2 Philippine displays win merit awards at HK Flower Show 2025

The PCG's booth won the 'Merit Award for Unique Feature'

The Philippine Consulate has won a merit award for its booth display at the Hong Kong Flower Show which ended today, Mar 23, while a Philippines-based organization won a similar award.

The PCG’s display which was done in collaboration with the United Architects of the Philippines Hong Kong chapter was handed the “Merit Award for Unique Feature.”

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The display, which featured a Philippine “balangay”, a colorful, colonial-era boat side-by-side with a Chinese junk, was meant to symbolize the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-China diplomatic relations.

The flowers used for the display were the everlasting which is mainly grown in Baguio;  cosmos, which is the featured flower for this year’s Flower Show; as well as aster, chrysanthemum, begonia, million bells, kalachoes and daisies. A bonsai tree completed the display.

Blue Grass Project Philippines won Merit Award for Design Excellence

The other winner was the Blue Grass Project Philippines, which on the “Merit Award for Design Excellence” for its flower displays which appeared to float on air.

Another participant from the Philippines was the World Flower Council (Philippines chapter) which showcased a profusion of orchids in various colors.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Named as Grand Winner for Unique Feature was the Pakistan Consulate General’s booth which was turned into a pebbled garden with walls showing the country’s scenic attractions, and its world-famous rug being used as a centerpiece.

Pakistan PCG's display won the Grand Award for Unique Feature

As in years past, the Tinikling dance by Filipino migrant workers, some of whom did the intricate footwork with bamboo poles while blindfolded, was a big hit.

Basahin ang detalye!

HK Flower Show 2025 with the theme “Ablaza With Glory” opened on Mar 14, and drew an estimated 650,000 visitors.

The Philippine contingent at the Flower Show

More than 400,000 flowers mostly imported from abroad, were used by 238 organizations which took part in the annual event organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. 

PRESS FOR DETAILS

7 Pinoys arrested for illegal work appear in court

 

Immigration Department photo of those arrested 

Seven Filipino men who were arrested for working illegally in a cargo company in Kwai Chung last March 4, have appeared at Shatin Court, charged with violating the Immigation Ordinance and the Immigration Regulations.

Of the seven, only Rodrigo Sarabia, 60 years old, was charged with breach of condition of stay because he was allowed to stay in Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper at the address specified in the employment contract he used to get his visa.

In a hearing on March 19, Sarabia was allowed by Magistrate David Chum to post bail of $1,000.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Earlier reports said six  of the suspected illegal workers arrested in the raid were asylum seekers or non-refoulement claimants holding recognizance papers which prohibit them from taking up work. The seventh is a male FDH while the eighth was a female overstayer.

Two of the asylum seekers arrested were Junipher Sambalod, 41 years old, and Marcelino Guisinga, 44. Both were also allowed to post bail but at $10,000 cash plus surety of another $10,000.

Both are facing a charge of “taking employment while being a person in respect of whom a removal order is in force” in violation of section 38AA(1)(b) and 38AA(2) of the Immigration Ordinance.

The four others, who are facing similar charges – Julie JR Arcega, 43, Aris Pareja, 51, Christian Mendane, 34, and Joel Lorente, 46 – were returned to jail to await their next court date on April 22.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Arcega is one of four Filipinos and a Bangladeshi who were cleared by the District Court last March 19 of acting indecently towads a child, but was not freed because he was detained at that time for this case.

Last March 5, the Immigration Department announced it has arrested nine persons in an anti-illegal work operation conducted by its agents in Kwai Chung last Mar 4, eight of whom were Filipinos. The ninth is a 51-year-old male Hong Kong resident who is suspected of employing them.

The statement said the eight suspects were caught while performing transporting and wrapping duties in a unit of the industrial building. They comprised seven men and one woman, aged 34 to 60. 

The woman, who was reportedly an overstayer,  was not among those who appeared in court to face charges. 

Basahin ang detalye!

Immigration warned that illegal work is a serious offence that merits a jail sentence.

Those who are convicted of the offence while on tourist or domestic helper’s visa could be jailed for up to two years and fined $50,000.

Recognizance paper holders or overstayers face a maximum of three years in prison and a fine of $50,000.

Those found to have employed illegal workers could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $500,000.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Illness postpones Filipina’s sentencing for fraud

 

Immigration Department

The Shatin Court postponed for a week the sentencing of a Filipina who had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Immigration Department, when she did not show up Friday (March 21) due to illness.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong rescheduled to March 28 the sentencing of Mariclaire Calagui, 41 years old, but required her to present a medical certificate.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Magistrate Cheang extended her $1,000 bail on the same terms.

According to the police complaint, Calagui conspired with Lee Ka Ming and Kathleen Emily Vizcarra to defraud the Director of Immigration and his officers by entering into a fake employment contract to work as a domestic helper of Lee.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The fraud induced the Immigration officers “to act contrary to their public duty, namely to grant you permission to remain in Hong Kong under circumstances in which they would not otherwise have granted.”

Vizcarra is herself facing a similar case in District Court for her part as agent in the alleged conspiracy that involved Calagui and several others.

Basahin ang detalye!

Magistrate Cheang also scheduled the sentencing of another Filipina for April 17 at Shatin Court for "making a false representation to an Immigration Officer lawfully acting under or in the execution of  Part III of the Immigration Ordinance."

The charge against Melinda David, 42 years old, arose from her telling the officer on Oct 2, 2023 that she would work for a certain employer "knowing the same to be false o not believing the same ti be true...." 

She was set free on bail of $1,000.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

18 persons arrested in latest anti-illegal work sweep

 

One of those caught in the raids is taken to a police van

A series of raids aimed at flushing out illegal workers and their employers resulted in 18 people being arrested in places like exhibition halls, industrial and residential buildings, restaurants and retail shops.

The four-day sweep from Mar 17 to 20 which included parts of Central, resulted in 15 suspected illegal workers being arrested, along with three employers.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The suspected illegal workers comprised nine men and four women, aged 24 to 56. Two women were found to hold recognizance forms as asylum seekers, while another woman was in possession of a forged HK identity card.

Two suspected employers, both men aged 35 and 40, and another aged 65, were arrested during operation.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Immigration warned that working illegally is a serious crime in Hong Kong, for which the maximum jail term is between two and three years, with a fine of $50,000.

Possessing someone else’s HKID card or a forged one can get an offender up to 10 years in jail. Employers could spend that much time in detention, plus a fine of up to $500,000.

Among those repatriated are these Vietnamese women

Meanwhile, a total of 18 Vietnamese nationals, nine men and nine women, were sent back to their country today.

According to a press statement from Immigration, they were all asylum seekers and included a number who had been jailed for committing crimes.

Basahin ang detalye!

Immigration said it remains committed to speeding up the removal of illegal immigrants and overstayers from Hong Kong as soon as practicable.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

 

Comelec says internet voting on, but where’s pre-enrolment link?

 

c

Comelec chair George Garcia announces the start of historic online voting, but does not provide link

The first internet voting for overseas Filipinos was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections to have begun yesterday, with the pre-enrolment for voters scheduled to kick in.

However, the link for pre-enrolment, which had already been delayed by 10 days, was nowhere to be found on any of the Comelec’s official websites or social media pages.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia told reporters yesterday, Thursday, that it was the first day of pre-enrolment for internet voters. 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“Today is the first day of enrolment, you must enroll yourselves on our website, everything is there…,” he said, adding that that it would only take less than two minutes to complete the process.

He advised Filipinos abroad that they must enroll first to get a code, then use that to secure a ballot and cast their votes.

He said the Comelec is “lenient” in that it will accept any government-issued IDs, expired or new passport, seaman’s book as proof of identity for the pre-enrolment, which was supposed to run from yesterday, Mar 20, to Apr 7.

Provided, however, that people who will pre-enrol are registered overseas voters.

Comelec's advisory on pre-enrolment merely provides a link to its website

The pre-enrolment will serve as a dry run for the actual enrolment which will start on the first day of overseas voting on Apr 13, up until May 5, or a week before the election ends on May 12.

Only the online media portal, Rappler, noted that the pre-enrolment link was missing, and said that it had already sought clarification about it from Comelec’s Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) but have yet to get a reply.

Comments on OFOV’s Facebook page raised the same question, with some raising concern about a possible glitch, or blaming Comelec for being remiss in its duty. 

Not a few said they had doubts about intenet voting and would rather vote as before.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

In Hong Kong, the Philippine Consulate has again scheduled a briefing on pre-enrolment with Filipino community leaders this coming Sunday, Mar. 23. A session set a week earlier did not go as planned because the original start of the list-up on Mar 10 was canceled at the last minute.

Internet voting will replace face-to-face casting of ballots or voting by mail in 77 overseas posts where there are sizeable numbers of Filipino voters, and the internet system is not restricted, as in China and Russia.

Comelec and the OV Secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs are working hand-in-hand to boost voter turnout with the new system.

Basahin ang detalye!

In the 2022 presidential election, a record 38% of all registered overseas voters turned out to vote. Hong Kong’s turnout was nearly twice this much in terms of percentage. Of the 93,886 registered voters, 62,252 or 64% had cast their ballots.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

UP TO $5,000 WELLCOME COUPONS SA E-TOP UP WEEKLY LUCKY DRAW!

Pagkatapos ng mga Smartphones, Wellcome Supermaket Coupons naman ang prizes ngayon! Tuluy tuloy bonggang pa-raffle ng SmarTone! May weekly winners ng $1,000 at monthly winners naman ng $5,000!

Ito ang E-Top Up Wellcome Lucky Draw. Total of 13 winners. Grocery mo sagot ko!  

Paano sumali? Madali lang! 

Mag load ng $49 o pataas sa My SIM Account App ni SmarTone at gamitin ang mga e-wallets pang bayad. Ano ba ang ewallets? Ito ang mga WeChat Pay, Alipay HK, Octopus Wallet, PayMe, Credit Cards, Coin Dragon at sa SmarTone Self-service payment kiosks. 

Mas madami kang e-top up sa SIM, mas madami kang chance manalo. 

Kung SmarTone ka na at may My SIM Account app na, i-Open lang ang app, press link http://wap.smartone.com/bssapp at para rin ma-install kung wala ka pa. 

1. Open My SIM Account app > i-tap ang TOP UP
2. Tap E-TOP UP > piliin Mobile SIM 
3. Piliin load amount $49 o $98 > tap NEXT
4. I-press E-Wallet na gagamitin at sundin ang steps hanggang sa pagbayad at i-press Confirm   
5. Automatic na kasali ka na kasi raffle e-Ticket ito.

Wala kang My SIM Account app? Download sa Google Play o App Store o i-tap https://wap.smartone.com/bssapp/ para i-install. 

Kung may tanong, pwedeng pumunta sa Barkadahan Shop 159 WWH Central o Shop B, 1F Jollibee Shopping Arcade, Yuen Long o sa mga promoters sa mga suking Pinoy tindahan sa Hong Kong o mag text sa WhatsApp Hotline https://www.smartone.com/hk/BSSWhatsAppCS

Para naman malaman iba pang mga offers sa Barkadahan, press
https://www.smartone.com/hk/BSS/OnlineNews/AL 

Para naman iba pang services, press:
|https://www.smartone.com/hk/BSS/OnlineNews

Mas bongga talaga sa Barkadahan, pramis! Ito rin ang SIM ng mga Pinoys at  Number 1 Most Used Network ng mga OFW sa Hong Kong ayon sa Anova Market Research Company. Trade Promotion Competition Licence no.: 59669. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Pinay jailed 1 year for $287K theft

 

Estate where theft was committed (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina domestic helper was jailed for a year on Friday after she admitted stealing $287,000 worth of items from her employer.

Jinky Catalan, 36 years old, pleaded guilty after the charge of violating section 9 of the Theft Ordinance was read to her. 

Principal Magistrate Don So handed down the sentence right after her plea.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Catalan admitted stealing one bracelet, five pairs of earrings, six rings and seven necklaces from her employer’s flat at Grenville House on Magazine Gap Road, Mid-Levels.

The theft was committed between June 2 and Nov.20 last year.

In Kwun Tong Court, another Filipina also accused of theft was remanded in jail after her case was adjourned by Acting Principal Magistrate Leung Ka-kie,

 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Jennifer Ducusin, 40 years old, was charged with stealing $772,161 worth of items and $2,500 Chinese yuan in cash.

Information filed by Tseung Kwan O Police listed the stolen items as three necklaces, 17 rings, five pairs of earrings, eight bracelets, thee gold chains, one gold coin, two gold ingots, three pendants, two watches, one handbag, one scarf, one shawl, and one ivory scale.

Basahin ang detalye!

The theft allegedly happened between July and November last yea at the employer’s flat at Green Park on Razor Hill Road in Tseung Kwan O.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

DH’s cases of theft, misleading police elevated to DC

 

Estate where thefts were alleged

The Kowloon City Court has elevated to the District Court a domestic helper’s two cases of theft of 10 watches from her employer and a charge of misleading the police by reporting a burglary on their house.

In the first charge, Vanessa Vallespin , 39 years old, is accused of stealing a watch from her male employer at Sunderland Estate in Kowloon Tong on Dec. 2, 2024, according to information filed by the Kowloon City Police.

She was then accused of stealing another another nine watches two days later.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Although the total value of the watches was not disclosed in the charges, the amount must have been substantial enough for Acting Principal Magistrate Ko Wai-hung to elevate the case to DC.

The third charge, “knowingly misleading a police officer by giving false information” stemmed from Vallespin  allegedly telling a police officer investigating the two thefts that unknown persons who broke into the house were responsible.

Basahin ang detalye!

Section 64(b) of the Police Force Ordinance penalizes such offence with a fine at level 1 ($2,000) and imprisonment for six months.

Magistrate Ko adjourned the case to April 3.

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Final rites set for Filipina DH who died of cancer

 

Death came two weeks after May was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 

Friends and family of the late May Mallillin who passed on in Hong Kong Mar 12 due to complications from ovarian cancer are set to give her a final farewell this coming Sunday, Mar. 23 at Universal Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom.

May, who was 45 years old and single, will be brought to her final resting place in her hometown of Solana, Cagayan.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

According to her sister Julie Mallillin Cagumbay, May started having stomach problems in January this year. On Feb. 1 it became so unbearable that she had to be taken to Kwong Wah Hospital in Kowloon, where a lump was found in her ovary.

“Pagkatapos ng isang linggo, ovarian cancer na,” Julie told their cousin Alma Bangayan, who had been updating May’s family on her condition, and helped run a fundraising campaign for her through the Facebook group, Social Justice for Migrant Workers.

May was visited by many caring friends while she was in hospital

Initially, surgery was ruled out in her case, but in the first week of March her condition turned critical because of a blood clot in her lung, forcing doctors to operate on her twice.

Friends said she managed to withstand the two surgeries despite her fragile condition. According to one of them, Divina Apostol, May fought hard to overcome the pain and her illnesses.

But it did not last long before May succumbed to pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot that got lodged in her lung.

Basahin ang detalye!

According to Julie, May had worked in Hong Kong since 2015, and managed to go back home only once, in 2017, when her first contract expired. After that she had been exiting in Macau at the request of her employer.

She was a go-getter who made many friends in several Filipino community organizations she joined.

Those who wish to pay final respects may go to Rm 202, 2^nd floor of Universal Funeral Homes at 10 Cheong Hang Road in Hung Hom on Mar 23 between 4 and 6pm.

  

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Collapsed Pinay regains consciousness after brain surgery

 

The Filipina was operated on at Queen Mary Hospital

A 64-year-old Filipino domestic helper who was found unconscious by her employer yesterday, Tuesday, inside their flat at Robinson Garden Apartments on Robinson Road has regained consciousness following an operation.

According to one of her friends, the Filipina named Nenita was found with a blood clot in her brain, which required immediate surgery.

Another friend, Jenny, said the employer had already visited Nenita along with another Filipina helper who shared a video showing the patient conscious though still a bit disoriented.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Jenny said Nenita is about to finish serving her two-year contract with her employer and will no longer be renewed, causing her a slight worry as she still wants to remain in Hong Kong.

However, Nenita’s employer had reportedly assured her that she would be paid all that is due her.

The police said it was the employer who called them at 10:48 am yesterday, after finding Nenita unconscious on her bed.

Basahin ang detalye!

Officers who responded to the call immediately took her to the hospital.

The police said they were still investigating the case although no foul play is suspected.

Welfare Officer Marilou Sumalinog of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said they will visit Nenita later today to check on her condition and extend assistance if needed.

PRESS FOR DETAILS