Fengshen brings T3, cooler weather to HK

Fengshen brings cloudy and cool weather to HK (HKO photo from The Peak)

The Hong Kong Observatory said earlier today that Tropical Cyclone Warning No 3 will remain in force only until 6pm today, unless Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen strengthens or changes course, which is unlikely.

“Unless Fengshen intensifies significantly, the chance of issuing higher Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals is relatively low,” the HK Observatory said in a statement.

T3 was hoisted yesterday afternoon, bypassing T1 as Fengshen edged closer to the coast of Guangdong. It replaced the Strong Monsoon Signal that was issued at 10:50pm Sunday night.

Under the combined effect of Fengshen and the monsoon, temperatures dipped to around 19 degrees in the urban areas today, and colder in the New Territories.

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Classes at kindergartens and schools for children with disabilities were suspended for the day today with T3 in force.

Fengshen was tracked to have passed beyond 400 kilometres to the south of Hong Kong before moving away.

The Observatory said frequent showers can be expected in the next couple of days as outer rainbands from Fengshen continue to affect Hong Kong.

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There could also be flooding at some low-lying coastal areas during the high tides at night, with the water level at Victoria Harbour rising up to around 3 meters about Chart Datum, or the reference point for predicting tide heights.

 

 

 

Filipina DH rejects assault claim by local woman

 

 Kwun Tong Court

A local woman who accused a Filipino domestic helper of assaulting her with a fist, had exaggerated her story, the defense lawyer said during trial on Monday (Oct. 20) at Kwun Tong Court.

The lawyer for Maylene Joson, 45 years old, said a CCTV clip of the incident that took place on Nov. 21 last year on a school bus pick-up point near the car park of Corinthia by the Sea in Tseung Kwan O, did not show her hitting Tsoi Chun lai, who claimed to be the victim.

Instead, she said, the video showed Joson defending herself as Tsoi stepped forward first, pointed a finger and told her, “You are just a domestic helper. You should know your position.”

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When Joson pointed a finger back, she touched Tsoi’s face accidentally while telling her to shut up, the lawyer added. She said photos in the police report did not indicate any injury on Tsoi ’s face. A medical report also showed Tsoi had only complained of mild tenderness with no lasting injury.

“The only inference was that PW1 (prosecution witness 1 or Tsoi ) was lying,” .the defense lawyer told Magistrate Lau Suk-han.

Tsoi testified in the previous hearing that she was hit by Joson, who shouted at her and continued haranguing her as she was leaving the bus stop.

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Magistrate Lau adjourned the case to Nov. 7 for verdict.

The dispute began in the morning of Nov. 20, or the day before, when Joson put the schoolbag of her three-year-old ward on the stairs of the school bus so it would not drive off as her employer, who was carrying her daughter down from their flat, was running late.

The employer, who testified Monday, said she heard Tsoi scolding Joson for this, but advised the Filipina to just come with her back home to end the dispute. She later received text messages from Tsoi, to whom she apologized.

The next morning, when Joson brought her ward and Tsoi took her child to the school bus stop, they met again and the dispute that led to the criminal charges erupted.

Joson’s employer testified that a policeman later called, asking her to come down with the Filipina regarding the case. She found an ambulance and a police vehicle downstairs.

She said the policeman advised her to apologize to Choi, who was in the ambulance, to end what he considered a trivial matter. She said she again apologized for what happened the day before, as she did not know what happened between the two that day, but Choi rejected the apology.

The ambulance later drove off with Choi, while the police car took Joson to the police station for investigation.

Bethune House sees birth of youngest ‘clients’ amid launch of fundraising drive

 

Baby Noah and his mother Glendy at the shelter

Two baby boys born a month apart have become the latest residents of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, highlighting its valuable contribution to keeping distressed migrant workers in Hong Kong safe and sheltered.

The babies’ mothers, a Filipina and an Indonesian, both have pending court cases, and Bethune House has not only helped assure them that they can remain in Hong Kong and give birth while they sort out their legal problems, but to also be surrounded with many caring and loving people.

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The births, the latest of which happened only last week, coincided with this year’s launch of the 2025-2026 Coins for Bethune House, an annual fundraising project started 14 years ago.

Baby Noel is still at the hospital, as he was born through C-section

The aim is not just to raise much-needed money to help the 39-year-old shelter pay for the cost of providing food and accommodation to about two dozen migrant women at any given time, but also to raise awareness of its advocacies, especially among the migrant workers themselves.

Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio explained part of what they do, during the fundraising launch on October 12: “May Cantonese lesson, computer lesson, first aid, basta lahat ng makakatulong sa inyo dito sa Hong Kong while may kaso kayo.”(anything that could help you stay in Hong Kong while you’re facing court cases)

She added, “Once na terminate kayo, di ba jobless at homeless kayo, wala kayong tutuluyan, at madalas hindi pa binayaran ng amo. At dahil hindi kayo pinapayagan ng HK government na magtrabaho, crucial ang shelter para sa pananatili ninyo at makamit ninyo ang justice dito sa Hong Kong. Kasi kung hindi, uuwi na lang kayo dahil hindi kayo makakatagal sa mahal ng gastusin dito.”

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(When your services are terminated, you become jobless and homeless. You have nowhere to go, and often, your employer did not pay you. The Hong Kong government does not allow you to work, so the shelter is crucial in allowing you to remain here while you fight for justice. If you don’t have a place to go, you’ll be forced to go home because it is expensive to remain here).

Antonio explained that beyond giving shelter and legal and moral support advice to its clients, Bethune House also covers the cost of transportation for those who need to work on their cases, as well as their visa extension fee, which was recently raised from $230 to $330 each time.

About 100 people join Coins for Bethune 2025 launch at St John's Li Hall

Even in the middle of the night, she said Bethune House sends out volunteers or staff members to rescue workers who have been thrown out of their employers’ houses after being given notice of termination for whatever reason.

At no other time was this help shown to be most crucial than during the 2020-2023 Covid-19 pandemic, when dozens of migrant workers were driven out into the streets all throughout the day, after testing positive for the virus. Bethune House, together with other support groups for migrants, found places where they could stay and recover.

Edwina says BH helps distressed migrant women every step of the way

Through nearly four decades, Bethune House has stood as a beacon of hope for migrant women facing all sorts of challenges, not least the victims in some of the worst abuse cases ever recorded in Hong Kong. They were not only sheltered, but were also helped to attain justice and regain their self-worth.

They include Indonesian worker Erwiana, who was taken to the airport for her flight home, barely able to walk from the abuse inflicted on her by her employer. She was brought back by the Mission for  Migrant Workers, which helped put her employer in jail while she sheltered in Bethune House, and eventually went back to college and graduated with honors.

There was also Grace, who was made to sleep in the toilet and was rescued by Bethune House volunteers amid a Typhoon 8 signal; Marsha, a human trafficking victim who stayed at the shelter for three years while facing a case for breach of condition of stay; and many others, including rape victims who found in the shelter the ray of hope they needed in a time of despair.

Amazingly, Bethune House has done all these good works without funding support from any government, be it Hong Kong, the Philippines or Indonesia.

But it has not been without challenges. Every so often it would send out an SOS to private donors saying it was in danger of closing down because of a shortage of funds, and each time, lots of people would come together, from local artists to Disney performers and young professionals, and extend it a lifeline.

The Coins for Bethune House project is one of those constants, and perhaps most meaningful. For it is when migrant workers come together to support their own that Bethune House finds more reason to continue its advocacies.

(Donors may collect their official Coins for Bethune House stickers from Edwina at 9488 9044 or their hotline, 9338 0035. You may also donate directly by scanning the QR code in the poster above or by bank transfer to Alipay and EPS, using telephone number 93380035; or to Hang Seng Bank account no. 284-8-241309).

 

Stepped-up anti-illegal work crackdown nets 50 people

 

Construction sites are often checked for the presence of illegal workers

Hong Kong remains replete with illegal workers, as shown by last week’s joint operations between the Immigration and Labour Departments, when a total of 50 people were arrested.

A statement issued by the Immigration Department said the week-long raids from October 10 to 16, resulted in the arrest of 41 suspected illegal workers, eight employers and an aider and abettor.

As in previous operations, most of the premises targeted were construction sites, renovation premises and restaurants.

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The arrested workers comprised 11 men and 30 women, aged 24 to 58. One man was found to hold a recognizance form, signifying his intention to oppose repatriation, while another was in possession of a fake HK ID card.

Three men and five women, aged 32 to 62, were also arrested on suspicion of hiring the workers, along with a 62-year-old woman who is suspected of having abetted the illegal hiring.

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Immigration said further investigations is being carried out, and further arrests are not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the crackdown, Immigration officers went around newly inhabited housing estates to distribute leaflets among occupants and management staff warning people not to hire illegal workers.

Promotional vehicle used to warn residents against hiring illegal workers

The press statement warned that it is illegal for anyone to take up work in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, unless with explicit permission from the Director of Immigration.

The prohibition covers tourists, illegal immigrants, ovestayers, asylum seekers as well as foreign domestic workers and imported laborers who are allowed to work only for the specified job and location, and for their contractual employers.

Illegal workers are normally sentenced to 15 months in prison after conviction, although the prescribed maximum jail term is between two and three years, with a fine of $50,000.

Sentencing guidelines imposed by the High Court prescribe an immediate jail term for an employer of an illegal work, although they are often jailed for a shorter time than the worker. The maximum penalty for errant employers is 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $500,000.

Anyone with information about illegal employment activities may call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

 

 

FinTech Alliance PH to conduct finlit seminar for OFWs

 

Registration is required for face-to-face participation

FinTech Alliance PH, the Philippines’ largest digital industry association, is set to conduct a Financial Literary and Digital Adoption Program for overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong on November 2,  at 2pm at the OWWA Cares Hall at the OFW Global Center on the 18^th floor of United Centre building in Admiralty.

The seminar aims to equip OFWs in Hong Kong with the knowledge and expertise in managing their finances, with the help of professional and trusted experts in the field of financial services.

Those interested to join may register by scanning the QR code in the attached poster, or watch the training live on the Consulate’s official Facebook page: Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong. 

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FinTech Alliance PH, the first organization of its kind in Asia, comprises more than 100 corporate members, including the leading digital retail businesses in the country like GCash, Maya, GoTyme, Grab, 7Eleven, and banks like BPI and Landbank.

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Together they account for more than 95% of the country’s digital retail financial transaction volume.

The group has spearheaded the establishment of an industry-led Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, which could pave the way for it to operate as a self-regulating body.

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FinTech Alliance PH will join the Hong Kong FinTech Week to be held from November 3-7 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Singapore FinTech Festival from November 12-14 at the Singapore Expo.

 

Another Pinay gets 6-month jail term for money laundering

 

Another Filipina has been jailed for six months after her bank account was used in laundering money that came from crime.

Cherel Elle, 38 years old, pleaded guilty last Tuesday (Oct. 4) at Kwun Tong Court to dealing in property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense, in violation of the Organized ad Serious Crimes Ordinance.

Magistrate Eric Yao handed her the sentence after deducting three months from her sentence in return for her guilty plea.

Information filed by Kwun Tong Police said $363,442.58 went in and out of her Bank of China account between Aug. 1, 2022 and Jan. 23, 2023.

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It said she dealt with the money “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that (the) property… in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represented any person’s proceeds of an indictable crime…”

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Elle’s conviction comes a day after Lea Callo, 32 years old and a Filipina domestic helper, was also sentenced at Kwun Tong Court to six months in jail for allowing the use of her bank account in money laundering.

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The charge arose from the $937,789.50 in crime proceeds that flowed in and out of her Bank of China account between May 24 and Oct. 26, 2022.

Filipina charged with stealing 5 watches worth $1.01M

 

Entrance of Deerhill Park, where the alleged theft happened (Wikimedia photo)

A Filipina domestic helper appeared in Fan Ling magistracy Friday, charged with stealing four Rolex watches from her employer’s house worth a total of $1 million plus a third branded Citizen,  valued at $10,000.

Jeanny V. Llarenas, 51 years old, is accused of stealing the watches from the detached house in Deerhill Bay, a luxury residential complex in Tai Po, between June 1 and October 15 this year, when the alleged theft was discovered.

The first charge is for the theft of two Rolex watches, each valued at $250,000; and the second is for the theft of two more Rolex watches with the same value, as well as a Citizen watch worth $10,000.

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No plea was taken and Llarenas was returned to jail until the next hearing of the case on December 12.

Media reports said Llarenas, mistakenly described earlier as an Indonesian, was arrested at around 9:50pm on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after a 35-year-old resident of the Deerhill house reported to the police that two luxury watches were missing.

Subsequent investigation revealed the loss of two more Rolex watches, plus a high-value Citizen watch. They were allegedly found inside her bag, about to be pawned.

More charges may follow, as Llarenas is still being investigated for 12 items of gold jewelry that were also reported as lost.

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Police who came to investigate subsequently arrested the defendant on suspicion of theft, under Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

She was charged in court after two days of investigation.

Employer of Indonesian illegal worker jailed 2 months

 

Both employer and illegal worker were sentenced at Shatin Court

A local grocery shop owner was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on Friday after being found guilty of hiring an Indonesian illegal worker.

The Indonesian worker aged 51 years old was jailed for 15 months previously

The unnamed employer described as a male Hong Kong resident aged 57, was charged at Shatin Court or being an employer of a person who was not lawfully employable as he did not take adequate steps to ascertain the visa status of the worker.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was convicted after trial.

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He was arrested on March 13 by Immigration officers who raided his grocery store and arrested him for hiring the Indonesian, who turned out to be a recognizance paper holder applying for asylum, as a shop assistant.

In a statement, Immigration reminded the public that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable.

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Under the Immigration Ordinance the maximum penalty for an employer of an illegal worker, for example, an illegal immigrant, a person subject to deportation or overstayer, is liable to prosecution and could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000. 

The High Court has also ruled that the employer should be jailed immediately.

 

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According to the sentencing guidelines, employers take all practicable steps to determine whether a jobseeker is lawfully employable.

Apart from inspecting the applicant’s identity card, the employers must also make enquiries about the person and ensure that the answers would not cast reasonable doubt as to the lawful employability of the person.

Failure to do this would not be accepted as a defence on the employer’s behalf

It is also an offence for the employer not to inspect the job seeker’s valid passport or travel document if no permanent HK ID card could be presented

To report suspected illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

2 Filipinas who went missing set to go home; share ordeal

 

Aleli and Imee tells MWO officers they survived on wild fruits in the forest

The two Filipina domestic workers who were found by police at about 10:30pm Thursday in Shatin after missing for 12 days. are set to go home next week after their respective employers terminated their employment contracts.

The Migrant Workers Office (MWO) said 24-year-old Imee M. Pabuaya will leave on October 20 as her employer gave notice of termination when she was reported missing on October 6. Aleli P. Tibay, 33, will go home on October 22 as her employer terminated their contract two days after, or on October 8.

Under Hong Kong employment laws, foreign domestic workers must leave within 14 days after the termination of their work contracts, unless this was done under exceptional circumstances, like when they were abused, or their employer resettles in another country.

MWO officers who fetched them from the Shatin Police Station last night said the two were dressed in the same clothes they were seen wearing in a surveillance video in Tsuen Wan in the afternoon of October 4 when they were went missing, except for Aleli who had changed into a white shirt after reportedly getting wet.

Both will be returning home virtually empty-handed. Imee will be paid by her employer for the three days that she had worked before missing, while Aleli will not receive anything.

As the police said after both were found last night, the two were in good health.

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MWO officers who took them to a shelter and gave them immediate counseling said the two had told them that they got lost in the forest in Tsuen Wan.

“Naligo lang daw po sila sa ilog at ang kinain nila ay bunga ng baging,” “ said one MWO officer assisting them. (They swam in the river and survived on fruits of overhanging vines).

At least one netizen said in a Facebook post that she saw the two at the Fu Yang Shang barbecue site, about 1 km away from the Tsuen Wan MTR station. Another unconfirmed report said they were spotted at the Lei Muk Shue Shopping Center nearby.

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Hiking posts online say the walk from Lei Muk Shue to Shatin called the ‘Needle Hill Hike” is a scenic but challenging one, bypassing a part of the rugged Maclehose Trail. The distance totals about 8 km and could be covered by seasoned hikers for three hours, but not by inexperienced ones who could get easily lost in the trail.

Imee and Aleli claim they could not use their mobile phones when they realized they got lost because one got wet in the water, while the other’s battery drained as they used it as a flashlight.

“Sinabi nila hindi daw sila nakababa ng bundok hanggang kagabi,” said the MWO officer (They said they managed to get off the mountains only last night).

When asked about the reported sighting of them in Lei Muk Shue a day earlier, they said they they would have welcomed getting away from the mountains as they experienced extreme difficulty there.

“Nasabi nila na akala nila hindi na sila makakalabas ng bundok.” (They also said they thought they would never be able to get off the mountain).

When fetched at the police station, the two reportedly had three pomelos with them, which they said they had plucked from a tree in the mountains.

MWO said the two declined to be interviewed, saying they are not ready, but agreed to share their story to the officers assisting them.

Secretary Cacdac holds press briefing to report that the OFWs have been found

In a  press conference held earlier today, Secretary Hans Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers assured reporters that the two OFWs are “both in good condition, safe and sound.”

He added they are currently receiving psychological counseling from MWO and will undergo a medical check-up within the day.

MWO will help them get their belongings back from their employers’ respective houses, and will help in their repatriation.

“Salamat sa ating mga team sa Hong Kong at sa local na pamahalaan doon. Dahil sa kanilang mabilis na pagtugon, ligtas na ngayon ang ating mga kababayan,” said Cacdac. (Thanks to our team in HK and to the local government there. Because of their immediate action, our OFWs are now safe).

MWO records show Imee, the younger of the two, had been in Hong Kong for only nine months, while Aleli had worked here since 2017.

2 missing Filipinas found safe in Shatin

 

It's still unclear why Aleli and Imee decided to disappear

The two Filipina domestic helpers who had been reported missing for 12 days have been found unharmed, various reports quoting police said.

Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. confirmed the reports in a text message to The SUN. 

The two, Imee Mahilum Pabuaya, 24 and Aleli Perez Tibay, 33, were reportedly found by police at a shopping mall on Sui Wo Road in Fo Tan at about 10pm on Thursday.

They were said to be well and safe, and police said there was nothing suspicious in their disappearance.

No statement was issued as to why the two who were reported to be in a relationship, had left their respective employers without word, or why they did not tell  friends and family members what they were planning to do.

If their employers decided to terminate their respective contracts as soon as they disappeared on October 4, they will only have until tomorrow to remain in Hong Kong under the 14-day rule for FDHs.

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The police first posted a bulletin about their disappearance shortly after receiving separate missing-person reports on them, on Oct 6 and 8.

A surveillance camera captured them walking on Yeung Uk Road in Tsuen Wan at about 4:30pm on Oct.4 just before they disappeared. 

This prompted speculation that they had gotten lost while hiking, though they did not look dressed for the activity.

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Police launched a massive search for them on the hiking trails around Tsuen Wan, but decided to give it up Wednesday after receiving reports that they had been spotted in a nearby town.

Prior to this, the Philippine Consulate had received information from the police that the two were still in Hong Kong, as there were no Immigration records of them departing the city.

The Consulate advised netizens against speculating on their disappearance, particularly those who had initially said they must have gone on to a third country to work, particularly Poland.

There were also reports that the two were beset with debt problems, which could have prompted them to run away.

According to Consulate records, Imee had worked in Hong Kong for only nine months, while Aleli had been here since 2017.