Labatt Jolly set to return to HK post next month

Labatt dela Torre in surprise visit to Filcom leaders at Bayanihan Centre
(photo by Resty Suareza)

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre is set to retake his Hong Kong post on Aug. 1 -  assuming he secures an exemption from the ban on the transfer of government personnel ahead of national elections in May next year, and gets all the paper work done.

The order was in a memo issued on Jun 27 by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who recalled dela Torre on Mar 23 for still unknown reasons, sparking two angry protests by big community organizations in Hong Kong.

One of the protests held in March against Dela Torre's recall 

The reference to the election ban is, however, strange, as a resolution issued by the Commission on Elections in December 2015 imposed a freeze on the transfer of government officials and staff only from Jan. 10 to June 8 of the election year, a clear six months from now.

In the meantime, dela Torre’s designated successor, Leonida Romulo, is expected to arrive in Hong Kong by this Sunday, Jul 15, after her appointment was approved by the Hong Kong government.

But if dela Torre gets to return as scheduled on Aug. 1, Romulo, who only has a year to go before her compulsory retirement, would end up serving as labor attaché for just 15 days, unless both are somehow retained.

Dela Torre, who surprised many when he appeared unannounced at an event hosted by the Surigaonon Association yesterday, Jul 8, at the Bayanihan Centre, said he was not sure, either, of what to expect if Romulo was still in Hong Kong when he gets cleared to return.

He said he just came for a few days to attend to some matters and check his flat, which is still being paid for by funds from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

Dela Torre who was recalled with no formal charges being made against him, is set to finish only the remaining period of his original three-year appointment to the post, which is March 14, 2019.

New appointments to the same post are now for five-year periods.

In several interviews, Bello had accused him of several misdeeds, from favoritism in giving accreditation to employment agencies, to issuing overseas employment certificates to Filipino workers in China, to outright corruption.

But those in the know say the real reason the labor attache Torre got into hot water was his decision to reject a second job order for "entertainers" in Wanchai, after a surprise inspection he ordered showed the women were working clad only in skimpy outfits.

Dela Torre returned to Manila in mid-April, shortly after a visit by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, during which two top officials expressed support for his reinstatement: Special Adviser to the President Bong Go, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

But despite the top-level endorsements, Bello stood by his decision until late last month, when he suddenly asked dela Torre to report to the DOLE head office, and reportedly told him to apologize and admit organizing the spontaneous protests in his favor.

On hearing about this, several Filipino community leaders who co-organized the popular protests all volunteered to step forward to mollify Bello over the perceived slight.

“Sige, aamin na ako,” said one leader who was half-amused by the reported order. “Sa totoo lang, ang dami naming dapat sisihin kung kasalanan talaga yan. Basta ibalik lang si labatt.”

Among the organizations that took active part in the protests were Unifil-Migrante HK, Global Alliance, National Organization of Professional Teachers, Mindanao Federation, Domestic Workers Corner, and many others.

Napakabait ng amo

Kamakailan ay natuklasan ng mga doktor na nasa stage 3 na ang cancer na dumapo kay Bella.

Dahil dito, inakala ng Pilipina na papauwiin na siya, katulad ng ginagawa ng ibang mga amo kapag nalamang malala na ang sakit ng kasambahay.

Ngunit kakaiba ang pagkabusilak ng puso ng kanyang mga amo. Hindi siya pinauwi, bagkus ay dinala pa sa isang pribadong ospital para doon magpa chemotherapy. Kung maari nga lang daw na dalhin siya sa Amerika upang ipagamot dahil may kapatid na doktor doon ang kanyang amo ay gagawin nila.

Nag-uumapaw ang pasasalamat ni Bella sa mga amo dahil wala na daw siyang mahihiling pa at napakabuti nila.

Dahil sa kanilang suporta at palaging pagsasabi na gagaling pa siya ay hindi nawawalan ng pag-asa si Bella. Uuwi lang daw siya kapag magaling na siya. Si Bella ay dalaga at kasalukuyang naninilbihan sa mga among Intsik sa New Territories. – Marites Palma

Hinaing ng inang OFW

Hindi sinasadya ay napakinggan ni Marie ang pakikipag-usap sa telepono ng isang kababayan na naluluha. Ang asawa ang kausap nito, at sinusumbungan dahil hindi daw sinasagot ng kanilang mga anak ang kanyang mga tawag, kahit umabot na ito sa 10 ring.

Hindi naglaon ay pati ang asawa ay sinita dahil hindi din daw ito sumasagot sa kanyang mga tawag. “Kaya nga binigyan ko kayo ng tag-iisang cellphone para kahit anong oras kung may pagkakataon ay makakausap ko kayo. Pero bakit ganun, parang balewala ako sa inyo?”

Kahit yung mga pm ko ay “seen” lang, pero walang sagot, sabi pa nito. Pero kapag pera daw ang pina-uusapan ay napakabilis nila lahat sumagot, at kapag nakuha na ay balik dedma na sila sa mga pm niya.

Sa sama ng loob ay nasabi ni kabayan na parang mga mukhang pera ang pamilya niya dahil hindi man lang siya mabigyan ng kaunting kunswelo sa gitna ng kanyang paghihirap na mabigyan sila ng magandang kinabukasan. Nakinig lang si Marie sa pakikipag-usap ng katabi pero nung pababa na siya ay tinapik niya ito sa balikat, sabay tanong ng “Ok ka lang ba, ate? Napangiti ang kausap at hinawakan nang mahigpit ang ang kanyang kamay, tanda ng pasasalamat. Gusto pa sana itong kausapin ni Marie ngunit kailangan na niyang bumaba.

Dahil nalungkot nang husto sa narinig na pakikipag-usap ng kapwa niya OFW, agad na nag-post si Marie ng paalala sa Facebook. Aniya, “Kayong mga anak ng OFW na nasa Pilipinas, bigyan niyo ring panahon na makausap ninyo ang inyong nga magulang kapag tumatawag sila sa inyo at mag reply kung nag p-pm sila sa inyo, dahil ang inyong mga  boses ay gamot sa homesickness naming magulang. Sa boses pa lang ninyo ay napapawi na ang pagod, lungkot at ano mang hirap na nararamdaman. Boses niyo pa lang lumalakas na ang aming kalooban na magtrabaho pa ng ilang taon para sa inyong kinabukasan. Sana mahalin niyo din ang inyong magulang kahit na wala sila sa inyong tabi.”

Laking pasasalamat na lamang ni Marie dahil ang kanyang nag-iisang anak ay napakaresponsableng bata. Lagi silang nag-uusap, kaya kahit malayo sila sa isa’t isa ay nararamdaman nila ang pagmamahal ng bawat isa. Si Marie ay tubong Isabela, may anak at kasalukuyang naninilbihan sa mga Briton na amo sa New Territories. – Marites Palma

Away: ang buong kuwento

Noong ilabas ng The SUN ang balita tungkol sa mga nag-rambulang Pilipino sa Central kamakailan, lumabas ang ilang detalye na wala sa mga naunang report sa ibang  media.

Sa pagmamadali kasi ng ibang kabaro namin sa industriya, isang panig lang – iyong naunang nagsumbong sa kakilalang tagapag-balita – ang lumabas sa mga naunang report, kaya ang kabilang panig lang ang binuhusan ng galit ng mga netizen. Makakita ka nga naman ng wasak ang mukha, na binugbog daw ng isang professional boxer, ano pa ang mararamdaman mo?

Pero dahil lumabas ang panig ng itinurong nambugbog – halimbawa, na isa sa kanila ay napukpok muna ng bote ng beer at pumutok ang ulo at labi, at ang itinuturong nambugbog ay hindi kasama sa kinasuhan ng pulis – nag-iba ang ihip ng opinyon.

Karamihan sa mga nagbilin ng reaksiyon sa balita sa The SUN ay, gaya ng sa nauna, galit pa rin sa isang panig at may nagbanta pang gaganti.

Pero alisin mo ang bangayan ng kakampi ng magkabilang panig sa Facebook page ng The SUN, may madidiskubre tayong mga mensahe na para sa lahat.

Gaya ni Gina Piago, na nagsabing: “Ilagay kc ang alak sa tiyan hindi sa utak.”

Sa tonong may pagtuya, sinabi ni Cristina Salinas Garcia: “antatapang tlga ng pinoy,mbuhay.

Sinag-ayunan siya ni  Samantha Ejudo Sulatra: “Tagay p more.”

Dagdag ni Anie Rivera: “Mayayabang kasi Ang mga pinoy pag lasing. Nagwowork ako sa bar sa wan chai Pero ni minsan wala pa akong nakitang mga lasing na mga Puti na nagrarambulan.”

Si Baby Jean De Leon naman ay nag-sermon: “Kayo din naman naperwesyo kong kayo nagpapahinga na laang sa kwarto niyo, at ngayon broadcast pa kayo may involved na Babae yari kayo ngayon sa asawa niyo sa pinas.”

Dagdag ni Agairdam Gnajac Reysally: “Ang alak nilalagay sa tyan hndi sa ulo. lalo na kng dayuhang manggagawa lamang tayo.”

Ipinakikita lang nito ang importansiya ng pagkuha ng buong kuwento, na walang bahid ng pagkampi kanino man. Ito ay isang tradisyon namin sa The SUN simula nang itayo ito 23 taon na ang nakararaan. 

Maniniwala ka pa ba sa iba?

Transparency and inclusiveness

For the first time in so many years, the Filipino community was not called to a meeting this year to discuss preparations for the annual Philippine Independence Day celebration.

As a result, only one Filcom organization took the lion’s share in co-organizing with the Consulate what had been bruited as a month-long celebration of the community’s biggest event of the year. And to be blunt about it, the festivities bombed.

For as long as I can remember, the annual celebration, which used to bring together as many Filcom organizations as could take part in the programme, always attracted a huge crowd.

This was true even when heavy rains threatened to ruin the whole-day merriment as what happened in 2010 when performers had to trudge through mud in Victoria Park, or earlier, when a 7-foot high backdrop collapsed onto a mercifully still empty stage in Chater Garden.

Fifteen years ago when I co-organized the event twice in one year as chair of the Philippine Association of Hong Kong, Chater was chock-full of people you could hardly see beyond the tops of their heads.

The first of these two was even held in the wake of SARS, when Hong Kong became a virtual ghost town. People, mostly Pinoys, turned out by the thousands even when there was no celebrity guest, and the entertainment was provided by various Filcom organizations which showcased the best they could offer from their region. The finale was a rousing dance number led by then Consul General Victoria Bataclan and several Filcom leaders she called on stage.

The same atmosphere of camaraderie and nationalistic fervor prevailed in so many other such celebrations up until last year.

So what could have gone wrong?

Leaders we have spoken with lamented the failure by the Consulate to skip the time-honored tradition of calling for a meeting to lay down the plans for the celebration, and open the participation to all Filcom organizations.

The PAHK, which for decades was the lead organizer for the Independence Day celebrations, was also jostled out of the picture when Air Asia was let in as the biggest sponsor of the main Chater event. That meant that PAHK and its traditional partner Philippine Airlines, had to take up the first Sunday slot because of the exclusivity provision in their sponsorship contract.

That also meant that Global Alliance, a relatively young organization which gained fame in the hit movie Sunday Beauty Queen because of its focus on organizing beauty contests, was left to coordinate preparations for all four Sundays of the celebration with the Consulate.

With related events stretched to four Sundays, and two of the Chater shows dominated by time-consuming beauty contests, it was no wonder many people chose to stay away. Add to that the fact that all but two or three Filcom groups were shut out of the celebrations and you get to see the full picture of why it was no longer the fun occasion it used to be.

There is also the touchy question of finances. The reason the PAHK had always led the celebration was as much tradition as it was transparency. As a licensed limited company the association is subjected to a strict audit, and is bound to issue a financial report to members during the annual general meeting.

In addition, its donations to charitable causes are open to scrutiny by everyone, and its choice of beneficiaries often goes through a vetting by the entire board. Its aims and objectives, including raising funds for charity, are also clearly set out in its Articles of Incorporation.

In comparison, the Consulate as a government entity, is prohibited by law from accepting private donations. When it works with organizations on projects that require the raising of funds it should also be wary lest it be seen as going around the prohibition that is rooted on a possible conflict of interest.

Associations formed by foreign domestic workers should, given the visa restrictions on the listed office bearers, also be careful about accepting money from big corporate sponsors as this could be equated with doing illegal work. This apart, there is also the question of how the money they received on behalf of the community should be accounted for.

Going against established practices is not bad in itself as it could lead to innovation, greater efficiency and new knowledge. But those who reinvent the wheel should be careful not to wreck a system that works simply because of a desire for change; or worse, create a problem when there was none.

There is strength in numbers, wisdom in consultation, and value in honoring traditions.

There is no reason to rock the boat just to make a difference.

Helper accused of indecent assault, threats on ward

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker has denied charges in Kwun Tong Court that she had indecently assaulted her nine-year-old female ward in Tseung Kwan O in March and hurt, or threatened to hurt her, on various occasions.

Chery C. Gano, who is in her 30s, pleaded not guilty to one count of indecent assault, two counts of common assault, and three counts of threatening to hurt the victim, who was identified only as “X”.

All the alleged assaults and threats on the victim took place between Feb 13 and Mar 5, according to the charges that were read to the defendant by an Ilocano interpreter in court. No further details of the cases were disclosed.

Gano, who is on bail, is represented by Mohammed Shah, who was appointed under the Duty Lawyers scheme.

The prosecution applied to Magistrate Bina Chainrai for a transfer of the case to the Kowloon City Court on Jul 27 for trial.

The prosecutor said the victim, who is in Primary 3, could not give evidence while she was still attending school, so the trial would have to wait until the school year is over.

Chainrai granted the application and extended Gano’s bail.

‘Costly’ birth documents hinder return of OFW mothers and children, NGO says

PathFinders provides support to vulnerable pregnant women and their children

By Vir B. Lumicao

Filipino migrant women with babies born out of wedlock in Hong Kong are sometimes deterred from going home by the high cost of obtaining birth certificates at the Consulate, says PathFinders, an NGO helping pregnant women in need.

The problem has become urgent as Immigration authorities have sped up hearing asylum and torture claims in the past year.

In some cases, migrant mothers would rather see their babies become undocumented or give them up for adoption because of the prohibitive fees, a PathFinders officer said.

As a result, the NGO, which helps migrant mothers obtain proper documentation for the children before they go home, is hoping the Consulate would waive some of the fees.

Jessica Chow

“Registering babies for birth certificates in the Consulate costs only $200, but for those born out of wedlock, it costs $800 to $1,000. It’s very expensive for the mothers,” said Jessica Chow, co-director of services, social work and healthcare at PathFinders.

The additional cost is said to cover the extra documents required before an illegitimate child can be issued a birth certificate.

These include fees for amending the personal details of a mother who came to Hong Kong bearing her husband's surname, which she can't give to her child sired by another man.

Chow told The SUN in an interview on Jul 4 that there had been instances where mothers would cancel or delay their planned repatriation because they couldn't pay for their children’s documentation. Under Hong Kong law, the mothers cannot work while their claims are being processed.

When that happens, she said, the NGO would try to find partners who would shoulder the cost of documentation and repatriation of both mother and child.

The Immigration Department has been speeding up its screening of asylum and torture claims and sending back home those who fail the process, in line with the Security Bureau chief’s call last year for faster reduction of the backlog.

As of the end of March, there were 255 Filipinos among the 4,420 claimants for non-refoulement, or against being sent back home, according to Immigration data. This is nearly half the peak of 483 Filipino applicants at the end of September 2016.

Carmen Lam

Carmen Lam, director of community education and outreach at PathFinders, told The SUN that the NGO is also adjusting to the new situation.   

“We have heard a lot of recent cases… facing deportation who were being repatriated quickly. Therefore, we have further developed our Home Country Integration Programme initiatives and strengthened our partnership with our community partners in assisting our migrant mothers and children to reintegrate in their home country,” Lam said. 

Lam said that in early September, a PathFinders team will visit the Philippines to evaluate the impact of the reintegration program and see what improvements need to be made, if any.

In a meeting in May with officials from the Consulate and other community partners, PathFinders obtained key contacts in the country who could help the returning mothers and children ease their way into Philippine society.

Hundreds of OFWs left without passports as police bust loan sharking operation

Hundreds of OFWs who borrowed money from the
loan shark now face a tough time re-applying for passports

By Daisy CL Mandap

Just three years into her employment as a domestic worker in Hong Kong, Joanne M. is more than $30,000 in debt. She says she has never really gotten out of paying for the first loan she took in the Philippines to help finance her application for overseas work.

But now she has a bigger problem. Her passport which she hocked recently in exchange for a $4,000 loan is now with the police, after the elderly man she had borrowed the money from was arrested in a sting operation on Wednesday,

Jul 4.

Joanne, 32 and single, is one of hundreds of Filipino domestic workers who are now facing this dilemma, following the arrest of the 64-year-old loan shark in Tsuen Wan. The man was reportedly arrested following a tip-off, and was found in possession of three passports.

A subsequent raid of his home yielded 856 more passports belonging to either Filipino or Indonesian domestic workers, all surrendered as surety for the loans they took from him. Not reported was that he had also obtained the borrowers' employment contracts as part of the bargain.

Each borrower was charged 125 percent interest per year, which was more than double the legal rate of no more than 60%. Based on the number of passports and the maximum loan amount of $4,000 per borrower, the money lending operation was said to be worth at least $3 million.

Joanne supports the allegation, saying she borrowed $4,000 early this year out of desperation, and was made to pay $440 per month in interest alone. She had yet to pay the principal amount when the illicit operation was uncovered.

Asked why she opted to get a loan from an unlicensed money lender, Joanne readily admitted that it was because she still had an outstanding loan of $30,000 from a financing company.

She said she first took out a loan in Hong Kong to pay relatives back in the Philippines who had lent her the Php80,000 she used to fund her work application to Hong Kong.

Much of what she had borrowed the first time was not repaid, so she applied for a “reloan” which bloated her monthly amortization to such an extent that she did not have any money left for emergencies.

Thus, when she needed money badly early this year, she looked for another source, and ended up surendering her passport to the loan shark in Tsuen Wan so she could get the loan.

“Alam ko naman na mali,” she said, after being asked if she knew it was illegal for the passport to be given as security for a loan. “Pero wala na akong ibang matatakbuhan”.

At first, she thought she could just get back her passport from the police, but was told this was not likely to happen because the authorities would need to keep the documents as evidence, especially if the case goes to court.

Thus, the only option left to her is to apply for a new travel document from the Philippine Consulate, a process that has been intentionally made difficult in recent years because of the recurrent practice of migrant workers of using their passports to secure loans from unlicensed moneylenders.

Her only consolation is, her employer supports her effort to obtain a new passport, as she will need it  to process a new work contract and to travel out of Hong Kong when necessary. But as to when she could get a replacement document is still up in the air, especially with the current high demand for the new 10-year passports being issued by the Philippine government.

Joanne is also worried about her employment contract that the money lender had taken and which now appears also lost, as she had not told her employer that she also surrendered it to secure the loan.

Meanwhile, the lone suspect in the loan sharking operation is not expected to be charged in court anytime soon, as police will need to gather evidence by going over the seized documents, and look for the debtors like Joanne.

The investigation could prove tedious, as shown by a similar loan sharking operation busted by the police in March last year.

In that particular case, a local couple aided by eight Filipino “runners” including their domestic helper, reportedly gave loans totaling $10 million to more than 1,2000 Filipino domestic workers over an eight-month period, and made a profit of $2 million in the process.

All 10 suspects were arrested for “conspiracy to lend money at excessive interest rate” and “conspiracy to blackmail”, but have yet to be charged in court.

Hong Kong does have stringent laws on illegal money, lending, however. Violators face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a fine of $5 million.

Pictures of another migrant worker cleaning windows from outside go viral

The helper is pictured on a ledge outside a top-floor flat in Kornhill Gardens.
(Pictures from Rochen Monte's Facebook page)

By The SUN

The flat is said to be on the a 23rd or 24th floor

A Facebook post showing pictures of a woman, apparently a foreign domestic worker, cleaning windows from outside a high-rise flat in Quarry Bay has gone viral after being posted by a Filipina helper on Jul 6.

Rochen Monte told The SUN that she didn’t know the domestic worker personally, and was not sure if she was Filipino or Indonesian, but she would see her cleaning the outside parts of windows of a flat in block 3, Kornhill Gardens.

“Noon ko pa gustong picturan o video-han pero natatakot akong mapasama,” Monte said. “Pero kaninang umaga hindi ko na matiis na picturan po. Naaawa ako, wala akong magawa.”

Monte said the helper was cleaning from a flat on either the 23^rd or the 24^th floor of the Kornhill Gardens, but she was sure it was in block 3 as the building was directly opposite theirs.

FDH contracts have stipulated since January last year that no outside cleaning of windows by helpers is allowed.

Under the Schedule of Accommodations and Domestic Duties on page 3 of the contract, it is said: “When requiring the Helper to clean the outside of any window which is not located on the ground level or adjacent to a balcony (on which it must be reasonably safe for the Helper to work) or common corridor (“exterior window cleaning”) the exterior window cleaning must be performed under the following conditions:—
    (i) the window being cleaned is fitted with a grille which is locked or secured in a manner that prevents the grille being opened; and
    (ii) no part of the Helper’s body extends beyond the window ledge except the arms.”
In other words,employers will not be able to make domestic workers clean the outside of the windows unless the residential house is on the ground floor or next to a balcony or corridorwherein the domestic worker can stand safely. If the flat is on a higher floor, the window must belocked with a secured, possiblycrisscrossed or parallel, iron bars that allow no part of the body to be extended outside the window except the arms.

The Philippine government had pushed for the exclusion in late 2016, in the wake of a rash of incidents involving Filipino maids who were killed after falling from a height. In the latest such incident, 35-year-old Rinalyn Dulluog died after falling from a Lohas Park high rise on Aug. 9, 2016.

But despite the ban, some employers appear to continue to flout the law. In one such case, a Filipina domestic worker was pictured clinging precariously to a wall while cleaning windows from outside a Repulse Bay flat on Apr 29 last year, at the height of a super typhoon.

Fearing repercussions after her picture went viral on Facebook, the employer terminated their contract. M.R. Sta. Cruz, 37, promptly filed a case for illegal termination against her employer, and ended up settling it for more than $50,000.

According to the Mission for Migrant Workers, FDWs who are told to clean windows in violation of the provision “can politely explain to (their) employer the new clause on window cleaning for their enlightenment.” If the employers insist, they should be told that they could face consequences for violating an express provision in the employment contract.

“It might also help if you ask the authorities for advice on how to handle and make the employer abide by the contract. If the employer still insists and threatens you with termination of contract, you can file a complaint at the Labour Relations Division (LRD) of the Labour Department. LRDs have areas covered and you can find it in their website or call their hotline: 2717-1771,” said the Mission.

Alternatively, the worker can call the Mission at 2522-8264 for enquiries or assistance.

Sabadong sesyon ng fin-lit, sinimulan

Ni Marites Palma

Bumuhos man ang napakalakas na ulan noong Sabado, ika-23 ng Hunyo ay hindi pa rin natinag ang 18 kababaihan sa pagsali sa isang usaping pinansyal na isinagawa ng CARD Hong Kong Foundation.

Ang sesyon ay ang kauna-unahang financial literacy training sa Sabado na inilunsad ng Card HK

Tinanong ang mga kalahok kung  bakit sila dumalo sa pagsasanay, at ang sagot ng ilan ay dahil gusto nilang matuto na humawak ng pera dahil kinukulang daw ang kanilang sahod. Ang iba naman ay nagsabing gusto nilang malaman kung ano ang kanilang gagawin sa naipon na nilang pera.

Unang batch ng Sabado Group.

Sagot naman ni Jennifer Maro, nakatakda siyang bumalik na sa Pilipinas sa susunod na buwan at gusto niyang may matutunan na maaari niyang magamit kapag umuwi na siya.

Sa isang panayam, sinabi ni Maro ang sikreto kung paano siya nakapag-ipon habang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong.

“Kahit narito na ako sa Hong Kong ay inako pa rin ng aking asawa ang responsibilidad sa aming mga anak. Nagsumikap siya hanggang nakaipon ng pera na ipinantayo niya ng isang karinderya. Lumago ito at ngayon ay dalawa na ang aming karinderya,” sabi ni Maro.

Dahil dito ay nagkasundo ang mag-asawa na umuwi na si Maro para magkatuwang na silang mag-aasikaso sa kanilang mga kainan.

Malaki-laki na rin daw ang kanyang naipon kaya malakas na ang kanyang loob na umuwi na para maasikaso ang asawa  at mabantayan ang paglaki ng kanilang apat na anak, ayon kay Maro.

Dumating si Maro sa Hong Kong noong 1999 nang siya ay dalaga pa, at dating nagtrabaho bilang research assistant sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas sa Diliman. Nagdesisyon siyang pumasok na kasambahay dahil daw hindi na kayang tustusan ng kanyang mga magulang ang pag-aaral ng mga nakababata niyang mga kapatid. Inako ni Maro ang pagpaaral sa kanila, at nakapagpatayo pa siya ng bahay.

Maganda ang naging talakayan ng grupo mula simula hanggang matapos ang sesyon. Sa tuwa ng mga dumalo sa kanilang natutunan ay nagsabi sila na hihikayatin ang kanilang mga kaibigan na sumali din sa mga susunod na pagsasanay.

Ang susunod na sesyong pang Sabado ay sa ika-22 ng Hulyo. Para makasali o kumuha ng karagdagang impormasyon, mag “like” lang sa Facebook page ng CARD HONG KONG FOUNDATION, o tumawag sa numerong 9529 6392, 5423 8196, o 9606 6810.