No longer $2 anywhere for seniors, disabled from Apr 3

 

JoyYou no more: Not all fares will cost only HK$2 from Apr 3

Starting on April 3, seniors holding the JoyYou card or persons with disabilities using personalized Octopus cards will no longer be able to pay a flat rate of HK$2 for most public transport within Hong Kong.

Under the revisions to the transport subsidy scheme first announced in last year’s budget, elderly (those aged 60 years old and above) and disabled passengers will pay 20% of any fare that exceeds HK$10.

But they still get to enjoy the HK$2 subsidy if the fare is HK$10 or below.

The change in policy is meant to discourage those who enjoy the subsidized fare from taking the longer and more expensive routes when they could take the shorter and cheaper trips instead.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said on Monday the change "preserves the policy intent of the scheme while striking a balance between enhancing the sustainability of the scheme and minimising impacts on beneficiaries".

Secretary Sun said the new measure will help the government save some HK$550million in the next fiscal year, and will affect 40% of public transport trips.

He said there will be promotion and publicity about the change so elderly people and the disabled are fully informed.

A move to further curb government spending by putting a cap of 240 subsidised fares per person each month is expected to be introduced next year at the earliest.

 

Filipino couple in drug rap leaves young son in limbo

The hooded suspects are led away for questioning (The Standard photo)

The Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong says it is providing help to a Filipino couple charged with drug trafficking, and child neglect after their 26-month-old baby boy was reportedly found alone in their flat on Lamma island.

The 42-year-old Filipino man and the 36-year-old woman who are both domestic helpers, were arrested on Thursday (Mar 19) after police found about HK$200,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine in their home.

The toddler was found in the apartment during the police raid and was taken to Queen Mary Hospital for check-up though he appeared unharmed.

“We are now handling the case including the concerns re the minor child,” said Labor Attache Cesar Chavez, Jr. in a short text message to The SUN, which had earlier learned that both suspects are on foreign domestic helper visa.

Basahin ang detalye!

Given the visa status of the couple, the boy who should be on dependant’s visa, faces an uncertain future.

In previous rulings handed down by the Court of First Instance and upheld by the Court of Appeal, children of FDHs born in Hong Kong do not have right of abode, and their right to remain in Hong Kong depends on whether their parents have that status.

According to reports on the incidnt, Marine Police found about 554 grams of cannabis and 102 grams of cocaine from the couple’s home in Tai Peng Village early on Thursday, following a tip and an in-depth investigation.

Photos taken from the scene showed the couple in handcuffs and their heads covered with black hoods as they were taken away by officers from their home and loaded onto a ferry.

They were subsequently charged with drug trafficking, a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million.

Ill-treatment of a child is punishable with up to 10 years in prison.

 

Pinoy sentenced to community service for criminal damage

 

Photo of shop with shutter rolled up (Google Maps photo0

A Filipino who was charged with tearing down a steel roller shutter of a doctor’s clinic in Sai Ying Pun, was sentenced today at Eastern Court to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay $31,000 for the damage.

L. Ombao, 42 years old, who was earning $16,000 monthly as assistant chef, was told to pay the victim, Dr Lau Chin Yeung, in installments of $1,100 a month until fully paid.

Magistrate Kestrel Lam handed down the sentence after the prosecution proposed community service be adopted as punishment since this was the recommendation of a report he ordered earlier, and government laboratory analysis showed Ombao was negative for drugs.

Basahin ang detalye!

Ombao was charged with criminal damage, contrary to sections 60(1) of the Crimes Ordinance, after he damaged the steel shutter at "Dr Lau Chin Yeung Hokgins Medical Practice", Shop G, G/F, Wealth Building, 53-65 High Street, Sai Ying Pun.

A police complaint said he did this on Nov. 23, 2025 “without lawful excuse, … intending to damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.”

He pleaded guilty and Magistrate Lam put off sentencing until a community service report is made on him.

Lam said he considered that Ombao pleaded guilty , that he was willing to compensate for the damage he caused, and that he had a criminal conviction in 1999. 

He deducted the first installment from Ombao’s $3,000 bail money.

34 persons arrested in anti-illegal work raids

 

13 women were arrested in operations that targeted restaurants and cleaning companies

In an effort to further stamp out illegal work, Immigration Department operatives carried out joint operations with the police and the Labour Department from Mar 13 to 20, which resulted in the arrest of 34 people.

A statement issued by Immigration on Friday said those arrested comprised 26 suspected illegal workers, seven employers and one aider and abettor.

During the first four days of the operation, officers focused on industries prone to illegal employment, including the catering and cleaning industries. Particularly targeted were 23 locations where they suspected illegal work was taking place.

PINDUTIN DITO

Arrested during this period were 19 suspected illegal workers comprising 13 women and 6 men, aged 22 to 62. Among them, four were asylum seekers and three were found in possession of forged HK identity cards.

The workers were reportedly found working as dishwashers, cleaners and kitchen workers.

Six men aged 39 to 53 were also arrested on suspicion of hiring the illegal workers.

Construction sites were targeted in last 3 days of operations

Subsequent operations that targeted construction and scaffolding sites and performance venues resulted in seven other suspected illegal workers being arrested, along with one employer and one abettor.

The suspected illegal workers comprised one man and six women, aged 24 to 48. Among them was a woman holding a recognisance form.

A man aged 67 was suspected of employing the illegal workers and was also arrested, along with a suspected abettor, a  man aged 40.

Basahin ang detalye!

Immigration reiterated that illegal work is a serious offence in which the maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment.

The maximum jail term is three years if the offender is an overstayer or a recognizance paper holder.

Employers could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $500,000.

 

Philippine booth in HK Flower Show features selfie spot

Visitors can enter the PCG booth and have photos taken beside this main display

People with a penchant for taking selfies are expected to flock to the Philippine Consulate General’s booth at the ongoing Hong Kong Flower Show at Victoria Park, where a special spot has been set up beside the main display for picture-taking.

The PCG booth that goes by the theme ‘Santacruzan’ features two mannequins in male and female forms dressed up in native attire with the woman’s bodice covered in fresh everlasting flowers that grow abundantly in the Philippines’ mountainous areas.

PINDUTIN DITO

The Philippine display won a Merit Award in the annual flower show that brings together more than 200 exhibitors from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, and is visited by hundreds of thousands of people over 10 days.

Another floral display featuring distinctly Philippine native products like capiz shells, bamboo and abaca hemp by perennial participant Blue Grass Philippines, also won a Merit Award.

Bluegrass Philippines' entry features capiz shells, hemp and bamboo along with flowers

But selfie spots and instagrammable backgrounds can be found throughout the wide area covered by the Flower Show, which features stock as the theme flower under the theme “A Fragrant Journey through Hong Kong.”

One of the most popular spots for taking picture is the three-dimensional floral wall featuring five giant stocks, each composed of more than 30 3D flowers and is set off with over 6,000 orchids and other blossoms.

Basahin ang detalye!

In front of the wall, as before, is an expansive display of more than 14,000 tulips in different colors which complements the 3D stock installation, making this one of the most favored photo spots by visitors.

The floral theme wall serves as backdrop for 14,000 tulips in various colors 

In the surrounding areas are large-scale landscape installations by various groups, companies like Ocean Park, district offices and government agencies like the Architectural Services Department, Civil Civil Engineering and Development Department, Correctional Services Department, and several others.

Distinctive features of Hong Kong life such as dim sum in bamboo steamers, as well as landmarks like the Observation Wheel and the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, are also well incorporated in the floral displays.

This year’s flower show introduces a range of family-friendly attractions like a Ponies Photo Booth in the Central Lawn, government mascots interacting with visitors, and several colorful Easter egg and bunny-themed installations.

Spectacular floral displays like this one are enough reason to visit the flower show

Those who want to take home potted plants can buy them at very reasonable prices from several commercial stalls on the fringes, some of which also sell light refreshments and souvenir items.

Visitors may also take part in free recreational activities like floral arrangement demonstrations, gardening lectures and music and cultural performances.

The flower show is open from 9am to 9pm everyday until March 29. Tickets are priced at $14 each, with a concessionary rate at half-price for children aged 4-14 and fulltime students, senior citizens aged 60 and above, persons with disabilities (and a companion each), and those in groups of at least 30.

Children, elderly and disabled guests get to enter free on 

Lying lands DH in jail for 4 months

 

Visa application interview (Immigration Department file photo)

Lying to an Immigration officer three times to extend her employment visa as domestic helper, has landed a Filipina in jail after she was sentenced at Shatin Court to four months’ imprisonment for each offense.

However, Magistrate Raymond Wong ordered that the three sentences he imposed on Josephine Away, 47 years old, run at the same time.

Away was charged with three counts of making a false representation to an Immigration Officer lawfully acting under or in the execution of the Immigration Ordinance, contrary to section 42(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

She pleaded guilty in a hearing today.

In the first offense, Away was accused of telling an Immigration officer interviewing her on Feb. 2, 2018 that she would work for Leung Chui Pik as a domestic helper, so she needed only an extension to an expiring visa.

She repeated the lie on Jan. 28, 2023 when she renewed her visa, to an Immigration Officer lawfully acting under or in the execution of Part III (Extension of stay) of the Immigration Ordinance.

Basahin ang detalye!

The third lie was made on July 2, 2024, when she made the same claim during Immigration arrival examination at the airport.

Her claims were lies because she actually worked for Leung’s sister.

Her lawyer, in mitigation, said she thought she did not need to make a change in her Immigration record since her new employer was from the same family.

Magistrate Wong gave her the usual one-third discount from the intial sentence of six months, which she would serve concurrently.

Concern raised about FDHs’ ‘abuse’ of non-refoulement scheme

 

All those repatriated were former DHs who overstayed, with some committing crimes

Hong Kong Immigration has expressed concern about what it called as the “abuse” of the non-refoulement claim mechanism by foreign domestic helpers as it announced Friday the repatriation of 18 unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants.

Immigration said in the statement that all those repatriated between March 18 to 20 were former FDHs who had overstayed their visas. Among them were former prisoners who had served their sentences after committing criminal offences.

“The ImmD is very concerned about the abuse of the non-refoulement claim mechanism and is aware that a number of claimants were former foreign domestic helpers before,” said the statement.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“The ImmD has been co-operating with the relevant consulates-general in Hong Kong and will continue such co-operation to step up publicity and education for newly arriving foreign domestic helpers to help them understand that they should not abuse the non-refoulement claim mechanism.”

To forestall their return to their home countries after overstaying, the FDHs filed claims for non-refoulement or against being sent back home, saying they faced torture or persecution if they returned.

Once non-refoulement applications are lodged with the Immigration Director, repatriation cannot be carried out until a final decision is reached. If denied, the applicant could appeal, first with the Torture Claims Adjudication Board, then to the courts, a process that could take years.

Basahin ang detalye!

In the meantime, applicants are provided by the government with food and accommodation subsidies but are not allowed to take up work. A big number end up working illegally or resorting to crime during this period.

To prevent an abuse of the process, Immigration updated its removal policy starting from Dec 7, 2022 which allowed it to generally proceed with the removal of a claimant whose judicial review has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance, despite the availability of appeal.

In its statement, Immigratio said it will continue to explore solutions to speed up the repatriation of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants and coordinate with relevant authorities to “optimise repatriation routes and the operation process.”

Those being consulted on further speeding up repatriation are the major source countries of non-refoulement claimants, airline companies and other government departments.

 

Peso drops to historic low of 60.1 to USD

 

It was the first time that the peso fell to below 60- to-USD level

The Philippine peso slumped to a record low on Thursday, breaching the 60-to-the-dollar level for the first time in history.

The peso opened at Php59.9 and dropped to an intraday low of Php60.4, its lowest level on record, before closing the day at Php60.10, 58 centavos weaker than its previous finish of Php59.52 on Wednesday.

The plunge came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, which caused investors to buy into the US dollar, generally regarded as “safe haven” currency.

Basahin ang detalye!

Analysts said the weakening of the peso was directly tied to the rise in crude oil prices after Iran launched retaliatory attacks on some energy facilities across the Middle East, including Qatar.

The shift of investments to the greenback gained further support after the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady and warned of an “uncertain” outlook because of the intensified war in Iran.

The weakening of the peso dealt a blow to President Ferdinand Marcos’ declared intention early this year to keep the peso above the 60 to the USD level.

As the Middle East remains in turmoil, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday that it was closely monitoring the impact of the conflict on the Philippine economy.

“Price stability is the BSP’s main mandate. As such, the BSP is assessing the potential impact of higher oil price on the price of fertilizer, transport fares, and inflation in general,” it said.  

Meantime, overseas Filipino workers are once again seen as buoying up the moribund economy with their remittances which grew 3.5% to US$3.02 billion in January 2026 alone.

8 weeks’ jail for 2-year overstay

Shatin court

A Filipina who overstayed in Hong Kong for more than two years, was sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment after she pleaded guilty today at Shatin Court to breach of condition of stay.

Magistrate Raymond Wong initially set the penalty at 12 weeks, but gave Genniegen Pines, 38 years old, a one-third discount for her guilty plea.

Basahin ang detalye!

Pines was on a domestic helper‘s employment contract which entitled her to remain in Hong Kong until May 11, 2024 or two weeks after termination.

However, she was terminated on March 4, 2024 and remained in Hong Kong until she was arrested on March 17 this year, according to the complaint filed by the Immigration Department..

Always get affidavit of support when sponsoring trips

 

A notarized affidavit of support can help prevent offloading at Philippine airports

If you have family members whom you wish to sponsor for their travel to Hong Kong (or elsewhere abroad), make sure you secure an affidavit of support and guarantee from the Philippine Consulate General (PCG).

This was the advice given recently by Vice Consul Angelo Manuel when he spoke about the services provided by the notarial section of the Consulate which he heads.

Manuel said that in about 90% of the cases of offloading of sponsored travelers at Philippine airports, what was lacking was an affidavit of support from the person sponsoring the trip.

Basahin ang detalye!

Conversely, he said there has not been a single incident of offloading that occurred when a sponsorship letter notarized at the Consulate had been obtained for the traveler.

Offloading of passengers is a device used by Philippine immigration authorities to stop or minimize the problem of human trafficking. Often, it is caused by insufficient or missing documentation, or by the failure by the traveler to satisfactorily explain why they are flying out of the country.

Offloading of passengers at Philippine airports has become so prevalent that it has raised concerns among the public and lawmakers, especially as only a small percentage of those who were stopped from boarding their flights were linked to trafficking.

In the latest full statistics provided by Immigration in 2023, more than 36,000 Filipinos were denied boarding at international airports. In the first half of 2024, there were 16,217 cases recorded. In 2022, it was found out that only about 1.5% of the 32,404 offloaded passengers were tied to trafficking.

To obtain an affidavit of support, the applicant must either appear personally at the Consulate or apply for the document online. The applicant must produce the originally signed affidavit and one photocopy; original and two photocopies of passport and HK ID.

The notarial fee is HK$200 for regular mailing and HK$280 for express mailing.

For full details, consult the PCG website: https://hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph/

Philippine Immigration has recently issued an advisory to outbound passengers to avoid offloading. For those on sponsored trips, they must have an affidavit of support and guarantee from the sponsor at the country of destination, duly authenticated at the Philippine Consulate in the country of destination.

The traveler must know the contents of the affidavit, including the name and contact details of the person, organization or company that issued the invitation or is sponsoring the trip, as he or she will be interviewed by immigration officers on the details of the document presented.

Immigration says the affidavit of support does not fully guarantee a hassle-free exit from the Philippines, but it strengthens the traveler’s claim to legitimate travel.

For those travelling as tourists, they must show proof that they are financially capable of completing their travel, including cash on hand, credit card, etc. In addition, they must have a return ticket and a valid passport with at least six months’ validity.

 

 

 

3 Pinays charged with illegal work bound over

 

Entrance to Mirador Mansion (Google Maps photo)

Three Filipina domestic helpers who were arrested during the Immigration Department’s anti-illegal worker operations, got off lightly at Shatin Court today when they agreed to a bind-over in return for prosecution withdrawing the charges.

J. Luya, 33 years old, N. Celades, 34, and S. Mercurio, 39, were each charged with breach of condition of stay, contrary to section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance and by virtue of Regulation 2 of the Immigration Regulations.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong cautioned them that they have to avoid committing a new offense for 18 months, or they will be fined $2,000 in addition to being given the penalty for the new offense.

He also charged them $500 each as court costs, to be taken from their bail money.

Basahin ang detalye!

The three were arrested last Feb. 3 for allegedy doing odd jobs at the 5^th floor of Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Under the Immigration Ordinance , domestic helpers doing work not in their employers’ homes are committing an offense punishable with a fine of $50,000 and imprsonment for two years.

The three were arrested in the joint operation between Immigration and Home Affairs and Labour Departments in multiple locations, including targeted guesthouses in Yau Tsim Mong District.

Seven persons were arrested including six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer.

The three domestic helpers were allegedly found performing room cleaning duties in the guesthouses.

The remaining three illegal workers were illegal odd job workers including two men holding recognisance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment in Hong Kong and an overstayed former foreign domestic helper.

A woman aged 75 was suspected of employing illegal workers and was the person-in-charge of the guesthouses.

HK Flower Show opens Friday, Mar 20

 

Stock is the featured flower this year 

The annual Hong Kong Flower Show is set to open on Friday, March 20 at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay with Stock, a flower known for its delicate scent and rich hues, as its theme flower. The show will until March 29.

As in previous years, the Philippine Consulate is among those taking part. Vice Consul Allan Revote who heads the Consulate’s cultural section, said the display this year will have a photo booth, a nod to Filipinos’ penchant for taking “selfies.”

The Flower Show organized by the Leisure and Cutlural Services Department (LCSD) is an annual display that brings together more than 200 organizations from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas.

Basahin ang detalye!

Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Show each year to view the dazzling array of blossoms, artistic floral displays and landscaped gardens painstakingly put together by dozens of exhibitors.

The colorful and lavish display of flowers from all over the world transforms the park into an enchanting floral garden for 10 days, making it a must-see for everyone.

Stock comes in various forms and colors

There will also be a range of activities during the show, including cultural performances, floral art demonstrations, workshops on greening activities, guided visits, as well as fun games.

The Flower Show themed “A Fragrant Journey through Hong Kong” opens daily from 9am to 9pm, from March 29.

Tickets are priced at $14 each, with a concessionary rate at half-price for children aged 4-14 and fulltime students, senior citizens aged 60 and above, persons with disabilities (and a companion each), and those in groups of at least 30.

Children, elderly and disabled guests get to enter free on weekdays, or Monday to Friday.

 

 

Pinay caught with someone else’s HKID jailed 12 months

 

Filipina was arrested on this intersection (Google Maps photo) 

A Filipina asylum seeker was jailed today for 12 months after she pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Court to possession of an identity card that belongs to someone else.

Irealle Gay Salazar, 38 years old, was arrested on July 28 last year on Woosung Street in Yau Ma Tei after two police officers noted that she was acting suspiciously.

They found someone else’s Hong Kong ID card in her possession, which is in violation of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, the police complaint said.

Basahin ang detalye!

When they checked with the Immigration Department, the police officers found out that the HKID card had already been reported as lost. 

In mitigation, her lawyer said she did not use the HKID, and had no intention to do so.

Besides, he added, the owner was a male.

Magistrate Andrew Mok noted that she initially pleaded not guilty to the charge.

As a result, he did not give her the one-third discount on the sentence normally given to those who plead guilty early.

Digital apostille for Philippine civil registry and academic documents launched

 

Screen grab from the eApostille launch at DFA

Filipino citizens will no longer have to queue up for hours for documents issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), then get them authenticated, under a new electronic system launched Monday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs led by Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro launched the fully digital apostille platform which reduces authentication time for PSA and CHED eCertificates and eliminates the need for physical submission of documents.

Through this system, anyone who needs to obtain eCertificates of birth, marriage, death or of no marriage from PSA or education records from CHED may do so online, then get the digital certificate apostilled through the DFA e-Apostille portal at apostille.gov.ph.

Basahin ang detalye!

As the Philippines is a signatory of the Apostille Convention, Filipinos who need to submit Philippine documents abroad only need to apply for an Apostille certificate instead of having the documents authenticated in the nearest embassy or consulate.

With the launch of the e-Apostille system, the process has been made easier, with applicants being able to secure the certified official document online, anywhere. This simplified process is also expected to substantially diminish the workload of Philippine posts abroad.

Once the document is issued an Apostille, the applicant may submit the document directly to the concerned party, bypassing the old system of getting the “red ribbon” certificate on them.

Secretary Lazaro says Filipinos may now easily access secure document authentication

“The launch of the Fully Digital Apostille for PSA eCertificates and CHED eCAVs demonstrates our commitment to modernizing public services while strengthening the Philippines’ international engagement,” Secretary Lazaro said during the launch.

“This system enables our citizens to access fast, reliable, and secure document authentication anywhere in the world."

She noted that the Philippines was the first ASEAN country to accede to the Apostille Convention and the third to launch a digital Apostille system.

The DFA said the e-Apostille system is part of the Marcos administration’s move toward digitalization and ensures the seamless integration of digital document issuance and authentication processes.

It also said the DFA is coordinating with other document-issuing government agencies to further expand the eApostille system.

Further information on the application process for the digital eApostille may be obtained from the PSAHelpline.ph for civil registry documents or at CHED One Touch Portal at ecav.ched.gov.ph for academic records. 

 

Ex-DH gets 8 weeks for overstaying

 

Immigration Department

A Filipina who remained in Hong Kong for two years after her domestic helper employment contract expired, has been sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment Monday after she pleaded guilty at Shatin Court.

Ma. Jessielou Arillano, 42 years, had been charged with breach of condition of stay, contrary to section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance, on complaint of the Immigration Department.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong handed her the sentence after giving her a one-third discount equivalent to four months for her guilty plea.

Basahin ang detalye!

Arillano was arrested on Sept. 16, 2025, two years after her contract expired on Oct. 22, 2023.

Under section 11 of the Immigration Ordinance, an Immigration officer set a condition of stay on her, limiting her stay in Hong Kong until 22 October 2023 or two weeks after termination of contract, whichever is earlier.

Section 40 states: “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and to imprisonment for 2 years.”