Wearing of seat belts on public transport mandatory from Jan 25

Passengers must use seat belts provided in all public transport

The government today reminded the public that starting on Jan 25, all seated passengers on public transport and commercial vehicles must wear seatbelts if they are installed.

All vehicle owners, drivers or passengers found to have violated this requirement will be liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to three months. 

Drivers will be liable to a maximum fine of $2,000 if a passenger aged under 15 is found seated in the rear seat of a goods vehicle, or the passenger’s seat of a special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

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At the same time, all drivers must not to place more than two mobile telephones, tablets or computers in front of them, while driving. In any case, the diagonal length of each device should not exceed 19 centimeters. Offenders shall be subjected to a maximum fine of $2,000.

The requirements are part of the government’s renewed effort to enhance road, passenger and driving safety.

According to studies cited by the government, wearing seat belts will reduce the risk of death and serious injury of drivers and passengers in head-on collisions by about 40 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

To ensure compliance, all passengers’ seats in public and private buses, rear passenger seats in private light buses and goods vehicles and all seats of special purpose vehicles are required to have seat belts installed when first registered on or after Jan. 25.

Drivers and passengers occupying the seats of these vehicles, whether newly registered or not, where seat belts are fitted, are required to wear them.

Around 60% of all existing buses have been retrofitted with seat belts

The government said that in franchised buses, all seats in newly procured buses have been equipped with seat belts. Around 3,500 existing double-deck buses have also been retrofitted with seat belts, representing about 60% of the entire fleet in Hong Kong.

For details of the new requirements on seat belts, please log on to www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/sb and on placing MTDs during driving, to www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/mtd or the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk). Alternatively, they may call the hotline, 2804 2600.

 

 

 

Pinay jailed 14 months in latest money laundering case

 

 Shatin Court

A domestic helper who pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering due to "dirty" money passing through her bank accounts, has failed to convince the Shatin Court of her innocence during trial, and was sentenced to a total of 14 months’ imprisonment.

At the conclusion of the trial on Wednesday (Jan. 7), Magistrate Jeffrey Sze rejected the defense of Maylen Macabangon, 47 years old, that she had no participation in the deposit and withdrawal of some $245,000 from illicit sources using her bank accounts.

The first charge filed by the Police Anti-Deception Unit alleged that Macabangon handled $67,500 through her Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, account between 27 and 27 of January 2022, “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that property…, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented any person's proceeds of an indictable offence.”

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In the second charge, Police alleged that Macabangon handled $217,573.31 the her account with The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited between March 26, 2022 and June 18, 2022.

Magistrate Sze sentenced her to nine months’ jail for the first charge of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25 (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

He also jailed her for 12 months for the second charge.

But since he ordered the first seven months of the first charge to run at the same time as the second, the sentences added up to 14 months.

Cold snap in HK to last until Friday

 

More cold days are forecast ahead for HK (File photo)

The temperature in Hong Kong dipped to 10.9 degrees this morning, the lowest so far this winter. The cold spell is expected to last until Friday, after which the weather will gradually become milder.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the mornings will be cold until Friday, when temperatures will drop to between 10 and 11 degrees in the urban areas, and a few degrees lower in the New Territories.

The rest of the day will be pleasant, with temperatures rising to around 17 degrees.

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The Observatory said the big temperature difference between day and night will be felt throughout the region, and is caused by a dry winter monsoon affecting Guangdong over the next few days.

The strong monsoon and cold weather combined is causing the red fire danger warning to be raised, meaning the risk of fire is extremely high.

The cold spell earlier prompted the Observatory to issue the cold weather warning for the first time this year.

It warned of more cold days ahead, with temperatures dropping to between 12 degrees or below between nine and 17 days this winter and spring.

This is significant because there had only been seven cold-weather days last year, meaning the number of cold days ahead could be higher than usual.

 

 

 

 

 

DH admits stealing 10 watches then misleading police

 

Estate where theft took place

A domestic helper has pleaded guilty at the District Court to two charges of stealing a total of 10 watches from her employer, and then misleading the police by falsely reporting a burglary on their house in Kowloon Tong.

But Deputy District Judge Pang Leung-ting, in a hearing on Monday (Jan. 5), put off the sentencing of Vanessa Vallespin, 39 years old, to Jan. 20. In the meantime, he ordered her returned to jail.

The case began at the Kowloon City Court early last year before being elevated to the District Court because of the seriousness of the charges.

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

Two days later, she stole nine more watches belonging to the employer.

On the same day, she "knowingly misled" a police officer by giving false information about the house being burgled by unknown persons.

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

Sentence put off for Pinay who admitted laundering $869K

 

File photo

A Filipina will need to wait for more than two weeks to find out what her sentence will be after pleading guilty at Kwun Tong Court to laundering $868,847.54 of crime money through her bank account.

In a hearing on Monday Jan. 5), Nhona Esmana, 37 years old, admitted dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

Magistrate Lau Suk-han adjourned the case against Esmana to Jan. 21 for sentencing and remanded her in jail.

Basahin ang detalye!

The case arose from the HK$868,847.54 that passed through her account with Hang Seng Bank Limited between March 13, 2020 and June 4, 2020, “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that property… represented any person's proceeds of an indictable offence,” according to the complaint of Tseung Kwan O Police.

Meanwhile, two separate money laundering cases heard today at Fan Ling Court were headed to the District Court.

The two charges against Nash Efraim Dalligos, 18 years old, were elevated to the District Court by Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung today after granting him bail of $20,000.

Magistrate Heung adjourned the case to Jan 22.

Dalligos is accused of dealing with $100,000 last Aug. 12, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that it was derived from crime.

In the second charge, he allegedly handled $70,000 of crime money on the same day.

It appears he handled the money directly and not through bank accounts, making the charge more serious

The other case was against Daisy Pueyo, 43 years old, whose Standard Chartered Bank (HK) Limited account was used to launder HK$4,002,482,22 of crime money between Jan. 15, 2024 and March 31, 2024.

The case will likely be elevated to the District Court because the possible punishment for the amount involved, in case of conviction, is above the limit set for a magistrate court such as Fan Ling: a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

Magistrate Heung adjourned the case to Feb. 23 and returned Pueyo to jail.

20 people arrested in anti-illegal work raids targeting FDHs

 

Some of those arrested are herded onto an Immigration van

A four-day operation targeting foreign domestic helpers working illegally resulted in 20 people being arrested, though only one turned out to be a current helper.

Of those arrested in the raids carried out from January 3 to 6, 12 were suspected of working illegally while the other eight were locals who employed them.

The suspected illegal workers comprised three men and nine women, aged 24 to 60, and were either Filipinos or Indonesians.

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Apart from the currently employed FDH, two were former FDHs who had overstayed their visas, three held recognizance documents that prevent them from taking any job, one was a visitor, and five were overstaying visitors.

The eight suspected employers on the other hand, comprised seven men and one woman aged 30 to 68, and included persons who managed the companies or restaurants involved.

According to Immigration investigators, the suspected illegal workers were found working in restaurants, a guesthouse and a food plant, doing such odd jobs as dishwashing, cleaning, or handling food for distribution.

Some of the items seized in the first anti-illegal work operation in 2026

Special mention was made of five Indonesians aged 24 to 52, who were found working illegally in a food factory in Kwai Chung, where they were each paid a mere $200 a day.

The plant was said to have functioned as a food supply chain for a restaurant specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine, and was staffed entirely by low-paid illegal workers to cut down on costs.

Immigration said its investigation is continuing, and further arrests may be made.

It also reiterated that illegal work is a serious offence in Hong Kong for which a jail term is inevitably imposed.

Employers of illegal workers face the heftiest sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. All employers are obliged by law to determine as far as practicable whether a job applicant is qualified to work in Hong Kong.

Under sentencing guidelines issued by the High Court, an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable for anyone found to have employed illegal workers.

Those who violated their visa conditions by taking up unauthorized work can be sentenced for up to two years in prison and fined $50,000. The maximum prison sentence goes up to three years if the offender is an illegal immigrant or an overstayer.

 

Easter Monday made statutory holiday from this year

 

HK will now have 15 statutory holidays

Starting this year, Easter Monday (or the day after Easter Sunday) will become one of the statutory holidays in Hong Kong, to make a total of 15 days. 

A statutory holiday in Hong Kong is a legally protected day off for all employees (including foreign domestic helpers) under the Employment Ordinance, which ensures that they get to take a break without loss of pay.

They are differentiated from the 17 public holidays or bank holidays in a year, which are also paid holidays but are not specifically part of employment rights. By 2030, all the public holidays will become statutory holidays in accordance with a provision in the Employment Ordinance passed in 2021.

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This year, the 15 statutory holidays include apart from Easter Monday, the three days of Lunar New Year, Labour Day and Christmas.

The 15 statutory holidays for 2026 are:

1.	The first day of January	1 January
2.	Lunar New Year's Day	17 February
3.	The second day of Lunar New Year	18 February
4.	The third day of Lunar New Year	19 February
5.	Ching Ming Festival	5 April
6.	Easter Monday*	6 April
7.	Labour Day	1 May
8.	The Birthday of the Buddha	24 May
9.	Tuen Ng Festival	19 June
10.	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day	1 July
11.	The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival	26 September
12.	National Day	1 October
13.	Chung Yeung Festival	18 October
14.	Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)	22 December or 25 December
15.	The first weekday after Christmas Day	26 December

Please note:

All employees are entitled to the statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the average daily wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.

Reference example:

An employee is granted rest days on Sundays. As the Chung Yeung Festival (18 October) falls on Sunday, the employer should grant a holiday on the next day (i.e. 19 October), but this day should not be a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day.

2 Pinays jailed for Immigration, medicine trading offenses

 

Kowloon City Courthouse

Two Filipinas originally charged before the Kowloon City Court for trading in medicines without a license, today found that violating their condition of stay -- one, by working illegally while on tourist visa and the other, by overstaying after being terminated as a domestic helper -- brought them longer jail terms.

Donna Flores, a 45 years old and visitor, was jailed for four months for attempting to export prohibited articles without an export licence, six months for possession of poison included in Part I of the Poisons List, and 15 months for engaging in illegal work while a tourist.

Since Magistrate Philip Chan ordered Flores’ sentences to run at the same time, her total sentence was 15 months in jail.

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Rahima Singgon, 38 years old, was sentenced to four months for possession of poison and six months for overstaying for two years after being terminated as a domestic helper. The two sentences also run at the same time.

In its complaint, Customs and Excise Department said its officers arrested Flores on June 15, 2024 at the Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office on Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, while attempting to mail 13,026 tablets of pharmaceutical products without an export license.

She was charged with violating Sections 6D (1) and 6D(3) of the Import and Export Ordinance, unishable under Section 159G of the Crimes Ordinance.

She led the Customs officers the same day to Chiu Tat Factory Building in San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, where she and Singgon were found to have poison in their possession, resulting in both being charged with possession of poison included in Part I of the Poisons List, contrary to sections 23 (1) and 33 (1) of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.

The poison was in the form of (1) 458 tablets containing Avanafil, 162 tablets containing Benzhexol, 410 tablets containing Bupropion, 490 tablets containing Celecoxib, 2,086 tablets containing Ciprofloxacin, 156 tablets containing Citalopram, 3,412 tablets containing Clomiphene, 448 tablets containing Clomipramine, 832 tablets containing Dapoxetine, 484 tablets containing Dexamethasone, 600 tablets containing Diphenhydramine, 560 tablets containing Dipyridamole, 140 tablets containing Disulfiram, 1,130 tablets containing Domperidone, 1,130 tablets containing Doxazosin, 220 tablets containing Enalapril, 1,760 tablets containing Estradiol valerate, 70 tablets containing Etoricoxib, 690 tablets containing Finasteride, 92 tablets containing Fluconazole, 50 tablets containing Frusemide,1,830 tablets containing Metformin, 80 tablets containing Metronidazole,1,570 tablets containing Misoprostol, 160 tablets containing Orlistat, 220 tablets containing Enalapril, 1,760 tablets containing Estradiol valerate, 70 tablets containing Etoricoxib, 690 tablets containing Finasteride,92 tablets containing Fluconazole, 50 tablets containing Frusemide, 1,830 tablets containing Metformin, 80 tablets containing Metronidazole, 1,570 tablets containing Misoprostol, 160 tablets containing Orlistat, 160 tablets containing Prednisolone, 20 tablets containing Prochlorperazine, 105,184 tablets containing Sildenafil, 40,553 tablets containing Tadalafil, 120 tablets containing Tizanidine, 2 tablets containing Tretinoin, 280 tablets containing Vardenafil, 18 tablets containing Varenicline; 4.

In court, Singgon admitted violating section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance by oversaying her visa, which expired on 28 March 2022, or two weeks after the termination of her DH contract.

For her part, Flores pleaded guilty to being paid to post the medicines to another country while being a tourist, in breach of the limit of stay, in violation of the Immigration Ordinance which prohibits visitors from taking employment, whether paid or unpaid.

The two were also intially charged with attempting to export prohibited articles without an export license, for attempting to export 400,000 tablets of pharmaceutical products. This charge was dropped.

Palace honors late DMW Secretary Toots Ople with ‘Lakandula’ award

President Marcos hands over the Lakandula medal to Ople's daughter Estelle

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has posthumously conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Cross (Bayani) on the late former Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople at Malacanang Palace on Dec. 30.

The conferment honors were held more than two years after Secretary Ople succumbed to cancer at age 61 while still serving as the DMW’s secretary.

Receiving the posthumous award were her family members led by her daughter, Estelle Ople Osorio.

DETAILS HERE

“In many ways it could be said that all of us who are doing any kind of work for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) around the world are only following the instructions she laid out,” President Marcos said in his speech.   

“She was the one who started it all. Everything that we are doing now, all of the successes that you see, she laid the groundwork for that.”

Toots Ople died after serving as DMW Secretary for just over a year

Ople, daughter of the late senator and former Labor Secretary Blas Ople, served as undersecretary for labor from 2004 to 2009, during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

When she left public office, she founded the Blas Ople Foundation which focused on helping distressed OFWs all over the world.

She ran as senator in the same ticket as President Marcos in the general elections in 2010, but lost. Shortly after he took over as president in 2022, Mr. Marcos named Ople as secretary of the newly formed DMW.

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Mr Marcos said that under Ople’s leadership, the Philippines entered into 42 bilateral agreements with 25 countries, all aimed at protecting OFWs.

The agreements, he said, “were based on the firm belief that Filipino workers deserve protection, they deserve fairness, and they deserve respect, wherever they may be anywhere in the world.”

Ople is also credited with setting up the One Repatriation Command Center, the OFW Hospital, the DMW Mobile Application and OFW Pass. 

She was also known for her firm advocacy against illegal recruitment and the trafficking of Filipino workers abroad.

“More than two years since her passing, her work remains in the policies that she shaped and in the everyday systems that protect our overseas workers,” Mr Marcos said.

The Order of Lakandula, one of the nation’s three senior honors, is awarded for political and civic excellence in recognition of leadership, bravery and service to the country.

MWO HK has a new labor attaché – finally

 

Labatt Chavez and Congen Israel make the 'home' sign to signify MWO's role as OFWs' 'tahanan' abroad

After nearly a year of not having a labor attaché at the helm, the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong has finally acquired a new head of post.

According to MWO’s Facebook post on Sunday, Jan. 4, lawyer Cesar L. Chavez, Jr. has assumed the post of the Philippines’ labor attaché to Hong Kong since arriving in the city on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2025. 

He was welcomed by Consulate officers and staff led by Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. who stands as the Philippines' top representative in Hong Kong.

DETAILS HERE

Chavez succeeded Atty Melchor Dizon who started serving as labor attaché in Hong Kong on Feb 23, 2020, and should have retired earlier, but was extended until January last year after his original intended successor was promoted to a higher position in the DMW. Assistant labor attaché Tony Villafuerte was appointed officer-in-charge in the interim.

Ex-Labatt Mel Dizon retired a year ago

According to the MWO post, Labor Attache Chavez has been in public service for 27 years, 13 years of which he served overseas, and 14 years with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Before moving to Hong Kong, he served as labor attaché in Taiwan for eight years (2017-2025) and before this, in Kuwait (2013-2016). He also served as welfare officer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2012.

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On his first day at work, Chavez assured OFWs in Hong Kong that during his watch, the MWO will further strengthen and improve its programs and services for them.

No other background information on the new labatt was made in the post, but the statement said Chavez’ appointment at MWO Hong Kong reflected the Department of Migrant Workers’ commitment to protecting and promoting the welfare of OFWs.

 

DH urges public fight against cervical cancer

Graphic from FB page of Healthy Pilipinas

Hong Kong's Department of Health (DH) has launched this year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with a call for women, including female OFWs, to undergo cervical screening.

“Infection with HPV (human papillomavirus) or early stages of cervical cancer may not have any noticeable symptoms,” the DH said. “Therefore, women aged 25 to 64 who have had sexual experience should undergo regular cervical screenings.”

 “The Government will further expand cervical screening services to encourage more women to undergo screening and safeguard their health," said Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH.

DETAILS HERE

January has been designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness and motivate actions against cervical cancer, with the goal of eliminating this public health concern within the next century.

In Hong Kong, cervical cancer was the seventh most common female cancer in 2023 and the ninth leading cause of cancer deaths among females.

As most cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV, women are recommended to receive HPV vaccination before having sexual relations, undergo regular cervical screenings and practise safe sex (such as using condoms and avoiding multiple sexual partners) to prevent HPV infection. In addition, smoking should be avoided as it can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

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The Cervical Screening Program has been ongoing since 2004 while HPV vaccination has been included under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunization Programme (HKCIP) since 2019, with a high vaccination rate of about 90 per cent in recent years.

The DH also launched a one-off HPV Vaccination Catch-up Program in December 2024, with over 48 000 doses administered so far.

Cervical screening services are available at Maternal and Child Health Centres (https://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/centre_det/maternal/maternal.html) of the DH, Women Wellness Satellites (https://www.wws.org.hk/page/contact-us), as well as through non-governmental organizations and private healthcare providers.

The DH also regularly sends reminders to eligible women via the Cervical Screening Information System and the eHealth mobile app to schedule their screenings, it added.

Ocean Park’s ‘Wild Twister’ stalls again

 

'Wild Twister' also stopped abruptly six months ago

Ocean Park’ high-speed ride “Wild Twister” stalled this Saturday afternoon, leaving 15 people aboard suspended in mid-air for about 19 minutes.

It was the second time in six months that the popular ride with its giant rotating steel arm and spinning seats had malfunctioned, leaving some of the riders visibly worried while they waited to be rescued.

Last August 10, Wild Twister also abruptly stopped following a signal failure, leaving 17 people aboard trapped for an hour and 45 minutes and had to be rescued by firemen.

DETAILS HERE

A spokesman for the park said a signal failure that occurred shortly before 3pm today also caused the safety system to kick in, and stopped the ride. 

Park staff immediately went into emergency mode and reset the system to lower the ride’s cars back to the ground.

All passengers had safely gotten off  at 3:16 pm, and no injuries were reported.

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Witnesses said some passengers looked a bit shaken when left hanging in mid-air but were otherwise calm as staff hurried to bring them down to safety.

Ocean Park immediately suspended operations of Wild Twister until further notice while a thorough inspection and testing is carried out.

Park management assured that public safety is its top priority so the ride will not resume until experts confirm it is safe to operate it again.