Temperatures forecast to hit 38 degrees on Tue & Wed

Filipinas dance on Chater Road on Sunday, unmindful of the heat (Photo from Satur Tiamson)

The Observatory has forecast temperatures rising to as high as 38 degrees in some parts of the New Territories on Tuesday and Wednesday as Severe Typhoon Mawar nears northern Philippines.

Previously, the weather forecaster said the heat generated by the powerful typhoon would cause temperatures to hit a high of 36 degrees in Sheung Shui and other areas, while it would be two degrees lower in the urban areas.

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The New Territories often get the brunt of extreme weather conditions, getting much colder than the rest of the city during the winter, and much hotter during the summer.

In July last year, Sheung Shui baked in 39-degree temperature in one of the hottest summers ever recorded in Hong Kong  

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Earlier on Sunday, the mercury tipped above 32 degrees at around 2pm.

It is forecast to go up slightly on Monday, with the maximum temperature rising to 33 degrees in the urban areas and a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories.

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The Observatory has issued a reminder to residents to stay alert and drink more water as the days progressively get warmer.

Meanwhile, Severe Typhoon Mawar, which is the Malaysian word for rose, was last centred 750 kilometers northeast of Manila is forecast to move northwest or west-northwest at the weakened speed of about 12 kilometres per hour across the seas east of Luzon.

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The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the typhoon, locally named “Betty,” has weakened as it moved towards the Philippine sea east of Northern Luzon.

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However, it said flash floods and landslides “will likely occur across the country” especially over the western portions of Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central and Southern Luzon due to southwest monsoon, starting on Monday.

The typhoon is expected to drop speed in the next 38 hours and will become “slow-moving to almost stationary” by Tuesday.

It is forecast to move towards the sea east of Taiwan by mid-Wednesday.

 

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Bethune House in early-morning rescue of FDW

 

Fe with her rescuer from Unifil-Migrante (Bethune's FB post)

Early on Sunday, May 28, the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge posted on Facebook about rescuing and taking in a Filipina domestic worker who had to call 999 because her employer did not want to allow her back into the house unless she took a bath outside.

According to the post, the helper named “Fe” took her usual day-off earlier on Saturday, and got back to the employer’s house at about 9pm.

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The employer reportedly refused to let Fe in, and said she should take a bath in the estate’s club house. When Fe said the clubhouse was already closed, the employer insisted on her finding a public toilet where she could shower. Fe said she could not be sent out as it was already too late and as a live-in worker she should be allowed to use the employer’s toilet and bath.

Instead of giving in, the employer “told Fe to pack up and go,” said the Bethune post.

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After Fe called 999 an officer of United Filipinos in Hong Kong rushed to her employer’s house in Tuen Mun to pick her up and take her to Bethune House where she was assisted by two of its clients with pending labor cases.

The post says Fe is from Bacolod and is a mother of a nine-year-old child. She had been with her employer for less than seven months.

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“I did not expect this sudden dismissal from my work,” Fe was quoted as saying.

However, no additional details were given as to why her employer had suddenly demanded that she took a shower first before returning to their home.

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Rescuing domestic workers in distress is nothing new to Bethune House, which has given shelter to hundreds of migrants in the nearly 40 years of its existence.

At the height of the pandemic and amid a typhoon signal no 8 warning about two years ago, Bethune staff also had to rescue another Filipina who was being made to sleep inside a toilet by her male employer. Bethune managed to secure a substantial settlement for "Grace' who has since gone home.

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Apart from providing them with a roof over their heads, the shelter also assists its clients with their court cases, taking them to the police or other government authorities as necessary, and helping them cope with their problems through rights empowerment and wellness programs.

Migrant workers who need help may contact Bethune House through their hotline, 9338 0035.

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Booklet tungkol sa cancer, inilathala ng grupong Social Justice

 Isang mahalagang babasahin tungkol sa breast at cervical cancer ang inilathala kamakailan ng Social Justice for Migrant Workers.

Makakakuha sa kanila ng kopya ng inimprentang booklet na may pamagat na “Breast and Cervical Cancer: Things You Should Know” o sa pamamagitan ng pag download nito mula sa link na ito: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13bBUv429a9xrzLFodEdFi64DYpZz7Y4e/view?fbclid=IwAR2qDvYtqAXgZQsffN0XFZ-cEka7fuY80ejhtpdddW6HxxzujxVfTAfr6YE

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Ang booklet ay nagbibigay ng impormasyon tungkol sa dalawang sakit na karaniwan nang nakikita ngayon sa maraming mga Pilipinang migrante sa Hong Kong. Mababasa dito ang mga sintomas ng dalawang sakit, paano sila maiiwasan, o saan at paano kukuha ng tulong ang mga makitaan ng mga ito.

Inilunsad ang serbisyong pampublikong ito ng Social Justice dahil sa matagal na nilang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga grupong tumutulong sa mga migranteng nakikitaan ng cancer habang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong, kabilang ang Filipino Migrant Cancer Support Society o Filmcass.

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Ayon sa founder ng Social Justice na si Marites Palma, itinuturing niyang “life saving” ang booklet dahil inaalis nito ang takot sa mga nakikitaan ng cancer sa dibdib o cervix.

“It’s not the end of the world kung nagkaroon ka ng mga ito,” sabi ni Palma, “pero kailangan nating magkunsulta sa doktor kung may nararamdaman tayong kakaiba.”

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Dagdag pa niya, mas lalong ma- stress ang isang tao kung hindi nila nalalaman ang mga kakaibang nangyayari sa kanilang katawan.

Sa mga gusto ng libreng kopya ng booklet, maari silang tawagan sa tel no 6872 0498, o makipag-ugnayan sa mga opisyal ng Social Justice for Migrant Workers sa pamamagitan ng kanilang Facebook page.

 

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Phl Senate President in surprise visit to HK

Senator Zubiri (in blue) meets with CE Lee as Hui (right) listens in

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee met with the visiting Senate President of the Philippines, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Saturday, May 27, “to discuss matters of common interest.”

A brief story on the meeting, which was published in the Hong Kong government website, said also present was Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services, Christopher Hui.

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There was, however, no counterpart statement or report on the talks from the Philippine government or media.

The latest stories on Zubiri in Philippine media were about his statement of support for the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces and an appeal for the local press to “beautify” the country’s image after the UNHCR called out the government for its war on drugs and the killing of journalists.

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Zubiri even challenged the press to do their reporting from China if they wanted to experience the “chilling effect” of state control over the media.

HK’s press statement said that during the meeting CE Lee highlighted the close exchanges and cooperation that Hong Kong and the Philippines have maintained in various fields such as trade, investment, and finance.

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Lee was reported to have encouraged more Philippine enterprises and talent to develop in Hong Kong, and use the city as a jump-off point for expanding into Mainland markets, particularly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The statement said the meeting highlighted the importance of increased cooperation between the two countries.

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Further, CE Lee thanked the Philippines for supporting Hong Kong’s bid for early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free trade agreement between the 10 Asean member states and five of its dialogue partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Getting into the RCEP  would allow Hong Kong to further enhance its position as a gateway to the Mainland and Asean markets.

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The RCEP is the world’s largest regional trade agreement, covering a population of 2.2 billion people and a combined GDP of US$26.2 trillion.

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Paano makaiwas sa online shopping scam

 

Iba-ibang gamit ang ibinebenta online sa ngayon

Ayon sa HK Police, ang pinakamaraming bilang ng mga na-scam nooong nakaraang taon ay sa online shopping nabiktima.

Sa nagdaang apat na taon ay dumami nang makaapat na beses ang bilang ng mga na-scam sa online shopping. Mula 2,187 noong 2018 ay dumami ito sa 8,135 noong nakaraang taon.

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Ito ay dahil na rin sa biglang pagdami ng mga tao na namimili na  lang sa internet ng kanilang mga personal na pangangailangan, lalo na noong pandemic.

Para mabawasan ang mga ganitong kaso ay naglabas ng payo ang Consumer Council.

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Una, dapat munang alamin ang kalidad ng kumpanya o tindahan na binibilhan mo. Halimbawa, kailan sila lumabas sa social media at kung papalit-palit ba sila ng pangalan. Kung mas matagal, mas mainam.

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Pangalawa, dapat na maging alerto kapag nakitang ang namamahala sa online selling platform ay nasa ibang bansa pero ang kumpanya ay sa HK nakarehistro.

Ang isa pang palatandaan ay kung ang lahat ng review ng nagbebenta ay panay positibo at ang gamit na lengguahe at yung sa ibang bansa. Ayon sa Council, malamang na peke ang mga ito.

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Sa mga nagbebenta naman, dapat alamin kung magkano ang lumabas na kabuuang halaga sa “ledger balance” at hindi sa “available balance” ng bank account. Ang halaga na ito ang magpapakita na tunay ngang natanggap ang bayad ng kostumer, at hindi ito gumamit ng pekeng tseke o deposit slip. 

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Sa pangwakas, inaanyayahan ng mga pulis ang mga bumibili ng kani-kanilang mga produkto online na irehistro ang pangalan ng tindahan, numero ng telepono at iba pang mga personal na detalye sa Scameter ng mga pulis (CyberDefender.hk) para malaman nila kung lehitimo o hindi ang ka-transaksyon.

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Unifil, hiniling ang kagyat na aksyon ng DMW

 

Ang konsultasyon noong Apr 16 ng DMW sa mga Filcom lider sa HK

“Kumusta na ang aming mga kahilingan?”

Ito ang tanong ng grupong United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil) sa mga opisyal ng Department of Migrant Workers na pumunta sa HK noong Apr 16 at nagsagawa ng konsultasyon sa mga lider ng komunidad.

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Isang buwan matapos ang usapang iyon ay wala pa rin daw linaw ang mga kahilingan na ipinaabot nila kay DMW Secretary Susan Ople, kaya napilitan silang sumulat sa kanya para tanungin kung may aksyon na syang ginawa dito.

Ayon sa Unifil, kabilang sa mga inilatag nilang problema ay ang pagbabasura sa overseas employment certificate, na kinakailangang ipakita ng mga OFW bago sila makalabas ng Pilipinas.

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Noong binanggit ito sa konsultasyon noong nakaraang buwan, sinabi ni Undersectary Patricia Yvonne Caunan na kaisa ng mga migrante ang DMW sa pagnanasa na matanggal na ang OEC, pero pinag-uusapan pa daw nila kung paano ito gagawin.

Ang isa pang hiling ng Unifil ay ang pagtatanggal ng pwersahang paniningil sa mga OFW ng mga bayarin para sa PhilHealth, SSS at Pag-IBIG Fund.

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“Panawagan ng mga OFWs na gawing voluntary ang mga bayaring ito at hayaan silang magpasya kung anong insurance ang kinakailangan nila,” ang sabi ng Unifil.

Ipinaalala din ng grupo ang kanilang mga pakiusap ng patuloy na bigyan ng pinansyal na tulong ang mga OFW na nagpositibo sa Covid-19, at ang mabilis at maagap na pagtulong ng Migrant Workers Office (dating POLO) at Konsulado sa mga migrante na naghihintay ng tulong.

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Ayon sa Unifil, umaasa ang mga kapwa nila OFW sa Hong Kong  na tutugunan ng DMW ang kanilang matagal nang kahilingan, at aaksyon nang mabilis.

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“Hinding-hindi na kami papayag na matulad ito sa nakaraang administrasyon na sa halip na tanggalin ang OEC (ay) nagdagdag pa ito ng mga dagdag singilin at batas ng pangingikil na lalong nagpahirap sa kalagayan ng milyun-milyong migranteng Pilipino,” sabi ng Unifil.

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