Four locals arrested in loan shark ring targeting Filipino helpers

.By The SUN

 

More than 100 OFWs were made to sign up  for loans with the syndicate at 195% interest rate

Hong Kong police say they have released on bail two local men and two local women who were arrested in a crackdown yesterday, Aug 5, on a loan shark syndicate that preyed on Filipino domestic helpers coming to this city.

A police spokeswoman said charges have not yet been filed against the four as investigations into their money laundering and loan sharking operations are ongoing.

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The four, aged 52 to 74, were arrested in a police swoop in North Point, Wong Tai Sin and Western. They were instructed to report to the police in early September, she said.

But the police did not give the names of the arrested persons, the lending companies they represented in Hong Kong, and their partner agencies in the Philippines.

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The syndicate’s partner finance companies in the Philippines reportedly lent money totaling $23 million to more than 100 successful job applicants to pay for their agency fee and related services such as medical and training costs.

The workers paid back the loans to the Hong Kong syndicate in monthly installments at excessive interest rates as high as 195% a year, more than triple the 60% legal ceiling.

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Under Hong Kong laws, lending firms that charge more than a 60% are liable to a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a $5 million fine if convicted. Employment agencies are also prohibited from charging their recruits more than 10% of their first monthly salary.

In the Philippines it is illegal for employment agencies to charge placement fees from job applicants. But some agencies force the workers to go to lending companies and take out loans to pay for their services, masked as training and other fees.

  

Police started investigating after 17 OFWs complained about being charged up to $14k a month as repayment

Police began investigating this particular case when 17 workers who were made to pay $6,000 to $14,000 monthly within three to six months of their arrival reported the illegal operation.

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“The syndicate signed contracts with the helpers through finance companies in the Philippines. They borrowed between $4,000 and $8,000 in pesos,” local media reports quoted Chief Inspector Tang Hoi-ting of the narcotics bureau’s financial investigation team as saying.

Tang said the syndicate did not inform the workers they would be paying such a high interest rate when lending the money.

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Officers seized computers, cash and receipts during the raids and froze $5 million that the syndicate held in a bank account.

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Smart HKID card replacement suspended as anti-Covid-19 precaution

Here’s a reminder to foreign domestic helpers and other residents born in 1962 or 1963 who are scheduled to replace their Hong Kong identity cards during the call-up period July 28-Sept 22.

Replacement of their HKID with the new smart identity cards has been suspended by the Immigration Department tstarting July 20 to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community.

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The Department said in an advisory those who are unable to replace their HK ID cards during the call-up period should wait for the resumption of services.

Those who have already made an appointment to replace their ID cards may proceed to the Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre nearest their district when services resume. 

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This also applies to those born between 1957 to 1961 who were not able to meet their call-up time until July 27. They should go directly to the Replacement Centres to apply for replacing their HK IDs,  in line wtih Immigration's flexibility arrangement due to the spread of the virus.

The territory-wide identity card replacement exercise covers all Hong Kong residents, whether they are permanent residents or non-permanent residents taking up employment, investment, residence or study in Hong Kong. They include foreign domestic helpers.

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Before the Covid-19 crisis worsened in Hong Kong in February-March this year, the SIDCCs were open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, except public holidays.

When services resume, eligible applicants may book their appointment via the Internet (www.gov.hk/newicbooking), the Immigration Department mobile application or the 24-hour telephone booking hotline 2121 1234.

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To book an appointment via the Internet or to download the mobile application, applicants should scan the QR codes. 

Applicants are advised to pre-fill the application form when booking an appointment through the Internet or mobile application. They need to bring along their old smart identity card.

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The Immigration Department said each eligible applicant for ID card replacement may bring along up to two persons with disabilities, in addition to two family members or friends aged 65 or above, when going to an SIDCC.

Eligible residents who are absent from Hong Kong during their call-up period can apply within 30 days of their return to the city.

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For details of the Hong Kong-wide ID card replacement exercise, visit www.smartid.gov.hk or call the enquiry hotline 2824 6111.

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Beirut blast kills 100 people, including 2 OFWs

By The SUN

 

The Beirut blast that flattened many buildings and killed about 100 people 

Two overseas Filipino workers are among an estimated 100 people killed in an explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, and left eight other Filipinos wounded and 11 missing, Malacañang reported today, Aug 5.

The massive blast at the Lebanese capital’s port area left some 4,000 people wounded

and devastated a large part of the district, state-run media reported, citing the Red Cross.

Georges Kettaneh, the secretary-general of the Lebanese Red Cross, told Lebanon’s National News Agency on Wednesday that the disaster is “unprecedented and very large.”

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Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV station it appeared the blast was caused by more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate that detonated in a warehouse where it had been stored ever since it was confiscated from a cargo ship in 2014.

Video footage of the explosion showed thick gray smoke billowing from a low-rise building next to the port. Within seconds, the smoke turned brick red and orange as the ground exploded, sending up a mushroom cloud several hundred feet into the air like a nuclear explosion.

The explosion flattened a wide swath of buildings and wrecked the front side of a skyscraper on the waterfront. 

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In Manila, the Philippine government extended condolences to the families of the two OFWs who died in the blast, and expressed sadness that eight others were wounded, and 11 are still missing. 

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar also promised government assistance to those who were wounded.

“We condole with the families of the two Filipino workers who perished in the tragic accident in Beirut, and pray for the fast recovery of those eight injured, some of them seriously, and still under treatment at various hospitals in that part of Lebanon,” Bello said in a statement.

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“We also note with sadness that 11 others of our OFWs, all sea-based workers docked at the port of Beirut, are still unaccounted for,” Bello said.

He added that the labor department is coordinating closely with Beirut authorities to locate them and work for their safe return to the Philippines if they decide to do so.

Andanar issued a separate statement that assured help from the government for all the victims of the tragedy.

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“We assure everyone that our government is ensuring the safety of our OFWs there through the Philippine Embassy in Beirut and that concerned government agencies are providing the assistance their families need,” Andanar said.

 

Sacular showing off her injured head and hands in a Facebook post 

One of those injured was OFW Melda Sacular, who said she was in her room when the explosion happened. She said part of her scalp was sliced by a shard from the glass door in her employer’s house. Both her hands were also injured.

Even her employer was injured in the head, Sacular said.

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She said she had just finished wiping the door when she saw the explosion in the port area and ran for cover. Suddenly, their door was blown out.

“Naliligo ako sa dugo pagkatapos lumipad ang salamin na pinto,” she said in a live selfie video she posted on Facebook.

Rescuers came to the house after awhile and took the maid and her employer to the hospital. She thanked her rescuers who also assisted many other people who also needed help.

Jehanie Silva Macuro said her cousin Bheng Arguelles was badly shaken during the blast.

“My whole body is still shaking until now,” Arguelles said in a message to friends.

“Lahat ng front glass door (and) window basag.”

Macuro said Argeuelles has been working in Beirut for more than two years.

As of Dec 31 last year, there were 34,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, the fourth biggest migrant community behind Ethiopians, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans.

The late Ambassador Bernardita Catalla, who had been consul general in Hong Kong for three years, served as the country’s top envoy to Lebanon until her death from Covid-19 early this year.

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Infected Indonesian helper who stayed in dorms sparks fears of coronavirus spread

By Daisy CL Mandap

About 30 Indonesian workers and their employers could be close contacts of the infected helper

An Indonesian domestic worker who stayed in a boarding house with 28 other helpers as well as an employment agency office was among the 85 new Covid-19 cases reported today, Aug. 5.

Her case has sparked concern that a new cluster of cases might emerge from among the many people she had been in contact with, two weeks since she left her former employer’s home.

Also among the new cases is a Filipina domestic worker who tested positive on the10th day of her quarantine, indicating she had a negative test result on her arrival in Hong Kong, and in a required pre-boarding testing before she left Manila.

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According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, the Indonesian helper, identified as case no 3664, left her former employer’s home on Jul 20. Between Jul 22 and 23, she moved to a boarding house in Wanchai, where 28 other FDWs were staying.

The shelter, located at 375 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, is reportedly operated by KL Home Care Ltd.

On Jul 23, she hung out in a unit at 48 Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay (reportedly owned by Bandung Enterprises Employment Agency) while looking for a new employer. She developed symptoms on Aug 1 and was confirmed positive for Covid-19 yesterday.

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“Her former employer has been found, and will be tested,” said Dr Chuang.

All four helpers who lived in the unit with her between Jul 30 and 31, along with the agency’s staff, have been traced, and put under quarantine.

However, all the 28 FDWs who had stayed at the first boarding house with the patient have all left to live with their respective employers, so it is taking time to locate them, said Chuang.

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She also said that because two weeks had passed since the patient started staying in the dormitory, it would be difficult to find out where the infection might have started.

“So we are very worried because we have not found the source of the infection yet,” Chuang said.

She called on the workers and their employers with links to the case to step forward for testing and isolation.

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The case also sparked concern among those living in, and managing shelters or temporary lodging for FDWs.

Edwina Antonio, executive director of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, said the surge in infections has made running the shelter even more difficult. The new positive case has made it even more urgent to adopt stringent intake measures.

 

Antonio (left) says Bethune House is taking extra care amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases 

“Kahit ang Bethune House ay maingat sa pag-admit ng mga bagong clients dahil malaki ang magiging epekto nito (infection) sa operations and services,” she said. “Kaya sa ngayon, hindi pwedeng lumabas ang mga residents unless case-related, at wala ding outside activities o visits mula sa ibang tao.”

(Even Bethune House is being very cautious in admitting new clients because an infection could have a severe impact on operations and services. So for now, our residents are not allowed to go out unless for case-related matters, and we also don’t  conduct outside activities or allow visits from other people).

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Apart from the Filipina helper who was found infected while in quarantine, two other imported cases were reported. One involved a returnee from the United States, and another who flew in from Kazakhstan via Turkey.

There was another case of a patient who flew in from Taiwan, then tried to switch hotels before attempting to leave Hong Kong while under quarantine.

He was intercepted at the border and moved to a quarantine centre where he tested positive yesterday. Chuang said they were still looking into whether the case should be classified as imported or local.

Another cause for concern is the growing number of cases linked to a direct marketing company operating out of a basement office in Kowloon.

Six new cases were recorded today, and all the patients were at the company’s training held at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Mong Kok on Jul 31.

Chuang said that so far, around 45 cases have been linked to this cluster.

Five other cases were linked to the King Fok elderly home in Sham Shui Po. Four are staff of the home, while one is a resident.

Dr Lau Ka-hin of the Hospital Authority said two more patients, both of them elderly, passed away in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 43.

A male patient aged 82 passed away last night, while another 86-year-old man died at 3:16pm today in Tuen Mun Hospital.

Another death could be added if a 86-year-old patient who passed away at North District Hospital after testing preliminary positive would be classified by health authorities as a confirmed case.

Dr Lau said that as of 9am today, 1,223 confirmed patients are in 19 public hospitals and the community quarantine facilities at Lei Yue Mun and AsiaWorld-Expo. Forty-five are in critical condition, 3 are serious, and 1,173 are in stable condition.

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Never a dull moment with doll collector

By Laura Gatmaitan Perez

Long before Covid-19 placed us under house arrest at risk of arrested development, an artist found a way of keeping boredom at bay. She immersed herself in a hobby that kept her going throughout the lockdown.

“I started sewing when I was five years old,” says Sheila Ella Gatchalian, a 37-year-old Bulakeña. “Since my parents were afraid I might hurt myself with my grandmother’s sewing machine, they told me to just hand-sew dresses for my doll.

“When I went to school, my parents discouraged me from making frivolous doll dresses, saying it would get me nowhere. They told me to focus on becoming a teacher. But I was obsessed with dolls, you see.

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Dolls are reportedly some of the oldest toys that children have ever played with. Their earliest use was traced in Greece around 100 AD. There must be a reason why they have been a top favorite through human history. Apparently, children see themselves in dolls and help them decide what to be in adulthood.

“I had a cheap plastic doll when I was young,” Sheila narrates. “An uncle gave me an original Barbie for my birthday but its head fell off when my sister forced an ill-fitting blouse through its fragile neck. Every time my parents took me to the mall, I would beg for a Barbie but they did not buy me one. I told myself I would study hard so that I could work and buy as many Barbies as possible.”

Today, Sheila has a collection of over 300 dolls, some bought online as preloved toys. That’s a lot to design costumes for.

This collection probably feeds her Peter Pan or Wendy complex but in the real world, she is a consummate dressmaker and costume designer.

You can’t help but wax lyrical upon seeing the exquisite beauty of Sheila’s creations. You get drawn to her elegant period pieces and enthralled by the sheer craftsmanship behind them. No expense is spared to jazz them up and all you can do is swoon.

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“I was a sickly child and had to stay home most of the time with my mother who loved watching old Filipino movies starring Paraluman and Gloria Romero. I took a fancy to their elegant clothes. I imagined myself in glamorous gowns, darting across time and space.

“In high school, we read Noli Me Tangere, and it later inspired me to depict this period in my cultural exhibits. Not only did I sew Filipiniana costumes, I also created props like Spanish colonial houses, bahay-kubo, jeepneys, calesas, some animals and other details that would recreate the 19th century ambiance. I researched on ancestral houses and even went to the actual spots where they stood. I visited museums to see particular artifacts.

“I created everything in my educational exhibits, occasionally held in schools and different municipalities. Although I have a limited income, I made sure that the materials were of high quality and which I could be proud of. I used bamboo, recycled paper, plastic, shells, wood, and other locally available materials for my props.”

Sheila’s followers make sure they get hold of the vintage costumes worn by her Barbie dolls. They come with earrings, necklaces, brooches, head decorations, shoes, fans, umbrellas and sometimes even with Ken in equally dazzling Barong Tagalog. Prices of Filipiniana doll gowns range from Php2,500 to Php8,000 depending on the fabric used, how long and how hard it takes to finish them.

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“I used to cry when my parents could not buy me Barbie dolls. I could not even touch the ones I saw in stores for fear of breaking them. Now I have my own dolls that are dressed to the teeth. The ones I have in my collection are not for sale but I gladly sell many that you see on my Bratinella website. Most clients want me to sew customized clothes for their dolls.”

https://www.facebook.com/Bratinella-Doll-Clothes-100821351730292

The regal Maria Clara dress, for instance, is like a time capsule, a reminder of what Filipinos once were. Overseas Filipinos proudly show it off to their grandchildren to educate them on their ancestry. Patriotic doll

collectors display it in their living room as a great conversation starter.

Others go a step further and ask that Sheila make them gowns exactly like the ones worn by her dolls, and there are many styles to choose from. Having taken a course in dressmaking, she is up for such a request.

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“I have long been making gowns and costumes for friends, not just for my dolls. Usually, clients show me a picture of the outfit they want me to sew for them, not necessarily Filipiniana.”

There is more to wearing certain clothes, according to psychologists. What you wear – whether it’s a fancy dress or sweatpants – can put you in a certain mindset.

Denise Green, a fashion anthropologist at Cornell University, claims that clothing can change your mood, that it can have a dramatic psychological impact.

Some say that gorgeous clothes can improve your self-image. They claim that when you copy the dress code of smart and powerful people, you feel infused with these qualities as well.

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So, go ahead and put on a stylish dress if it makes you feel good. And your doll can have a makeover too.

These days, Sheila takes care of her mother who recently suffered a stroke. This does not prevent her from pursuing her passion, however, as she is bent on stitching dreams that may well come true.

For inquiries, contact Sheila Ella Gatchalian (Bratinella) on Facebook or email her:

Sheilagat2735@gmail.com

Shegatchie36@gmail.com

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