Page 20 Page 3 Page 12-13 AGE doesn’t matter. IN her defense. The Comedian Vic Sotto lawyer of an FDH marries actress accused of sexually Pauleen Luna in Ayala assaulting an 8-year- Alabang despite their old boy says the 34-year age gap. abuse did not happen. KUNG Hei Fat Choi! Will the year of the Fire Monkey bring you luck? Take a peek at the blessings and challenges in store for you this Chinese The No.1 Filipino Newspaper Vol.VI No.341 February 15, 2016 New Year. FDH acquitted of assaulting BF She was accused of threatening to kill the American with a meat chopper in Sai Kung By Philip C. Tubeza ACCORDING to her, it all began with a Facebook post that he didn’t like. A 40-year-old Filipino domestic helper was acquitted of assaulting and threaten- ing to kill her American boyfriend and going on a rampage inside his home in Sai Kung. Kwun Tong Magistrate Don So Man- lung on February 3 dismissed all four charges---criminal damage, assault oc- casioning actual bodily harm, criminal intimidation, and common assault---that American Joshua Galloway filed against his former girlfriend, domestic worker Vieliarosa S. Crosada. The American had accused her of kicking him in the groin, punching him in the stomach and face, ripping off his two shirts, damaging his TV and iPhone, smashing a glass windowpane, wounding him on the left arm with a glass shard, and threatening to kill him with a meat chop- GOLDEN SIMIANS at play. The Landmark mall in Central puts up 2,088 handcrafted flowers and 50 golden monkeys to celebrate the Chinese New Turn to page 11 Year, which marks the coming of the year of the Fire Monkey. This year is said to be associated with smartness, mischief, and adventure. ConGen: Three out of four suicides due to bad debt By Philip C. Tubeza and Cheryl Arcibal Catalla said three of the four Filipino su- suicides in January already matched the “Also, I urge you not to act as guaran- were never heard of again. icides that have so far been reported this yearend total of four cases reported in tors when your friends take out loans be- “It turned out that they had taken out IT’S just the start of the year but financial year were related to “money problems.” 2015. In 2014, three Filipinos in Hong cause this will only bring you headaches,” loans,” Catalla said. debts have already driven three Filipino “Three out of the four reported suicide Kong took their life. she added. To help Filipinos in dire straits, the con- domestic workers to their deaths, the top cases were related to debts,” Catalla told “It’s so easy to get a loan here but we Catalla said the consulate had also re- sulate is ramping up its health, wellness Filipino diplomat in the city said. a group of domestic workers. must be careful and think of ourselves ceived letters from employers complain- and financial literacy campaigns this year. Speaking at the Bayanihan Centre on Consulate officials earlier expressed because we might end up mired in debt,” ing of Filipino domestic helpers who February 3, Consul General Bernardita concern because the number of Filipino Catalla said. went on vacation to the Philippines but Turn to page 11 PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 WEBSITE : WWW.HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK 2 NEWS February 15, 2016 HONG KONG NEWS Baldoz coming over for high-level talks By Betty Santos particularly about illegal placement fees. of excessive fees and pino domestic helpers from being charged ito ilalapit kung may paglabag. Dapat “Ang masasabi po nating breakthough charges in the guise any fees that are not permitted under the mayroon ding kadugtong na ganoong LABOR Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz is ay open po ang Labour Department po of training fees and laws in either place. klaseng transparency,” Baldoz said. expected to visit Hong Kong in April to dito na gawing transparent po ang mga the like being collect- Baldoz said she is looking forward to a She added that both sides committed to hold high-level talks with labor officials fees na binabayaran dapat ng employer, ed from OFWs which further communication from her counter- provide each other a schedule of allowable there in an effort to improve the lot of Fili- binabayaran ng placement agency dito at put them in debt bond- part about the breakdown of recruitment fees that will be disseminated to the work- pino domestic workers in the territory. ganoon din po ang mga fees na kailangan age that defeats their fees in Hong Kong that employers, agen- ers and the public to prevent, abuses. Baldoz is scheduled to visit from April din namang bayaran ng workers,” Bal- Baldoz purpose of working cies, and foreign domestic workers pay. Manila, she said, is also studying the 11 to April 16 and is expected to meet with doz told the Filipino community during a abroad,” Baldoz said. “Maganda iyan na kapag nagkaroon na possibility of drafting a standard service Hong Kong Labour and Welfare Secretary meeting at the Philippine Consulate Gen- “We have discussed possible ways to ad- kami ng exchange of information dahil sa agreement between recruitment agencies Matthew Cheung Kin-chung. eral (PCG) on the evening of August 7. dress these concerns and agreed that both tingin ko po crucial po na sila ang mag- in the Philippines and their partner agen- She might also preside over the oath-tak- Officials from the Department of Labor sides should work together in strengthen- sasabi na ano ba ang mga fee pati sa mga cies overseas. ing of domestic workers who passed the and Employment and the Philippine Over- ing mechanisms that will lead to solutions ahensya nila dito. At sa ganoon ay magig- Baldoz added that recruitment agencies Professional Regulation Commission’s seas Employment Agency told a Hong of the problems,” she added. ing compliant po sila. in Manila complain that they would not board exams for teachers. Kong lawmaker who visited Manila that Cheung said that it was agreed that “Masasabihan natin ang ating workers survive because they do not receive any Baldoz last visited Hong Kong in Au- the legitimate expenses that Filipino do- both Manila and Hong Kong would work na talagang ito lamang ang sisingilin sa payment from their partner agencies over- gust, when she also met with Cheung and mestic workers should only be P15,000. closely together to enhance the transpar- inyo at kung iba pang sisingilin ay labag seas, forcing them to come up with other discussed the plight of domestic workers, “During our meeting, I raised the issue ency of the placement fees to prevent Fili- na iyan sa Hong Kong at kung paano nila fees such as training fees, among others. Nearly 100 FDHs graduate from course to kick debt habit By Philip C. Tubeza She said the basic financial literacy was CARD MRI. Salamat din po sa mga galing sa Pilipinas para magshare ng a must at these times, adding that three nag-encourage sa akin sa mga trainors,” technology,” she said. “Goodbye, utang!” Filipino domestic workers had commit- she added. “Meron din po tayo duon na naestab- Nearly 100 Filipino domestic work- ted suicide since the start of the year be- And it’s not just in Hong Kong that lish na micro insurance company. Tayo ers graduated from a financial literacy cause of debt. (See story on Page 1). CARD is spreading its message of finan- din po ang nagdala ng technology ng mi- course which aims to help migrant work- CARD MRI HK board chair Rex cial literacy and micro finance. cro insurance duon,” she added. ers avoid getting mired in financial debt. Aguado said that the foundation already Marjorie Marasigan, of CARD MRI Marasigan said that CARD recently The members of Batches 29 and 30 of had a total of 1,500 graduates from Hong Asean International Group, said the or- finished a five-year development project the CARD MRI OFW HK Foundation’s Kong. Aguado ganization was also reaching out to other in cooperation with the United Nations in basic financial literacy and entrepre- Emz Bautista, a member of Batch 29, countries in Southeast Asia. Laos. neurship received their certificates from said the lessons she learned helped her sa bumubuo nito at natapos ko ang finan- The group was expanding its presence “From 10,000 clients, more than Consul General Bernardita Catalla on keep her family afloat and plan for her cial literacy. Dito ko lubos naintindihan in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, 100,000 na. Ngayon, naghahanap pa tayo January 31. financial future. ang usaping pananalapi,” she said. and Indonesia, Marasigan said. ng ibang partnerships,” she said. “Panindigan ho natin yung pagiging “Maaring masasabi ko nang ‘Good- “Ganun din ang entrepreneurship sem- “Ang ginagawa po natin sa Cambodia The next free financial literacy seminar smart natin” Catalla told new graduates bye, utang!’ at maovercome na natin ang inar na mas pinalawak ang aking kaala- ay meron po tayong partner duon na mga will be held on February 28. For registra- during the ceremony held at the Bayani- problemang pinansiyal,” Bautista said. man na pwede pa lang maging possible micro financing institutions. Nagdadala tion and inquiries, please call 95296392 han Centre in Kennedy Town. “Salamat sa CARD MRI Hong Kong at ang aking mga pangarap sa tulong ng po tayo duon ng mga experts ng CARD or 54238196. Emgoldex victims in HK to file complaints By Cheryl M. Arcibal FILIPINO domestic helpers who were duped into parting with their hard-earned money to invest in fraudulent investment scheme Emgoldex are set to file their for- mal complaints.