Editor's Note |
20 years of service to the community
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Time flies.
Exactly 20 years ago this month, The SUN shone for the Filipinos in Hong Kong. It was
the fulfillment of a dream that took shape years earlier, or shortly after I arrived here in 1987 and
realized there was no reliable information channel serving the community.
But turning that dream into reality proved to be difficult. Several people offered to fund
the publication of a news-paper, but everyone wanted a business model different from what we had
in mind.
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Anak Araw |
Pagpapabaya
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Nitong nakaraang buwan ay naging saksi tayo sa nangyari kay Manang Gloria Ortinez,
ang OFW na biktima ng tanim-bala sa Manila airport. Halos buong araw kasi ay naglagi siya sa
opisina ng The SUN, kasama ang mga naghatid sa kanya na sina Susan "Toots" Ople na tagataguyod ng
mga OFW, at ang abogado niyang si Atty Spocky Farolan, kaya nasaksihan namin siya nang malapitan.
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Migrant's Forum |
Nanay Gloria's journey to HK
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President Benigno Simeon Aquino III recently told the media that cases of tanim-bala
were sensationalized, citing figures to prove his point. As an OFW advocate, I respectfully
disagree. Looking at this from a purely numbers perspective could lead one to overlook the deep trauma
that such incidents have caused its innocent victims.
Had he met and spoken to 56-year old OFW Gloria Ortinez, our President would have
learned the following:
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Know Your Rights |
The Mission
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This was the speech delivered by the Mission for Migrant Workers' general manager,
Cynthia Tellez, at the launch of the 10-year Impact Evaluation Report of the Mission's work held on
December 5, 2015 at the Li Hall of St. John's Cathedral.
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With at least one -- and possibly two disqualification cases in the presidential race --
the Supreme Court has assured the nation politics will not dictate its decisions.
See this month's stories...
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Staff and volunteers at the Mission for Migrant Workers had reason to celebrate when
they launched the non-government organization's 10-year Impact Evaluation Report at Li Hall of St
John's Cathedral on Dec. 4. Nearly all, or 97% of migrants who sought assistance said that they were
helped by the Mission, and more than half of them (57%) said they would recommend the NGO to others.
See this month's stories...
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Mid-August 2014
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Features Gallery
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Philippine Canadian Inquirer on July 28, 2014
(reprinted with permission)
The story started with a flight attendant's (FA) final take off and ended with her last landing.
In between are 192 pages of clever anecdotes, gossipy bits and humorous insights into the life of
a Cathay Pacific cabin crew member who spent 20 years shuttling the globe. "I had breakfast in
Taipei, dinner in Osaka and lunch the following day in Hong Kong," she wrote.
In her sharp and witty writing style, the author, Ana Algabre-Hernandez, spilled the beans on
the unique lifestyle of FAs and the "myths about ladies who fly." Binibining Stewardess, Mga
Kwento ng Flight Attendant at iba pa, takes the reader with her as she journeys around the globe.
Airline travel spelled glamour and adventure for the elite troop of attractive, young ladies
otherwise known as stewardesses. But it wasn't all Hermes, Gucci or Chanel and chateaubriand steaks
for them. Ana recalled countless horror stories, gross things, "hardtime," and toxic passengers from
hell, or of cunning swindlers who made it their lifetime mission to get refunds or complimentary
upgrades from airlines.
She enumerated other characters like the flirty husband and his suspicious wife; kleptomaniacs
who stole headphones, bar cart items and toiletries from the plane; the "territorials" who hogged
the armrest or occupy a whole row to sleep; the irritable ducks who cursed at everything just to
exit ahead through the plane doors. Included in her "waitlist" are insensitive passengers who would
pass through the aisle while the food cart was in place, and the wine and food connoisseurs who
extended the meal service till descent.
In conversational Tagalog, Ana devoted several chapters on life's small annoyances, most of
which will make the reader grin.
Ana is the wife of Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul Hernandez. As such, she is part of
the diplomatic corps family. "I wrote in Tagalog because initially, I wanted this to be a very
nationalistic book," she said. It is her first attempt to write in the language. She recalled that when she arrived
in Manila, she realized her kids couldn't speak Tagalog very well. So in the course of helping her
son with his homework in Tagalog, she was inspired to write in the vernacular. "It's a beautiful
language, we just have to patronize it," she said.
Writing though has always been her love. Her journals came to about 500 pages. "I started when
I was in high school. I was editor of Republic Central Colleges' Annual," said the Pampanga native.
Ana explained that she wanted to dispel the myth of the stewardess, who, thanks to the 1967
best-seller, "Coffee, Tea or Me?" was portrayed as a globe-trotting party girl in endless pursuit of
rich men and good times.
Her mentor and adviser, Dr. Jimmuel Naval, chair of the University of the Philippines Department
of Filipino and Philippine Literature, said Ana was able to paint the body of the aviation
industry including the culture of flight and those who dream of becoming flight attendants. He added that
this manuscript may be considered the first written work about what happens inside the big metal
flying on top of the world.
TV host Boy Abunda, her husband's province mate, said, "No one can write this book better
than Ana Hernandez because it is her story. It is her truth and a truth so naked it is almost like yours.
Her words are sure and succinct. Her humor is delicious, sometimes, sardonic. Her disclosures are
truthful and unapologetic. Her candor is disarming. I am a fan of Binibining Stewardess."
Particularly giddy is her account of how her husband, identified in her book as passenger
88C, courted her. She had met him at a Thai restaurant in Hong Kong and quite remembered him for
his immortal pick-up line, "Hello, are you Pinays?" But it was his good looks that made the three
seasoned FAs swoon and had them kicking each other surreptitiously under the table.
The group exchanged life stories and phone numbers. Ana didn't give hers at first because
she thought they would take different roads after good-byes have been said. But the guy lingered
and waited. While walking in Hong Kong to places where Filipinos hang out, the statuesque
Filipina heard comments like, "Jackpot si Inday!" (Inday hit the jackpot) or "Ate, ang gwapo ng
kasama mong Tsino." (Big sister, your Chinese companion is so handsome).
He told her once, "Pangarap kong makasakay sa eroplano na ikaw ang stewardess ko." (It is
my dream to ride an airplane with you as my stewardess.) The next thing she knew, he was onboard
her flight. She was rattled by his presence in the galley while her life's bane, pesky passengers on
board, were waiting to be served. He tried to help and deftly prevented supplies from falling out of
the overhead bin and hitting her. It was at that moment when cupid's arrow hit her. She forgot his
remarkable good looks and zeroed in on his sincerity and goodwill. "At that time, it felt like the
airplane stopped in mid-air and the two of us were left in the clouds," Ana wrote.
Their love story led to church bells ringing and two infants' cries. But it was her accounts of
flying as a mother that were heart wrenching. Due to her intermittent flying duties, holidays and
special occasions with the family usually never happened and remained dots in her calendar. So her
kids became accustomed to "birth months" and alternative dates for celebration instead of actual
birthdays. Ana described her thoughts and emotional pain each time she left for work. "My heart
was heavier than my luggage," she wrote. So she handed in her notice of early retirement. She
relayed that her son asked if she was sad to leave the airlines. She answered, "Of course, but not as sad
as when I have to go to work and leave you, daddy and your sister."
Ana's book, according to film and TV director Manny Palo, is "instructive and entertaining,
insightful and hilarious _ her book should be a required reading not only for those who dream of
becoming flight attendants but also for all of us who simply love to fly."
Binibining Stewardess is available at all National Bookstore branches.
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