Cooking is fun – and easy

Reading posts shared by members of the Domestic Workers Corner (It’s All About Food) is always a pleasant experience. Most members clearly enjoy cooking, and are generous with sharing their own recipes, or cooking tips honed by years of experience.

One post that stood out recently for being extra cheerful, even playful, came from Gen BA Osnilod, who went out of her way to encourage her fellow kitchen habitués to cook garlic chives, which is abundant this time of the year, and cheap.

Said Gen: “Hi, happy blessed morning and Monday to everyone . My name is garlic chives. I’m still in season so you (may want) to choose and include me as one of your dishes. Remember that I’m nutritious, healthy, has a nice smell, easy to prepare and affordable , and and I really love to be cook and paired with, eggs, pork, chicken, fish (dried or fresh) crab meats, scallops and many many more…so enjoy cooking me and I’m sure your Boss will love it too. By the way. Gen really likes to cook me because her employer loves to request and eat me.”

She then posted pictures of a yummy-looking dish of garlic chives topped with fried squid, sliced in a most interesting way. Aside from the cooked dish, Gen also shared pictures of the raw ingredients, and how the squid was cut a certain way so it curls inwards when cooked.

Garlic Chives with Squid

Ingredients:
1 bunch of garlic chives , cut to about 3" long
2 medium sized squids
garlic, minced
ginger, sliced thinly
light soy sauce (to taste)
wine (to taste)
dash of shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)

Procedure:
1. Cut open the squids and make criss-cross cuts inside before slicing into about two-inch pieces (see picture)
2. Saute squid with minced garlic and sliced ginger, then season with light soy sauce and wine.
3. Add the garlic chives, then flavor with shrimp paste (replacing salt).

Note: Squid could be substituted with fish balls, pork, eggs, fresh skin tofu, dried shrimps or Chinese sausage.

Another member, Nheng Villa Dita, posted a variety of tasty-looking dishes that she just cooked for her employer’s guests and family, including her version of pork adobo, which she said was a special request from her ward. But the most eye-catching among her specialties was her steamed garlic shrimps.

Steamed Garlic Shrimps 
Ingredients
1 catty fresh shrimps, de-veined and sliced on the back
1 whole head of garlic, crushed
light soy sauce
sugar to taste
salt to taste
olive oil for flavoring
oil for frying
dash of white pepper
spring onion, chopped
small pack of vermicelli or sotanghon

Procedure:
1. Divide minced garlic into two portions. Stir fry half of the portion until brown and exudes aroma, then mix with the other half that’s fresh.
2. Add salt, olive oil, white pepper to the garlic mixture.
3. Wash shrimps and cut off legs, hairy bits and sharp part of the heads. Using a pair of scissors, cut the back part with the shell, then use a sharp knife to continue slitting the back up to the tail. Set aside.
4. Wash and soak vermicelli until soft, then spread on a plate evenly.
5. Arrange shrimps on top of the vermicelli, then spread the garlic mix on their slit backs.
6. Steam shrimps for 5 minutes.
7. Cook oil with light soy sauce and sugar, then quickly pour over the shrimps while hot. Top with chopped spring onions.

A great way to round off the menu for this issue is this spicy chicken recipe from Elemar Jay Barut:

Grilled chicken legs with chili and coriander
Ingredients for marinade:
½ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
chopped chili (to taste)

Procedure:
1.) Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2) Add two pieces chicken legs and marinate for 1 ½ hours
3) Grill for 50 minutes in oven at 180 degrees. Serve hot.

All set for today's licensure exam for teachers

More than 600 education graduates will take the exam

By Vir B. Lumicao

All is set for the holding of this year’s special licensure examination for Filipino teachers today, Sept 30, at the Delia Memorial School on Hip wo St. in Kwun Tong, East Kowloon.

A total of 614 prospective teachers – 324 elementary and 292 secondary – from among  overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, have qualified to sit the annual examination.

This year, nine OFWs based in Macau and one from the mainland will take the exam alongside their Hong Kong-based compatriots, said Gloria Varquez, an officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office who is overseeing preparations for the exam.

There are eight examinees who failed to pay the exam fee on time, but have been allowed to settle their obligation on Sept 30, before they are given the exam documents, Varquez said.

Gemma Lauraya, president of National Organization of Professional Teachers Hong Kong, a group that lobbied for holding the special LET here and organized review classes for examinees, said there seem to be no major problems a few days before the exam.

“So far, wala naman po except yong iba na during the exam pa makukuha ang “notice of examination” kasi wala ang names sa list,” she said in an online message.

These examinees appear to have paid the test fee in full but records at Landbank, which was appointed this year as the sole depository for the fees, did not reflect this on its records. The examinees were thus allowed to take the test as long as they are able to show proof of full payment.

Eight domestic helpers whose contracts were terminated by their employers ahead of the exam will sit it in their respective areas in the Philippines such as in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and General Santos City in South Cotabato, Varquez said.

Last Sunday, Sept 23, Labor Attaché Nida Romulo held an orientation meeting with 63 proctors and watchers on exam day who are mostly members of NOPT HK, but also included volunteers from the community.

She said 58 will be assigned to the examination rooms, and the five extra will be on standby as substitutes if some proctors or watchers fail to arrive on time, or they could be designated as marshalls.

“I spoke to them during the orientation and echoed to them the guidelines of the Professional Regulation Commission on the holding of the exam,” Labatt Romulo said.

Varquez said five officers of the CRC were due to arrive on Sept 27 to prepare for the administration of the exam.

On Sunday, the POLO advised the examinees to bring PhP25 or its Hong Kong dollar equivalent for two documentary stamps, in addition to the items that it had earlier reminded them to bring along for the test, which starts at 6am and close at 6pm.

For examinees coming from the outlying islands and the New Territories, POLO has prepared letters requesting their employers to allow them to leave a day early so they can stay near the exam site, and get to the venue by 6am Sunday.

Other examinees have arranged with fellow examinees who live nearby to travel together by taxi so they can get to the venue faster.

This year’s number of takers of the licensure exam is substantially bigger than the 464 who took the test last year.

 

Lauraya has said this may be due to the SPIMS, or “Sa Pinas Ikaw ang Ma’am, Sir,” a government program meant to encourage Filipino teachers working as domestic helpers abroad to return home and teach.

Pay increase?

Ni Ate Kulit

(Editor's note: This column was written a week before the actual announcement of a HK$110 increase in the minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic workers.)

Alam mong nalalapit na ang desisyon ng gobyerno ng Hong Kong tungkol sa minimum allowable wage (MAW) para sa dayuhang domestic helper (na puwedeng higitan ng mga employer kung gusto nila), dahil inililinya ng Labour Department ang ilang pampublikong mga aktibidad  upang ipakita kung paano pinahahalagahan ng HK ang mga manggagawa. Tampok sa mga ito ang ginagawa ng Labor Department upang pangalagaan ang mga manggagawa, at isa na rito ay ang tanunang pagsusuri upang malaman kung ano ang magiging MAW.

Kung sana, sa mga aktibidad na ito ay malaman na rin natin ang bagong MAW para maibsan ang ating pananabik.

Halimbawa, may  exhibition tungkol sa Employment Ordinance at sa Minimum Wage Ordinance sa Belvedere Square sa Tsuen Wan sa Sept. 29-30. Itinatampok rito ang mga probisyon ng batas tungkol sa mga karapatan hindi lamang ng mga lokal na manggagawa kundi ng mga domestic helper mula sa ibang bansa.

Mayroon ding isang diskusyon tungkol sa “Prevention of Upper Limb Disorders” sa Oct. 4 sa Hong Kong Central Library. Ipapakita raw dito kung ano ang sanhi ng mga sakit sa braso, na karaniwang ginagamit sa pagtatrabaho, at mga paraan kung paano ito maiisawasan.

Mayroon ding diskusyon tungkol sa “Chemicals and Occupational Health” na gagawin sa Hong Kong Space Museum sa Oct. 11. Pagtutuunan ng pansin dito ang mga kemikal na gamit sa trabaho at kung paano ito nakakapasok at nakalalason sa katawan ng mga manggagawa.

Isa ang Hong Kong sa may pinakamataas na suweldo sa mga DH sa buong mundo, at ito ay dahil sa mga nakalipas na pagtataas ng minimum na sahod na nagpatong-patong sa paglipas ng mga taon.

Hindi lahat ng taon ay may umento ang mga DH. May mga taon ding binawasan din ang sahiod nila dahil nagkaroon ng kriris sa ekonomiya. Pero generally, ika nga, itinatakda pataas ang MAW kung walang pang-ekonomiyang balakid dito.

At kung babasehan natin ang mga nakaraang umento, malamang na hindi sundin ang hinihingi ng mga grupong militante na HKD5,500 bawa’t buwan, mula sa HKD4,410.

Ang nakikita naming umento ay HKD100.

Tama kaya kami o mali?

Domestic workers' salary in HK raised by $110, migrants call it 'an insult'

By The SUN

 Migrant domestic groups have lashed out at the $110 monthly increase in the salary of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, calling it “an insult.”

From tomorrow, the new minimum allowable wage for FDHs will be raised to $4,520 a month, from the previous $4,410. The monthly food allowance will go up by $22 to $1,075 a month.

Migrant workers asked for $5,500 but got only $4,520

Migrant leaders have been calling for a $5,500 minimum wage and $2,500 food allowance.

Eman Villanueva, spokesperson of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, said it was an insult to give foreign domestic workers so little an increase in their monthly wage because their expenses have been going up considerably.

“It’s because the government keeps insisting on making “affordability” (or the capability of an employer to hire a domestic helper) a factor in determining how much we should make in a month. But what about the migrant worker’s right to earn a living wage?”

Villanueva was more upset that the additional allowance given to a migrant worker who is not given free food is just $22 a month. “That’s less than $1 a day!,” he said. “It suggests that the government is ok with domestic workers eating only noodles every day because that’s all they can afford with the amount given them for food.”

He said AMCB will continue its work on securing better pay and working conditions for all FDWs, and hoped more will support their cause.

A statement issued by the government late this afternoon (Sept 28) pegged the wage increase at 2.5 percent, and 2.1 percent for the food allowance.

The statement said, "The Government reviews the MAW for FDHs regularly. In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong's general economic and labour market conditions over the past year, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including the relevant income movement and price change in this year's review. The Government has also taken into account Hong Kong's near-term economic outlook, as well as affordability for employers on the one hand and the interests of FDHs on the other, in reaching the decision on the above-mentioned adjustment."

The new wage levels will apply to all FDH contracts signed on or after tomorrow, Sept. 29. Those signed earlier at the previous levels will still be processed by Immigration provided the contracts reach its offices on or before Oct. 26.

The arrangement is meant to give employers enough time to send the signed contracts to Immigration for processing.

Phl poised to require insurance for all new and returning OFWs

By Daisy CL Mandap

All returning overseas Filipino workers, even those who have renewed their contracts with the same employers, may soon be required to take out an insurance that costs USD144 (or HK$1,200), before being allowed to return to their work sites.

This is in line with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)’s Governing Board Resolution No 4, signed on Aug 17 by five officials led by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

According to a stamp on the directive, it was supposed to have been circulated to concerned agencies on Sept. 4, but will take effect only 15 days after the publication of its implementing guidelines.

OFWs in Central: Soon all of them will be required to buy insurance.

But when asked when the resolution is likely to be implemented, Labor Attache Nida Romulo said she had not received any instructions relating to it.

Labatt Romulo also said she had read reports that Secretary Bello might visit Macau soon, but was not sure if the trip would include Hong Kong. She was not sure, either, if the POEA Resolution would be discussed if he does visit Hong Kong.

Migrant workers and employers were, however, quick to dismiss the insurance requirement as unnecessary, as Hong Kong already mandates employers to insure their domestic helpers to cover medical and repatriation costs should these become necessary.

Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chair of Unifil-Migrante Hong Kong, also said the insurance requirement was just another way for the government to further milk migrant workers.

“Nabigla kami sa lumabas na memo ng POEA - Board Resolution no. 04 na magiging mandatory na ang pagkuha ng insurance ng mga OFWS. Nakakagalit dahil gatasang baka talaga ang turing sa mga OFWs, dagadag pahirap na naman ito sa amin, dahil ngayon ay sobrang krisis na kami at aming pamilya dahil sa patuloy na inflation at pagtaas ng mga gastusin at bayarin sa Pilipinas, (pero) di naman tumataas ang sahod,” said Balladares-Pelaez.

In addition, she said the new exaction could spark tension with employers, and might even lead to domestic workers losing their jobs.

“Kung sukdulan na ang galit ng employer sa dami ng kanyang gastusin at bayarin sa pagkuha ng Filipino domestic worker, maaring hindi na kunin ng employer ang Filipino worker at mawalan kami ng trabaho,” she added.

Doris Lee of the employers’ group Open Door, also expressed displeasure at the new obligation they are being made to bear, calling it redundant.

“The Philippine government requirement that employers of Filipino domestic workers must pay $1,200 per contract renewal for insurance is a duplication of existing employer insurance requirement under Hong Kong law,” said Lee.

“If the Philippine government’s primary aim is to ensure sufficient protection of its citizens, and the Hong Kong insurance is not adequate, the proper approach should be to negotiate with the Hong Kong government about improving the coverage of the Hong Kong insurance. We hope the Philippine government can eliminate this redundancy, and reduce burdens on employers as well as (probably) workers who may sometimes be forced by their employers to bear this cost.”

Under the POEA resolution, all returning OFWs, meaning those who have gone back to the Philippines after renewing their contracts with the same employer, or have moved to another, must register with POEA.

And to do this, they must provide a passport valid for at least 6 months, valid visa, and a certificate of insurance coverage similar to that required of those leaving for their first jobs abroad.

For land-based workers, the two-year policy is pegged by the insurance companies at US$144 (almost Php8,000 at current exchange rates), while those who work at sea must pay US$200.

Surprisingly, Resolution 4 kept referring to RA 8042, even if it has already been repealed by RA 10022, which requires only newly hired OFWs to secure insurance from a select group of companies vetted by the Insurance Commission of the Philippines.

The law has clearly taken away the compulsory nature of the insurance for rehires, or those renewing their contracts with the same employer.

Sec 34A of RA 10022 provides: “For migrant workers classified as rehires, name hires or direct hires, they may opt to be covered by this insurance coverage by requesting their foreign employers to pay for the cost of the insurance coverage or they may pay for the premium themselves.”

Another apparent anomaly is that a Republic Act, which had gone through rigorous scrutiny by members of Congress, is now being effectively repealed by a mere POEA Resolution.

If and when POEA manages to get the new directive implemented, it can expect vigorous opposition from the migrant workers.

“Hindi kami papayag na magpatuloy ito, kaya maaga pa lang magsasagawa na kami ng protesta sa mandatory insurance. Kailangan magkaisa at magtulong-tulong ang mga OFWs dito para labanan at itakwil ang panibagong pangongotong na ito sa mga OFWs,” Balladares-Pelaez vowed.

Trillanes arrest raises Constitutional problems

The arrest of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV presents constitutional issues over a rebellion case that had been considered obliterated, according to former Armed Forces chief and senator Rodolfo Biazon.

Interviewed on radio, Biazon also pointed out that granting of amnesty is a shared power between the President and Congress, and which could not be voided by the President alone.

“You have to remember that there is the whole process of the grant of amnesty,” he said.

Also, Biazon said Trillanes cannot be placed under court martial proceedings because he is already a civilian.

“We have a constitutional problem. Sa aking pagkakaalam, if you’re granted an amnesty, all your criminal offenses are obliterated,” Biazon told “Bandila sa DZMM.”

Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda on Tuesday ordered Trillanes’ arrest over the latter’s role in the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

Alameda, in his order to arrest Trillanes, said the senator “failed to present the original hard copy, a duplicate copy or even a photocopy showing that he personally accomplished and filed” an application for amnesty.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

Trillanes immediately posted bail for his temporary liberty and went back to the Senate where he has been seeking refuge since President Duterte voided the grant of his amnesty three weeks ago.

On Wednesday, Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) five days from the receipt of Trillanes’ Supplemental Comment to file their answer.

DOJ prosecutors moved swiftly and filed their pleading on the same day to resolve their other pending plea for issuance of warrant and travel ban against Trillanes IV.

Makati RTC Branch 148 handled the coup d’etat charge against Trillanes over the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny

The DOJ has already secured a warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes from Makati RTC Branch 150 as the court said that Proclamation 572—declaring Trillanes’ amnesty as void—has factual basis.

A coup d’etat charge is non-bailable.

Should Soriano grant the DOJ’s motion, Trillanes would have to be detained by authorities.

Before leaving the Senate on Tuesday to post bail at the Makati court, Trillanes declared:

“Democracy lost today. Officially, we have no democracy. This case goes beyond me.”

Meantime, the affidavit of Col. Josefa Berbigal, head of the secretariat of the temporary amnesty committee of the Department of National Defense (DND) that processed the applications of military rebels for amnesty in 2011, belied the claim of Duterte that Trillanes, his fiercest critic in Congress, did not apply for amnesty nor admit guilt.

Duterte voided on August 31 the amnesty granted to Trillanes and ordered the revival of the coup d’état and rebellion charges against the senator.

Earlier, Trillanes showed pictures of himself holding the accomplished application form for news photographers as he applied for amnesty at the DND on Jan. 5, 2011.

Former Defense Undersecretary Honorio Azcueta, the then head of the DND amnesty committee, said on Sept. 9 that Trillanes applied for amnesty, “[t]hat’s why on record he was granted amnesty.”

Trillanes’ application and those of 94 other military mutineers were approved after three weeks.

Homesickness ng isang bunso

Sa edad na 26 ay nagdesisyon si Ruth na mamasukan bilang kasambahay sa Hong Kong kahit walang karanasan sa gawaing bahay, dahil gustong makaipon at matupad ang pangarap na magkaroon ng sariling bahay at lupa. Mababa lang kasi ang kanyang sweldo bilang cashier sa kanilang bayan, at hindi sapat para makatulong ng kahit na kaunti lamang sa kanyang ina, na mag-isang nagtaguyod sa kanilang magkakapatid simula nang mamatay ang kanyang ama.

Sa unang mga araw niya sa Hong Kong ay halos hilahin ni Ruth ang mga oras, at walang gabi na hindi siya umiiyak. Tuwing umaga ay laging namumugto ang kanyang mata kaya panay ang tanong ng kanyang amo ng “Is there something wrong with you?” Lagi namang “Nothing ma’am” lang ang sinasagot niya.

Bunso siya sa kanilang magkakapatid at hindi kasi siya sanay na malayo sa kanyang pamilya, lalo na sa kanyang ina.

Mabuti na lang at may mga naging kaibigan siya na humikayat sa kanya na mag miyembro ng kanilang “spiritual community” upang siya ay malibang at mapawi ang kanyang homesickness. Ito ang nakatulong ng malaki para maibsan ang kanyang pangungulila.

Tuwing araw ng Linggo ay masaya silang nagtitipon-tipon, at lubhang kinasabikan ni Ruth ang kanilang mga gawain, lalo na ang bible study na nagpatibay ng kanyang pananampalataya at pananaw sa buhay. Pagkatapos ng kanilang mga gawain sa simbahan ay masaya silang nagsasalo-salo at nagkukwentuhan.

Ngayon ay malapit nang matapos ang kontrata ni Ruth, at balak niyang pumirma ng panibago dahil mabait ang kanyang mga amo at sanay na rin siya sa buhay at trabaho niya sa Hong Kong. Si Ruth ay dalaga at tubong Negros at kasalukuyang nangangamuhan sa mag-asawang Intsik na may isang anak at naninirahan sa Cheung Sha Wan. – Ellen Asis

Pinatatag ng problema

Na-terminate bigla si Dolor nang hiniling niya sa amo na payagan siyang umuwi sa Pilipinas para saksihan ang pagtatapos ng elementarya ng anak. Ayon sa amo, kailang tapusin muna niya ang kanyang kontrata bago siya umuwi, at makakapagtapos naman daw ang kanyang anak kahit wala siya doon.

Hindi inaasahan ni Dolor na ganoon ang magiging reaksyon ng amo dahil kahit mabunganga ito ay maayos naman ang kanilang samahan. Malapit na ding matapos ang kanyang kontrata kaya inasahan niya na papayagan siyang umuwi bilang kunsiderasyon sa kanyang maayos na pagseserbisyo.

Masakit man sa damdamin ang ginawa ng amo ay wala siyang nagawa kundi umuwi at ituloy ang balak na saksihan ang pagtatapos ng kanyang anak. Mabuti na lang at ginamit niya sa mga libreng oras sa Hong Kong sa pagsali sa mga iba-ibang pagsasanay kaya marami siyang natutunan na pwede niyang magamit sa paghahanap-buhay sa sa Pilipinas.

Dahil sa mga livelihood training na sinalihan niya ay natuto siyang mag-beading, maggantsilyo, at pati na rin kung paano magpalakad ng negosyo.

Sa ngayon ay nag-umpisa nang mangasiwa ng isang munting tindahan si Dolor sa Baguio, at malaki ang kumpiyansa sa sarili. Naging malaking tulong daw ang kanyang mga karanasan sa Hong Kong para lumakas ang kanyang loob na harapin ang mga hamon ng buhay. Si Dolor ay 46 na taong gulang at dating nagtrabaho sa pamilyang Intsik na nakatira sa Tsuen Wan. – Ellen Asis

Reference lang, pero ginulo

Hindi mapagkatulog si Ann ng mabuti nitong nakaraang buwan matapos siyang bulabugin ng kolektor sa isang pautangan. Si Ann na isang Ilongga, may asawa at apat na anak, ay ngayon lang nasabit sa ganitong problema sa tagal nang paninilbihan niya sa Hong Kong.

Ang masaklap, nag “reference” lang siya sa isang kaibigan na nangutang ng $10,000, at pagkatapos ay biglang naglaho. Lumipat ito ng tirahan at pinaputol ang kanyang telepono kaya nang hindi na mahagilap ng pautangan ay si Ann ang ginulo.

Hindi lang siya tinawagan ng ilang beses sa landline ng amo niya, nilagay pa ang pangalan niya sa Facebook para siya mapahiya, at ang saklap, ay nag viral pa ito.

Sa hiya ay umiiyak na humingi ng paumanhin si Ann sa amo niya dahil sa 10 taon niyang paninilbihan sa kanila ay noon lang nangyari ang ganoon. Hinanda ni Ann ang sarili na mawalan ng trabaho kahit kailangan pa niya ng pera para sa mga anak.

Ang bunso niya ay kakaumpisa pa lang sa kursong civil engineering, yung panganay niya ay kakasampa pa lang sa barko, ang pangalawa na nagtapos ng aeronautical engineering ay naghahanap pa ng trabaho, at yung pangatlo na nag graduate na cum laude sa chemistry ay kasalukuyan pang nag rereview para sa board exam niya.

Mabuti na lang at naging maunawain ang amo ni Ann at tinanggap ang paliwanag niya. Suwerte din niya dahil nagsisikap ang mga anak niya para hindi masayang ang pagsasakripisyo niya ng dahil sa kanila, samantalang ang kanyang asawa ay tapat na gumagabay sa kanilang pamilya habang siya ay nasa ibang bayan. – Merly Bunda

Ayaw sa utang

Ganoon na lang ang gulat ni Mary Ann nang bigla siyang tanungin ng kanyang amo kung nasaan ang pasaporte niya, araw ng Lunes, bago ito pumasok sa trabaho. Agad naman itong ipinakita ni Mary Ann. Pero nang hanapin na naman ito ng amo noong sumunod na Lunes ay hindi na napigilan ni Mary Ann ang magtanong.

Sa loob kasi ng limang taong paninilbihan niya sa mga amo ay noon lang nito hinanap ang kanyang pasaporte. Diretsong sinabi ng amo na naninigurado lang ito na hindi ginamit ni Mary Ann ang pasaporte na collateral para makapangutang. Nadadalas daw kasi ang mga balita sa dyaryo at TV tungkol sa pasaporte ng mga kasambahay na nasamsam ng mga pulis mula sa mga loan shark.

Naiintindihan naman ni Mary Ann ang pangamba ng kanyang amo, dahil hindi biro ang perhuwisyong binibigay ng mga kolektor kapag pumalya sa pagbabayad ang isang katulong. Pati ang amo ay damay sa pagtawag-tawag at pambabastos ng mga ito sa telepono, at kung minsan ay umaakyat pa sa kanilang bahay para maningil at magpahiya.

Para hindi na magduda ang amo ay lagi nang iniiwan ni Mary Ann sa kanyang kama ang kanyang pasaporte bago siya lumabas sa araw ng Linggo.

Sa kabilang dako, hindi din naman masisi ni Mary Ann ang mga kababayan na kumakapit sa patalim dahil sa hirap ng buhay sa Pilipinas at ang walang tigil na panghingi ng pera ng mga iniwang kapamilya, na hindi batid ang paghihirap ng isang nangangamuhan sa ibang bansa.


Masuwerte si Mary Ann dahil pinapahalagan ng kanyang pamilya ang pinapadala niyang pera, kaya balak na niyang mag for good sa susunod na taon pagkatapos ng kanyang kontrata. Si Mary Ann ay 45 taong gulang, may apat na anak, at tubong Batangas. – Rodelia Villar