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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October 2015
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Hong Kong News
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The Hong Kong Government announced on September 30 that the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong will be increased by 2.4 per cent, from $4,110 to $4,210 per month.
It also increased the minimum food allowance.3 from not less than $964 to not less than $995 per month.
The new levels of the MAW and food allowance will apply to all FDH contracts signed on or after October 1.
In an official statement, the government also said:
Under the Standard Employment Contract for hiring FDHs, employers are required to provide FDHs with food free of charge (free food). At present, the vast majority of employers provide free food to FDHs. Employers may, however, choose to pay a food allowance in lieu.
If employers choose to pay a food allowance to FDHs, the allowance will be increased by $31 (or 3.2 per cent).
A Government spokesman said, "The Government reviews the MAW for FDHs regularly. In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong's general economic and labour market situations over the last year, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including the relevant income movement and price change in this year's review.
"Moreover, the Government has taken into account Hong Kong's future economic outlook in the near-term, as well as the need to strike a balance between affordability for employers on one hand and the livelihood of FDHs on the other in reaching the decision on the above-mentioned adjustment."
The spokesman added, "The Government has also reviewed the food allowance in lieu of free food and decided to make an increase, having regard to the movement in the relevant consumer price index."
The MAW and food allowance are set to protect FDHs from excessively low wages and protect local domestic workers from competition with FDHs. Employers may choose to provide FDHs terms better than the MAW and food allowance, depending on their individual circumstances.
FDH contracts signed today or earlier at the existing MAW of $4,110 per month and food allowance of not less than $964 per month will still be processed by the Immigration Department (ImmD) provided that the applications reach ImmD on or before October 28 (Wednesday). This arrangement will give employers sufficient time to send the signed contracts to ImmD for completion of the necessary application procedures.
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