Recruitment Agencies out to Get POEA Chief's Head
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Page 21 Page 2 Page 13 TRAGIC. Showbiz is SUCCESS. Tesda says in mourning after 89 percent of the the death of 15-year- Filipino domestic old actress Julia workers who took its Buencamino, who recent exams in HK committed suicide. passed the tests. FROM VOLTES V to international diplomacy. Deputy Consul General Kit de Jesus narrates how the cartoon series led him to The No.1 Filipino Newspaper Vol.VI No.329 July 15, 2015 public service. ConGen to Tesda: Go after erring training centers By Philip C. Tubeza CONSUL General Bernardita Catalla urged visiting Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) of- ficials to crack down on training centers that collect excessive fees from household service workers (HSWs) who are set to work abroad. Catalla said some recruitment agencies were using the training centers to collect excessive fees because they can no longer legally collect placement fees from HSWs that can run up to P50,000. “Dapat nireregulate. Imagine papasok ka ng household worker tapos magba- bayad ka ng ganun?” Catalla said during the courtesy call of Executive Director Maria Susan Dela Rama, Tesda Certifi- cation Office project manager, and other Tesda officials on June 29 at the consulate. “Kumikita sila recruitment agency at ang ginagamit clinic for medical..Yung mandatory insurance…meron silang komisyon. Yung pinakamabigat yung sa household training centers,” she said. OPEN to serve the public. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) opened its new public area on the 16th floor of Admiralty Centre on July Turn to page 14 5 as the lines for overseas employment certificates (OECs) started to grow longer with the onset of another “peak season” for OEC applications. Recruitment agencies out to get POEA chief’s head By Cheryl Arcibal In a post on his Facebook page, Cacdac workers, and deployment of workers in POEA ay maaaring magpataw ng ‘pre- imbestigasyon.” belied the claims of recruitment agencies, countries (Syria and Lebanon) where the ventive suspension’ sa malubhang kaso He said the POEA had been transparent PHILIPPINE Overseas Employment adding that the he revoked the licenses of Philippines has imposed an employment ng katiwalian,” Cacdac said. and even posted on its website and Face- Administration (POEA) chief Hans Leo many agencies because of their offenses ban. “Ang layunin ng ‘preventive suspen- book pages the cases of cancellation or Cacdac dismissed calls for his resignation and violations. Recruitment agencies plan to hold pro- sion’ ay para mahinto ang patuloy na suspension of recruiters. from recruiters who alleged that he ig- He said these offenses include human test actions on July 20 to demand Cac- pag-deploy ng OFW na magiging biktima “Wala po tayong tinatago, dahil trans- nored due process in suspending recruit- trafficking, charging of placement fees, dac’s resignation. lamang ng recruiter kung pinayagan pa ment agencies. reprocessing, deployment of underage “Habang may imbestigasyon, ang itong mag-recruit habang nasa ilalim ng Turn to page 14 PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 WEBSITE : WWW.HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK 2 NEWS July 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS HK FDHs get 89 percent $35k fake passing rate in Tesda exams HKID gets By Philip C. Tubeza para hindi na kami pupunta rito,” she said. Pinay in “The reason is really to make sure na gi- FILIPINO domestic workers in Hong nagawang training ay according to Tesda Kong who took up the The Technical Ed- standards and the first step there is to make trouble ucation and Skills Development Authority sure certified yung trainer,” she added. By Cheryl Arcibal (Tesda) assessment on June 28 got a pass- Domestic worker Opalyn Albidas was ing rate of 89 percent, a Tesda official said. one of those who took the assessment SHE paid HK$35,000 to obtain her Executive Director Maria Susan Dela for massage therapy, which was held in fake Hong Kong ID card in the hope Rama, Tesda Certification Office project Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town. that she could get a better-paying job. manager, said that, of the 82 applicants “Kasi pag NC 11 na, parang level 2 na Although she initially enjoyed the who took part in the assessment on eight siya. Maganda rin panghabol sa DOH li- benefit of the HK ID Card by being qualifications, 73 were able to pass it. cense naming pagbalik sa Pilipinas,” Al- employed as a dishwasher at a res- “Eighty-two lahat ng candidates at 73 Albidas (first from the left) and her fellow examinees bidas said. taurant in Sai Ying Pun, A.B. Balin- yung nakapasa so 89 percent ang passing,” “Kailangan mo NC 11 para magmas- gao ultimately paid a heavier price said Dela Rama. in dress-making passed the exams while made it. Lahat ng may DOH (Department seuse. Ngayon nakikita ko competitive - 17 months in prison - for the two “Doon sa cookery kaunti lang ang na- three out of 20 applicants in massage ther- of Health) training nakapasa,” Dela Rama ang business ng massage sa atin. Pag may charges of using a forged document, kapsa kasi hindi talaga nila alam (yung apy failed. The successful applicants got said. DOH license ka, puwede ka na magpatayo as well as breach of the conditions of dishes). Siguro mga steam lang niluluto their National Certificates (NC) II on July “Ang next step is we will identify among ng spa. Nakita ng mga tao na kailangan her stay in Hong Kong. nila. Yung iba hindi nila alam,” she said. 12. those who passed kung sino ang pwedeng din ng massage kaya dumarami ang mga Balingao was handed the sentence Dela Rama said that all the applicants “Out of 20 applicants sa massage, 17 maging assessor at pwede maging trainer spa,” she added. on June 30, after pleading guilty to the three charges. Labatt to talk to Admiral Centre management to ease lines The defense lawyer asked the LABOR Attache Nenita Garcia intends to talk to floor July 5 but the long lines on Sundays have court to give the Filipina a lighter the management of Admiralty Centre building to persisted since it is now “peak season” for OEC sentence, saying Balingao is the sole help ease the long lines of overseas employment applications. breadwinner of her family consisting certificate (OEC) applicants on Sundays. “Kahit 200 kaya at one time. Peak season na of her parents, four sisters, and three Garcia said the building’s security officers had kasi pero Monday to Thursday maluwag na- brothers - who are all farmers in the been strict in screening OEC applicants who vis- man,” Garcia said. Philippines, - and her two daughters, it on Sundays. On July 12, the POLO opened up to six win- aged 13 and 11. “Medyo mahirap kasi yung pagpanik pero dows for OEC applicants but the long lines per- “Her husband has left her for kakausapin namin yung management kasi pin- sisted. another woman...The reason she ipigil nila yung pagpanik ng marami,” Garcia “Malaki yung public area and it takes two- said in an interview. and-half minutes to process an (OEC) applica- committed the crime is because she She said the security officers allow only 100 tion. Sunday talaga ang problema pero nakokon- was trying to earn more money. She applicants to go up at one time but the Philippine trol pa rin naman,” Garcia said. knew it was a foolish act and she is Overseas Labor Office (POLO) can accommo- Garcia said the POLO would put up chairs and remorseful date up to 200. a ticketing system to make the applicants more “She has no other means to support The POLO opened new offices on the 16th comfortable and organized. Philip C. Tubeza her family, and her children will lose their schooling,” Balingao’s defense lawyer said. However, Eastern Courts Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai rejected the defense’s statement, saying that besides Balingao’s “voluntary sur- render”, there was no humanitarian ground cited that could lighten the Filipina’s sentence. Chainrai then handed 15 months for the charge of using a fake HK ID, and two months for the breach of the condition of her stay. The judge was supposed to give three months of imprisonment to Balingao, but discounted one month after the Filipina pleaded guilty. HONG KONG NEWS July 15, 2015 3 4 July 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS HONG KONG NEWS July 15, 2015 5 6 NEWS July 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS 4 FDHs caught gambling PCG plans for mass seek deal with prosecutors By Philip C. Tubeza complaints about Filipino workers illegal- ly gambling by playing cards and making evacuation of OFWs FOUR Filipino domestic helpers who bets openly while they hang out with their By Cheryl were allegedly caught gambling in Central friends in parks and walkways. Arcibal are trying to reach a deal with government The PCG issued the warning after the prosecutors. police arrested the four Filipina domestic THE Philippine Consulate General in Clarita R. Mapanao, Merlina S. Valdez, workers who were caught gambling ille- Hong Kong is drawing up a contingency Beatriz R. Nacis, and Josephine V. Pu- gally in Central. plan for the evacuation of Filipinos from maris appeared at the Eastern Magistrates “Iminungkahi ng Konsulado ng Pilipi- the territory should the need arise. Courts on July 1 after they were charged nas dito sa Hong Kong sa lahat ng Pilipino Consul General Bernardita Catalla re- with “unlawful gambling in a place that is na naglalaro ng baraha sa mga walkway, vealed the plan during a meeting with not a gambling establishment.” daan at parke na umiwas sa anumang uri leaders and members of the Filipino com- munity at the Consulate in Admiralty on “We wish to apply for an adjournment ng pagsusugal,” the PCG said in an advi- CATALLA (2nd June 29.