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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December 2015
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Migrant's Forum
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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:
1. How until today, 56-year old Gloria Ortinez remains traumatized and afraid of our
international airport;
2. How she lost her job as domestic worker in Hong Kong for 13 years, only to regain it
not because of any government intervention but because her 13-year old ward loves her so much; and,
3. How the tanim-bala incident has created a chilling effect on other OFWs who are now
wary about coming home this Christmas because of it.
Five of us had to accompany Nanay Gloria to her return trip to Hong Kong because she was
too afraid to enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 where the tanim-bala
incident transpired in October 25.
The Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-profit organization that looks after distressed
overseas workers, shouldered the travel costs. As president of the Ople Center, I made sure that Nanay
Gloria would be travelling also with her trusted lawyer, Atty. Spocky Farolan. My daugher, Estelle, and
I joined them. Rounding up our entourage were Labor Undersecretary Jun Lagunzad and the
Ople Center's executive director, Fort Jose.
ABS-CBN's senior reporter, Henry Omaga Diaz, and two crew members booked the
same flight. They wanted to document Nanay Gloria' s return.
We were all there to make sure that her trip back to Hong Kong would go on without a hitch.
I dubbed our journey as #Hkmission. My daughter, Estelle, made sure to document our trip via
regular postings on Twitter and Facebook. Having no less than the Undersecretary of the Department
of Labor and Employment joining us, upon the orders of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, gave
our little traveling group a boost of confidence.
Our Flight to Hong Kong
We took the early morning flight via Philippine Airlines. Nanay Glo hesitated for several
minutes before entering the airport. She was nervous. She opened her little backpack to show me
her personal things wrapped in plastic.
Even her passport was in a ziplocked plastic bag.
Thankfully, our trip was uneventful. OWWA assisted Nanay Gloria throughout the
departure process in Manila. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, it was a great surprise to see two representatives
of our Philippine Consulate General, sent there by Consul General Bernardita Catalla, waiting to
assist us. The welcoming party also included Assistant Labor Attache Henry Tianero. I kidded Nanay
Glo about the VIP treatment we were receiving. She smiled. The protocol officer brought us to a row
of seats just outside the airport's immigration office. We waited for several minutes. Soon enough,
an immigration officer approached us to say that based on their records, Nanay Gloria's contract
had been terminated. She could enter Hong Kong as a tourist, and stay for up to 14 days.
Have you ever heard the sound of a world that was crumbling? It was that brief silence
that followed when Nanay Glo finally learned her true state of affairs.
Terminated.
The HK immigration officer handed us back our passports and we went through the counter.
At the exit, Henry and Hong Kong correspondent for GMA7, Azon Canete, interviewed Nanay
Gloria. She was happy to be back in Hong Kong, she said. She will meet with her employer.
This woman is clearly a fighter.
First Meeting with Employer
Nanay Gloria met her employer for the first time since the tanim-bala incident happened
on Sunday, November 15 at around 8 o'clock in the evening. We enlisted the help of Daisy Mandap,
a long-time friend, and someone that Nanay Glo immediately felt comfortable with. Daisy went
with Nanay Glo to the meeting place that was about a block away from the employer's flat. The
meeting was far from cordial.
The OFW described her employer's mood as "mataray" or snooty. Daisy immediately
sought the advice of a friend who recommended that the police be called in. Two young policemen
came, and accompanied Nanay Gloria to the flat where it was agreed that the employer would bring
down the domestic worker's things. Daisy and Atty. Spocky as well as the other members of our
team dared not intrude into this private arrangement.
My daughter and I chose to watch across the street, ready to assist Nanay Glo when needed.
What happened can only be describe as heartwrenching. The 13-year old boy who grew
up under Nanay Glo's watchful care had taken the lift down without his mother's knowledge.
He brought with him a framed photo of Nanay Glo and himself as well as a giant lens that his
"yaya" would use to read the papers. We saw Nanay Glo and the little boy come together in a tight
hug, while the mother and two policemen looked on. The boy was crying.
"Study well. I love you," Nanay Glo told her ward. "If you love me, then why are you
going away?" the boy replied. Henry's cameraman, Nestor, was able to take the video but not the
emotional exchange of words.
Soon enough, the mother took the boy inside and shut the gate while Nanay Gloria took stock
of her things. The policemen left the scene. We approached Nanay Glo and saw her tears. Together
with friends who also worked near the building, we brought her things to the van provided by the
Consulate. We bid Daisy and Jo, also of The Sun, a good night and thanked them for their help.
Once inside the van, Nanay Gloria wailed and let out a loud curse. It was the first time I
heard her let out her anger in between sobs of pain. "They hurt me, they hurt my family, but why also
hurt an innocent boy?"
Undersecretary Lagunzad who was seated beside the crying OFW kept silent, and so did we.
We understood the pain having seen how close the boy was to Nanay Glo, and vice-versa.
A Surprise Phone Call
The next day, we were up early because Undersecretary Lagunzad had set up a meeting in
the Consulate. While preparing, Nanay Gloria kept talking about her ward. It was 8 o'clock and she
was about to take her turn to use the bathroom. Then the phone rang. It was her employer.
In between sobs, Nanay Glo responded to her employer's message. "You are sorry? I
thought that you would understand. You don't know what happened to me in the Philippines. You just
don't know."
The ranting and sobbing slowed down, and ended with softer replies. After the call was
over, Nanay Glo turned to me and said, "My employer wants to meet. She said she's sorry."
We waited for the van, and when it came, told the driver about the change in
plans. Undersecretary Lagunzad was already at the Consulate. He understood, however, the need for
Nanay Glo to meet with her boss.
The two met in a restaurant across the flat. This time, Nanay Glo came alone. We were
outside the door, waiting. Nestor and my daughter were able to go inside, also to have some breakfast.
Nanay Glo finally had the chance to explain to her employer what "tanim-bala" was about. Her employer
on the other hand, told Nanay Glo that her son was not able to sleep well and that she herself
cried because of what happened on Sunday night. The boy went to school that morning without
eating breakfast.
In short, the employer told Nanay Glo that she could have her job back anytime. A new
contract will be drawn. Nanay Gloria would have the chance to come back to Manila, resolve some
unfinished business in connection to the tanim-bala case, and have some family time before returning
to her old life as an OFW.
On top of it all, Nanay Gloria can call up her ward anytime, from Manila.
The Flight Back
Prior to our return home, Atty. Spocky Farolan and I asked Nanay Gloria about her future
plans. Will you still pursue the case against the tanim-bala syndicate, we asked. Yes, she replied. She
did not want anyone else to experience what she had gone through.
When the plane landed and while waiting in line at the immigration counter, Nanay
Gloria whispered to me. "Ninenerbyos ako." ("I feel nervous.") I assured her that she would be safe.
Indeed, the immigration officer at the counter was courteous. We got her bags and left the airport.
I don't really know when Nanay Gloria's fear of our airport will end, but hope is back, and
ties with her second family in Hong Kong have been preserved.
Had Nanay Gloria chosen to remain silent and admit to everything the corrupt OTS
personnel wanted her to say, this story would have ended up differently. The President would have no need
to say that the tanim-bala incidents were sensationalized because none of us would have known
how that sinister act of planting bullets could destroy an innocent OFW's life.
Nanay Gloria stood up for her rights, and her feisty lawyer, Atty. Farolan, made sure that
her innocent voice was heard. The media including our friends at The SUN amplified her voice and
the Senate took notice, and held a hearing on the
tanim-bala cases. For me, that was the sensational
part. Gloria Ortinez deserves a medal for her valor, and we must continue to monitor her case and that
of others as well, to make sure that justice for innocent victims is obtained.
(Send comments to toots.ople@yahoo.com. Follow me on Twitter via
www.twitter.com/susanople. Be a campaing volunteer! Join or like www.facebook. com/ople2016.)
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Our guest columnist for this issue is a well-known champion of migrant workers rights
who intends to bring this advocacy to the Senate if she wins in next year's elections. Susan "Toots"
Ople heads the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-profit organization that assists OFWs and their
families. The center is named after Toots' late father who served as labor secretary, senator and foreign
affairs secretary. In this article, Toots writes about the trauma suffered by OFW Gloria Ortinez when she
fell victim to the "tanim bala" scam at Manila's airports.
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