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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Mid-March 2015
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Hong Kong News
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Staff at the Consulate have been given training so they are better prepared to identify and
handle possible human trafficking victims among the hundreds of overseas workers who line up everyday
to secure services.
"The training was an extension of the anti-trafficking seminar that the Department of
Foreign Affairs held last November in Osaka, Japan, for select staff from its various outposts across the
Asia Pacific," Vice Consul Fatima Guzman- Quintin told
The SUN in an interview.
Quintin and Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr., an officer of the assistance to nationals section of
the Consulate, provided the "echo training" to about 40 personnel on Feb. 26.
Quintin, who heads the Consulate's anti-human trafficking unit, said a similar seminar would
be held in April or May for members of Filipino community groups to tap them in the campaign.
"We want to enlist the support of our Filcom groups in the anti-trafficking drive because
they are in a good position to watch out for possible trafficking victims in their ranks," she said.
The training is said to be in line with DFA's determination to train all its frontline staff to
stamp out the trafficking of Filipino workers who end up being physically abused, made to work like
slaves or, worse, forced into the sex trade
During the seminar, staff, especially the frontliners, or those who provide service at
the counters, were taught to look for telltale signs that a worker could be a trafficking victim.
These could include signs of physical abuse, or failure to provide the address of their workplace.
The worker could also be in the company of an employer or somebody who has her passport and
other documents.
In mock case studies, staff trainees were made to demonstrate or re-enact situations
where victims are unaware that they are being lured into the trap of the traffickers.
"We are planning to hold the seminars regularly in order to strengthen our campaign against
the problem, particularly where OFWs are the victims," Quintin said.
She said that in future seminars, the Consulate could even bring over resource persons from
the government's Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to share their expertise with the trainees.
The IACAT was formed following the enactment of Republic Act 9208 or the
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 during the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration in line with the
United Nations Convention Against Transnational Crime which the Philippine Senate ratified on Sept.
30, 2001.
Making up the IACAT are the DFA, Department of Justice, Department of Social
Welfare, Department of Labor and Employment and Department of the Interior and Local Governments.
Quintin said the government's intensified campaign against trafficking had led the US
State Department to review the Philippines' ranking in its anti-trafficking index to Tier 2 from Tier
2 Watch List
"That's an improvement in our ranking as the State Department has removed us from the
Watch list in recognition of our country's efforts to stamp out trafficking," Quintin said.
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