Page 31 Page 2 Page 18 Maegan Aguilar, Labatt Nenita Garcia the daughter of folk says employment singer Freddie Aguilar, agencies that allow has a new “special” “Macau exits” will friend: a 56-year-old lose their license to classical guitarist. hire Filipino workers. Discover the unspoiled beauty of northern Palawan which has beguiled many travellers The No.1 Filipino Newspaper Vol.VI No.326 June 1, 2015 from near and far. FDWs Moratorium on get Tesda certificates By Philip C. Tubeza IT’S time for an upgrade. new agencies The Philippine Overseas Employment Office (POLO) intends to improve the skills of at least 900 Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong this month so that they can find better-paying jobs, Labor Attaché Nenita Garcia said. Garcia made the announcement on May 24 as she distributed National Cer- tificates II (NC IIs) to nearly two doz- en domestic workers who successfully passed the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) assessment last November for Food and Beverage Services (FBS) and House- keeping for Hotels. “Pag-uwi natin ng Pilipinas, o kahit saan man kayo magpunta, pwede nyong gamitin yan para i-upgrade ang trabaho niyo,” Garcia said during the ceremony at the POLO in Admiralty. “Mas maganda yan kaysa sa mag- ing HSW (household service worker) tayo forever. Maganda yung sa hotel na tayo magtrabaho. So, sana gamitin natin sooner yung napag aralan niyo,” she said. “Umuwi na kayo sa Pilipinas o mag-apply na kayo ng ibang trabaho para maganda ang kinabukasan, ma- ganda ang buhay,” she added. TESDA officials earlier said that ALL SMILES. Filipinas in Hong Kong proudly show their National Certificate II (NC II) from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority domestic workers could use the certif- which, officials say, could help them secure better-paying jobs back home or in places like Macau or Canada. (Philip C. Tubeza) icates to improve their chances of get- ting hired in other places, like hotels in By Philip C. Tubeza an effort to curb the number of domestic ga is to reduce the number of (domestic the Philippine Overseas Employment Ad- Macau. workers leaving the Philippines. workers) di ba? And the computation is ministration (POEA) that imposed a mor- “Dumating na rin ang mga certifi- NEW employment agencies need not apply. “Wala kaming inaaccredit,” Garcia said napakarami ng (accredited) agencies (sa atorium on accrediting Hong Kong agen- cates of competencies na pinaghirapan The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in an interview. Hong Kong). More than 400 na. Nagdou- cies but Garcia said she had not seen it. niyo last November. Nabigyan kayo (POLO) has stopped entertaining new ap- The POLO chief made the statement ble yata sila nung before at 436 na sila “Actually, there’s really no word. Wala ng certificates of competencies kasi plications for licenses from employment after at least three agencies approached it ngayon,” she added. pa akong nakikitang ganyan kaya lang ang dahil dun sa training ninyo, yung na- agencies in Hong Kong that want to hire asking that they be accredited to hire Fili- The large number of agencies accredited directive ni (Labor Secretary Rosalinda pag-aralan ninyo, upgraded na yung Filipino domestic workers, Labor Attaché pino domestic workers. to hire Filipino domestic workers during Baldoz) is to reduce the number of agen- skills ninyo,” Garcia said. Nenita Garcia said. “We denied it already. There were three his time was one of the complaints against cies and how can you do it if you accred- “On the part of the POLO, sure kami Garcia said the POLO has re-imposed or four that applied pero derecho na nam- former Labor Attaché Manuel Roldan, it?” Garcia said. the moratorium on the approval of ac- ing sinabi na hindi pwede,” Garcia said. Garcia’s predecessor. Turn to page 16 Turn to page 16 creditation of employment agencies in “It’s because ang direction natin tala- There was supposed to be an order from PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 WEBSITE : WWW.HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK 2 NEWS June 1, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS POLO moves vs ‘Macau exits’ By Philip C. Tubeza officers of the four associations of em- migration na pagka-terminated ka, dapat erring agencies will be attended the meeting replied that they had ployment agencies in Hong Kong and in- country of origin. Inexplain ko sa kanila penalized. no problem with that policy. EMPLOYMENT agencies that are caught formed them that the Philippine Overseas na kung hindi sila susunod, we are forced “Sabi ko, everyone “Sabi nila, wala naman silang problema allowing their Filipino domestic workers Labor Office (POLO) will strictly imple- to cancel or to suspend their license,” Gar- has the right to travel duon. Kaya sabi ko, I just want to make it to “exit” to Macau will have their license ment the Immigration Department policy cia said in an interview. naman kasi. Even our clear to you na no exit ‘Macau,’ she said. to hire Filipino workers cancelled, Labor that terminated FDWs should return to She conceded that it would be hard for (FDWs), they have the Garcia also urged Filipino domestic Attache Nenita Garcia said. their country of origin. the POLO to determine “who are doing it” right to travel. If they workers to return to the Philippines in- Garcia said she met on May 21 with the “It’s a Hong Kong policy talaga ng Im- but, once a worker files a complaint, the GARCIA want to go to Macau or stead of exiting to Macau to wait for their any place, that we can- working visa. not control,” Garcia said. “Sanasabihan namin sila na kung pupu- “But pag may nagcomplain at nagka- wede huwag kayong mag exit ng Macau roon ng anomalya o problema at nagcom- kasi if anything happens to you there, hin- plain dito sa POLO, that’s the only time na di namin sagot because you are a tourist mag-aaction talaga kami. We made it clear there and no longer a worker ,” she said. to them. Sorry na lang,” she added. “So para safe kayo, umuwi na lang ng Garcia said the 16 agency officials who Pilipinas, pareho din naman yun.” HONG KONG NEWS June 1, 2015 3 4 June 1, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS HONG KONG NEWS June 1, 2015 5 6 NEWS June 1, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS Pinoy driver finally acquitted 2 Filipino By Philip C. Tubeza ing a cap, who stabbed Khan. caught up with the Filipino. “At this time, my mind is not on this “I was not properly interpreted. I was pickpockets AFTER nearly three years of trying to thing. I cannot really say who he was,” suffering (at the time of the police inter- clear his name, Filipino driver Primitivo Khan said through an interpreter when Ti- view). There was a pipe in my mouth. I A. Tidoy finally got his wish. doy’s lawyer told him that it was a man was not able to talk properly. I repeated lose appeal On May 15, District Court Deputy Judge wearing a cap who stabbed him. this many times,” he added. By Philip C. Tubeza Marco Li acquitted Tidoy of the charge of The Filipino’s lawyer also asked Khan However, Urdu interpreter Tufail Mo- wounding with intent after the prosecution about his statement to the police that he hammad and the police officer who inter- THE High Court has junked the failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt was stabbed only once “in the left front viewed Khan both testified in court and appeal of two Filipino tourists who that he stabbed Shoukat Khan in Central DISTRICT COURT waist” before his assailant fled to the di- that the victim “did not complain that he were convicted of pickpocketing at in November 2012. rection of Queen’s Road Central. was feeling unwell and that he wanted the the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. “Having carefully considered all the ev- ferent versions in his witness statement, “If I have said that, that’s it,” Khan said. statement taking to be postponed.” Deputy High Court Judge Gary idence and submissions of counsel, I find during the first trial and in the present tri- This is in contradiction to his previous “The Urdu interpreter Mr Mohammad Tallentire dismissed the petitions of that the prosecution has failed to prove the al,” Judge Li said. claim that Tidoy stabbed him twice before confirmed that he diligently translated the Camilo V. Bakila and Roderick C. charge against beyond reasonable doubt. I These matters include whether or not Ti- fleeing towards the direction of Queen’s words spoken between (the investigator) Gevero, who were asking that the jail hereby return a verdict of not guilty,” said doy spoke anything prior to the attack on Road. and Mr Khan, and Mr Khan did not make sentences that Kowloon City Deputy Judge Li. November 4, 2012 outside No 3 Li Yuen Khan also vehemently denied the por- any request to amend the statement in the Magistrate Lam Tsz-kan imposed on The District Court initially convicted Ti- Street West, Central; whether Tidoy was tion of his police statement saying that he end,” Judge Li said. them be reduced. doy in July 2013 but the Filipino appealed wearing a cap (which goes to the funda- was the one who ran after Tidoy. He also noted that the medical evi- “There was absolutely no basis of, his case all the way to the High Court, mental issue of identity of the assailant); “This statement is wrong. How can a dence, together with the photos of Khan’s nor merit in this appeal against the which ordered his retrial in December.