco said. From a bunch of just eight women who met on the trails, the group that initially called itself The Trekkers grew to more than 50 members as it attracted other workers.

The group expanded even as pro-democracy protests and the coronavirus pandemic affected their activities.

Francisco says the protests and pandemic drove them further afield

“Dinaanan namin ang mga rally, pero ang pinakamatindi ay ang Covid-19 dahil mahigpit sa social distancing. Kung saan-saang gubat at bundok kami nagtago para magkasama-sama. Naghanap kami ng mga tagong lugar at isla,” said Francisco.

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There was a time when social distancing measures limited group gatherings to just two persons, but the group managed to continue hiking without breaking the rules by trekking in twos. The strict protocols were a blessing nevertheless as they enhanced group growth. 

“Noong panahong iyon ay saka naman lalo kaming lumago, dumami ang sumama sa amin,” Francisco said. She said many of their friends brought along friends until the group grew and camaraderie improved.

Members brought food so they would have picnics when they went hiking to stay away from the city, she said.

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“Kasi yung time na iyon, ang hirap e, napaka-isolated natin. Yung depression, yung gusto mong umuwi, may mga namatay hindi ka makauwi, may mga problemang pampamilya, hindi rin maayos kasi na-stuck na tayo dito. At saka yung emotional need, kailangan namin ang isa’t isa,” Francisco said.

“Pumupunta kami sa mga ganitong lugar walang tao, malaya kaming magsalita, malaya kaming tumawa, malaya kaming ilabas yung kung ano ang nararamdaman namin,” she said.

She admitted there had been intrigues due to petty misunderstandings or pressure brought about by the times, but they stayed together as a family.

“Para kaming magkakapatid, minsan may away-away, minsan nagkakatampuhan. Normal lang po iyon dahil sa panahon. Maraming pressure. Pero eto pa rin kami, magkakasama, kailangan namin ang isa’t isa, parang isang pamilya yung community,” Franciso said.

The Trekkers try to maintain social distancing even in isolated areas

The members come from all regions of the Philippines. She said the priority is helping fellow OFWs, especially since they and their families don’t get dole-outs from their government even if they need help, too. The group reaches out to any OFW, even a non-member, who is in dire need to ease her worry, especially when a family member falls ill.

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Whatever amount the members give, these add up and mean a lot, said Francisco.

She said that’s one reason why almost every week The Trekkers hold charity hikes. At the same time, Francisco said, they would do cleanups on the trails and beaches to teach members to love and protect the environment.

“Gusto kong masanay sila at magkaroon ng mind-set na kailangang mahalin ang environment, na huwag itapon ang kalat kung saan-saan kundi ilagay sa tamang basurahan,” the group’s “nanay” said.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang klwentong Dream Love

At their anniversary celebration, about 40 people gathered before noon on an isolated beach at the northern fringes of Discovery Bay. Many others came in twos or threes in the early afternoon.

On the site they strove to be in fours in line with protocols, even in preparing the food they served to celebrate the anniversary and the birthdays of two or three members.

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However, not all their weekends are devoted to hiking and cleanups, Francisco said. Sometimes they also hold a hammock festival, where members hang layers of hammocks from trees and spend the day or night in those nylon cocoons suspended in mid-air.    

The group has no elected leaders. It is the organic core group, including Francisco, Annabeline Allera, sisters Mary Joy Rebucan and Ma. Ana R. Bautista, as well as Jessie Lopez that coordinates activities. Lopez, who figures in several OFW fundraising drives, takes charge of The Trekkers’ charity projects.

Last Sunday, as they marked their special day, The Trekkers also superseded the group name with Bagong Bayani, or New Heroes, a name that best fits them.

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Save up & stay away from loans, veteran OFWs advise

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

George (foreground) has spent much of his time with Card HK,
giving financial lessons to fellow OFWs

If medals were to be awarded to overseas Filipino workers who have made their stay abroad exemplary, two veterans from Hong Kong would be among the first to get one.

One of them is George Manalansan, who is set to go home for good next month, after 38 long years of working abroad, the last 26 years of which he spent working as a family driver in Hong Kong.

The other is Ching Baltazar, who resettled back in the Philippines two years ago, after spending 32 years working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong.

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What sets these two apart from their fellow OFWs, especially in Hong Kong, is how they have managed to avoid the debt trap, which, given the ease with which FDHs here are able to take out loans several times their monthly salary, makes this indeed a feat.

Not only that. Both have managed to save a substantial part of their monthly salary not only to improve the lives of their family members, but also to have a nest egg after their retirement.

The two disclosed their formula for success during a live interview with The SUN last night, Sept 16.

Jo (5th from left) and her JC Catering Services team with TV personality Pauleen Luna-Sotto

They were joined by Jo Campos, another Hong Kong veteran who went back home in late 2017, also after 32 years of being an OFW.

Although she was frank in admitting that once during her long stay in the city, she did get enmeshed in debt, Jo said she wised up in time, and vowed never to go that way again.

While she did not save up as much as she could have, given her long stay in Hong Kong, Jo, who is single like Ching, has no regrets. She says she decided to indulge herself while working hard, and in the process, built happy memories with friends that she treasures to this day.

But Jo has not done badly after going home for good. She managed to set up her own company, JC Catering and Food Services, that quickly became known as a caterer to the stars.

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For George, resettling back home had been in the cards for sometime. He set Sept 5 this year as the date when he would return to his family in Pampanga, as that would have been his last day at work.

But in November last year, he suffered a slipped disc while carrying a heavy sofa, and amid the pain from that experience, he started thinking he did not want to go home incapacitated and unable to enjoy retirement.

He told his employers he wanted to go home, but fate intervened when the domestic helper he was working with had to leave home for an emergency.

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His employers prevailed upon him to stay until February, but the coronavirus outbreak happened, so he decided to stay a bit longer. He has agreed to stay on for another month after his contract ended, but will not agree to any more extension.

Apart from his desire to reunite with his wife and three children, George says he also wants to give himself a new leash on life, or tap whatever other talents he may have, after being an OFW for more than half his life.

George with his family during one of his vacations to his Pampanga hometown

Asked how much he thought an OFW should save before deciding to go home for good, George said it differs from person to person because of their varying needs. But ideally, he said one should have been able to buy a house, sent his children to school, and saved up enough money to start a business, and live on.

“Kung pang tong-its lang naman, ok na,” he says jokingly.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

In truth, he has prepared exceedingly well for his retirement. He and his wife, who also used to work as an OFW in Hong Kong, already have their own house in Pampanga, and his two eldest children have finished school, and are now both engineers. His youngest is also about to graduate from college.

What’s more, he has put away enough money to start his dream construction business with his children. And even if this venture does not yield immediate profit, George does not have much to worry about as he has invested in SSS, Pag-IBIG Fund, and a life insurance.

Ching also had her mind set on her retirement goals from the time she came to work as an OFW. Asked how she managed to stay away from the lure of loans, Ching put it simply as: “Kung noong nagtatrabaho ako sa Pilipinas na kakarampot ang suweldo ay napagkakasya ko, bakit kailangan kong mangutang noong mas malaki na ang kita ko?’ 

(If I managed to save from the little that I was earning back in the Philippines, why should't I be able to do the same thing with a higher income?)

With her future firmly secured, Ching now finds joy showing off her plump produce

But Ching exceeded the expectations of even the best financial planners when she decided to put away 30% of her monthly salary in preparation for her retirement. Due to her thrifty and unpretentious nature, Ching who is one of a few "Bagong Bayani" awardees in Hong Kong, even managed to send a few nieces to school from what was left of her salary each month.

Thus, just a few years after working in Hong Kong, she managed to invest in an apartment block from where she now draws much of her spending money. She has also bought a house in her hometown in Cagayan, and in Laguna where she now lives.

Not one to idle her time away, Ching also helped set up Balikatan sa Kaunlaran Hong Kong Council in 1996. The group has been giving free livelihood training to OFWs for the past 26 years, with her at the helm until she decided to go home. 

Ching's last public event for BSK had all the top Consulate officials as guests

She decided to retire when her last contract coincidentally ended on her 65^th birthday in February 2018, which meant she was by law, automatically entitled to long service pay.

Ching and George both went on to join Card Hong Kong Foundation where they eventually became trainors in financial literacy. But the training that they got and eventually shared with fellow OFWs just fine-tuned what they had been practicing all along.

For Jo, Hong Kong is still a home away from home, a place where she would want to keep going back to. “I miss Hong Kong,” was among the first things she blurted out during the interview.

Jo, seen here with the late Consul General Bernardita Catalla
(2nd from left) and her friends from The SUN, enjoyed the good life in HK

But she is herself settled back in the Philippines, having set up a successful food and catering business with her chef-niece - until the coronavirus took hold.

In an instant, Jo, who just turned 60 years old, was relegated to spending much of her time indoors, cooking meals for her extended family and chatting with friends online.

But if there was one thing that her OFW experience had taught her, it was resilience, and Jo, like George and Ching, would always draw strength from that to make sure they indeed get to spend the rest of their lives back home, for good.  

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