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-December 2015
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Hong Kong News
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Hundreds of migrant workers from Southeast Asia staged a protest march on Dec 13 calling
for better working conditions, higher wages, and an end to modern-day slavery and social exclusion
of foreign domestic helpers.
Police escorts directed vehicular traffic as the protesters marched from Causeway to the
Central Government Offices to mark the 25th International Day of Solidarity of Migrants.
The atmosphere was festive as the protesters, mostly from Indonesia, the Philippines and Nepal,
sang protest songs and shouted slogans to the jingle of tambourines and beat of minidrums as
they made their way to the Indonesian Consulate and down Hennessy Road to Central.
The march coincided with International Migrants Day declared by the United Nations
General assembly on Dec. 18, 2000, when it adopted a resolution protecting the rights of migrant workers.
The Hong Kong Government has so far refused to acknowledge and follow the
international human rights covenants and international labor rights standards.
Countries around the world mark International Migrants' Day to recognize the contributions
of migrants to the economies of both the home and host countries.
But the Hong Kong government gave minimal increment of $100 to the monthly
allowable wage and added $31 to the monthly food allowance of those who are receiving it.
According to the Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body, the year 2015 started with a legal
victory of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih over her employer Law Wan-tung, who was sent to jail for 6 years.
But, unfortunately, the Hong Kong government downplayed Erwiana's ordeal as an isolated
case that did not merit a review of the conditions of foreign domestic workers with a view to
reforming policies detrimental to FDWs' rights, the two-week rule and the mandatory live-in policy.
"Justice can only be achieved if the detrimental policies are ended, human rights are upheld
and the dignity of migrants is promoted," the AMCB said.
The group said that the existing polices perpetuate the vulnerability of FDWs to abuse
and exploitation as what happened to Erwiana.
Eman Villanueva, AMCB spokesman, said migrants from Sri Lanka and Thailand were
not around this year as they had important events planned earlier. The location of the assembly area
also affected attendance, with a smaller number of protesters this year.
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