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.
Details...
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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.
Details...
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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:
Details...
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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.
Details...
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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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September 2014
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Hong Kong News
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Militant Filipino community organizations in
Hong Kong have launched a signature
campaign in support of the nationwide People's Initiative
Against Pork (PIAP) launched in Cebu City on
Aug. 23.
The move came during a rally on Chater Road the
next day, a Sunday, led by the
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Hong Kong and
Macau.
The following day, thousands of people gathered
at the Luneta Park in Manila to show
support for the campaign. The gathering was intended to
duplicate the massive turnout a year earlier at
the same venue, shortly after the pork barrel scam in
government came to light.
Bayan HK and Macau chairperson Eman
Villanueva said that that campaign was also
against the "pork-filled" regime of President Benigno S.
Aquino III.
At the program-rally, Villanueva formally
announced the launch of the signature campaign
to pass the "Act Abolishing the Pork Barrel System" through
peoples initiative. More than 50
organization leaders participated in the symbolic signing in
support of the draft law.
Villanueva, citing a certain Fr Ben Alfarte,
explained that the pork barrel originated during
the time of slavery. Pork was supposedly put in barrels for the
slaves to come near and help
themselves to the bounty.Through this, the slaves were
supposedly made to think that without their masters
they would not be able to eat pork.
The same practice exists now, said Villanueva.
Students or sick people need to go to
congressmen or senators if they want to get scholarships or
get admitted in hospital.
Villanueva added that it was former Supreme
Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno who
suggested the idea of a peoples initiative against pork barrel
since early last year. This initiative was said to be
a recognition by anti-pork advocates that elected government
officers cannot stamp out a system
that gives them great profit and leverage..
This is why the people themselves should start
the campaign to get rid of the anomalous
practice.
He explained that under the 1987 Philippine
Constitution, the signature of at least 10 percent
of the total number of registered voters in the country and at
least 3 percent in each legislative
district, are needed for a bill to be drafted and presented in a
referendum.
Afterwards, the draft bill will have to be affirmed
by a majority of the votes cast in a
referendum for it to become law.
Villanueva said that Filipinos overseas will also
be able to vote if the bill is presented
for approval in a referendum. Thus, it is important that they
urge voting family members to also
support the people's initiative.
Dollores Balladares, chairperson of United
Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil),which also
supports the campaign, hit out at at the Aquino government
for its defense of the disbursement
acceleration program (DAP), or the so-called presidential
pork barrel.
She said that even after the Philippine Supreme
Court had declared the DAP as
unconstitutional, President Aquino is still insisting on it
because he wants to keep his power through
patronage politics. Another speaker, Gabriela Hong Kong
representative Rowena Dela Cruz, condemned
what she called as "the creeping authoritarianism of President
Aquino" who is said to be widely perceived
as seeking an extension of his term through an amendment of
1987 Constitution.
All the speakers expressed concern that the DAP
could be used by the administration to
influence lawmakers into complying silently to charter
change. The rally ended through a call
from Villanueva to all "democracy-minded Filipinos' to give
their all-out support to the anti-pork
campaign.
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