Seniors get help navigating the internet

Seniors may bring up their tech health concerns to any of the 40 help desks 

Some 100,000 elderly Hongkongers stand to benefit from a government project aimed at providing them training and technical support in facing technological challenges.

Under the “Smart Silver” Digital Inclusion  Programme for Elders, about 40 help desks have been set up across the city to help technology-challenged seniors aged 60 and above.

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All venues are easily accessible like community centers, district councilor’s offices and elderly centers.

The initiative follows the government’s announcement in the 2024-25 Budget of $100 million being set aside to to subsidize non-governmental organizations for implementing a comprehensive digital inclusion program.

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The partner oganizations will offer training on various mobile applications including iAM Smart, eHealth  and other platforms designed to enhance the daily lives of seniors while promoting cyber security.

For more details on the program, the government’s news portal, news,gov.hk has just posted an interview with a representative from the Digital Policy Office, as well as reactions from some elderly participants and a service provider. 

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The story is available at www.news.gov.hk/eng/feature  in text and video format.

 

DMW reports taking down 70k fake job posts on social media

 

The Department of Migrant Workers has reported taking down and deactivating 71,653 fake job postings and accounts in 2024, including 50,220 suspicious posts on Facebook and 21,433 on TikTok.

In a statement issued on Friday, Jan 17, the DMW said many of the fake job postings were made by groups masquerading as legitimate recruitment agencies. They duplicated the official Facebook pages of DMW-licensed agencies to entice unsuspecting jobseekers.

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DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the operation was conducted with help from Facebook and Tiktok.

“As we find them, we take them down. Every illegal recruitment post we see online, we immediately report and coordinate with Facebook and TikTok for the deactivation of those accounts,” Cacdac said.

“There were duplications of accounts and pages of legitimate recruitment agencies on Facebook. We had a meeting with these agencies, and Facebook agreed to take down all these copycat sites.”

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As part of its campaign against illegal recruitment activities, the DMW, through its Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) is also partnering with concerned government agencies, local government units, and key social partners to educate OFWs and would-be OFWs, and step up enforcement.

The DMW advises Filipinos seeking to work abroad to be wary of dubious job offers on social media, and to always verify the legitimacy of the agencies making them, to avoid falling victim to internet fraudsters.

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Everyone is encouraged to report any suspicious recruitment activities online to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/dmwairtip/, email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph or through their hotline number +63 2 8721-0619 for legal assistance.###

Warmer mornings forecast next week

 

Hong Kong can enjoy warmer weather next week

Hong Kong’s mornings will gradually warm up starting tomorrow, with the minimum temperature rising by a degree daily from 14 degree Celsius to 18 degrees by Thursday, according to a forecast from the Hong Kong Observatory.

The daytime temperature, however will hover between 20 and 22 degrees.

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The Observatory attributed this change to the wanig northeast monsoon, which is being replaced by a fresh flow of easterly winds, which is expected to last until the middle of next week.

“Another surge of the northeast monsoon is expected to affect southern China afterwards,” it added.

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Humidity in the morning is also expected to rise from 40% on Monday to a peak of 65% by Wednesday, and then steadying at 60 until Saturday, before settling at 40% by next Saturday.

The daytime humidity is expected to have the same trend, peaking at 85% by Wednesday.

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This should explain the cloudy weather forecast n Wednesday, while the rest of the week is expected to be fine.

 

New Filipino artist group to stage ‘FAKE’ in HK

 

Promotional poster for 'FAKE', the first production of all-Filipino theatre group, TBT

A newly formed Filipino theatre artists group in Hong Kong has announced the launch of its first production, “FAKE,” a full-length English play written by one of Metro Manila’s most celebrated playwrights, Floy Quintos.

The Bootstrap Theatre (TBT) HK said FAKE will be staged at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Studio Theatre at the Fringe Club in Central on June 7 this year.

The play, which serves as a discussion of Filipinos’ religious faith intertwined with their struggle for national identity, was premiered in the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2011 under the direction of National Artist Tony Mabesa.

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It will be directed in Hong Kong this time by TBT founder and singer/actor/songwriter/director William Elvin Manzano, who counts both Quintos and Mabesa among his mentors.

“Apart from telling Filipino stories on the world stage, it is our goal in The Bootstrap Theatre to create an artistic, creative industry for Filipinos living in Hong Kong, from actors, dancers, and musicians to writers, directors and filmmakers as well as backstage and administration personnel,” said Manzano.

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“Floy Quintos’ magnificent work is only the first in a long line of plays we hope to stage, which all feature stories that starkly and honestly reflect modern Filipino society through world-class theater productions.” 

'FAKE' is the first play to be directed in HK by multi-awarded composer William Elvin

Manzano has won multiple awards in the Philippines as the co-lyricist and composer of “Mula sa Buwan” – now considered as a contemporary classic in Philippine musical theatre.

In “FAKE”, Manzano returns to the directorial chair after more than a decade, having directed several productions in Metro Manila in the early 2010s before relocating to Hong Kong in 2014. 

TBT is now searching for Hong Kong-based Filipino actors, aged 25 to 55, (male and female), as well as two male Caucasians who will be playing major roles in the play to be directed by singer/actor/songwriter/director William Elvin Manzano, who is also Bootstrap’s founder.

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Auditions will be held on Feb 8 at the Delia Memorial School in Mei Foo from 4pm to 7pm. Interested actors may fill up the form through this link: https://cdocs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVlZ9BlAzcGcAmDp-L0BShnGhL4lnEt0VUh2kn7bsJn3jyxA/viewform?pli=1

For more information on The Bootstrap Theatre HK and “FAKE”,  follow the new company’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. 

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Actors and performers interested in joining their productions may also send them a message in the social media accounts or email them at tbtmediaent@gmail.com. 

 

Court ends Filipina's asylum bid - after she is deported

 

The High Court, where the Court of Appeal  holds its proceedings  

The Court of Appeal has formally ended a seven-year effort by an overstaying Filipina to legalize her stay in Hong Kong as a refugee -- even after she had been deported back to the Philippines.

In a decision by CA Vice-President Carlye Chu and concurred in by Justice of Appeal Peter Cheung, the court rejected the appeal of Alona Abuyen, 50 years old, to revisit her case which had been rejected by the Immigration Department and, on appeal, by the Torture Claims Appeal Board and the Court of First Instance.

"In sum, the role of the court in a judicial review is not to provide a further avenue of appeal," the decision said. 

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"Assessment of evidence and Country of Origin Information materials and risk of harm, state protection and viability of internal relocation are primarily within the province of the Board (and the Director [of Immigration]), who are the primary decision makers," it added.  

"The court will not intervene by way of judicial review unless there are errors of law or procedural unfairness or irrationality in the decision of the Board.  Further, an appeal to the Court of Appeal is not an avenue for the applicant to re-argue the case," it concluded.

Abuyen arrived in Hong Kong on Oct. 29, 2015 as a foreign domestic helper.  After working for almost seven months, she was terminated in May 2016.

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She overstayed but surrendered to Immigration on July 6, 2017, after which she filed a non-refoulement claim with Immigration, citing her fear of being harmed or killed by Kevin, the owner of an employment agency, against whom she complained of irregularities in her employment in 2011.  

The Immigration director rejected her application, saying her basis for seeking protection from being sent back home did not fall under the four acceptable reasons for granting asylum: risk of torture, risk to life, risk of inhuman treatment and persecution risk.

When she appealed to the Board, it concurred with the ruling and even raised doubts about the credibility of her claim and evidence, which it found "to be self-conflicting and unreliable."  

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When she appealed to the Court of First Instance, Deputy High Court Judge Lung Kim Wan ruled that her intended judicial review had no realistic prospect of success. 

In its decision dated Jan. 10, the Court of Appeal said it "will not interfere with the first instance decision unless it is shown that the first instance judge has erred."

It also noted that on Nov. 25, 2024, the Immigration Director informed the Court that she had been deported. "We therefore direct that a copy of this judgment be served on the Director with a request that he uses his best endeavor to bring it to the notice of the applicant," it added.

11 arrested in anti-illegal worker operations

Immigration is stepping up anti illegal work operations ahead of the Lunar New Year

Territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations conducted on Jan. 13 to 16 resulted in the arrest of 11 people, the Immigration Department (ImmD) reported today, Jan. 17.

The eight suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer and two overstayers were arrested in a series of operations codenamed "Twilight", and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" and "Windsand", on Jan. 13 to 16. 

In their operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided five target locations, including premises under renovation and restaurants. Two two men, both aged 37, were arrested for illegal work.

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During operation "Champion", enforcement officers raided 54 target locations in Eastern and Western districts and arrested six suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer and two overstayers. 

The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised three men and three women, aged 28 to 59. One woman, aged 53, was suspected of employing the illegal worker and was also arrested. 

The arrested overstayers comprised two women, aged 42 and 44. One of the overstayers was also suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Among them, six suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer and one overstayer were handled by the ImmD.

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Immigration reiterated its warning: "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

An Immigration spokesman added that those who employ people not lawfully employable face stiffer penalties. 

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"Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences," he said.

Jobless Pinoy faces 7-month wait for plea

 

Stolen laptop lands Filipino in jail 

A jobless Filipino accused of entering a shop inside a mall in Tai Kok Tsui and stealing a laptop computer will have to wait almost seven months in jail before he can plead guilty or not at the District Court.

Salvador Bermejo, 30, faces a robbery charge for entering a furniture store in Olympian City 2 on July 24, 2024 and stealing its computer valued at $8,400.

Chief District Judge Justin Ko adjourned his case to Aug. 29 for plea.

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Under the Theft Ordinance, which he was accused of violating, burglary is punishable by up to 14 years in jail.

Bermejo has been in detention since his arrest in July and consequent appearances at West Kowloon Court, which elevated the case because robbery was beyond its jurisdiction.

The complaint filed by police cites a section in the Theft Ordinance that defines burglary as entering any building as a trespasser and steals or attempts to steal anything or attempts to inflict on any person any grievous bodily harm.

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Bermejo has been in trouble with the law in recent years.

On July 28, 2022, at Eastern Court he was ordered arrested after he failed to show up on his sentencing at the Eastern Court, after earlier pleading guilty to stealing a pair of shoes from a flat in Wanchai on April 1, 2022.

When he finally showed up in court on Aug. 11, he ended up being sent to the Drug Abuse Treatment Center after blood tests showed he had meth in his blood, and told to pay the owner of the shoes $3,300 over nine months.

Magistrate Jason Wan, who handled the case, also noted that Bermejo has had two earlier drug convictions.

Local and migrant artists team up to raise funds for Bethune House

 

Poster for the collaborative art exhibit which opens today

For the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, the work to keep raising funds for the shelter’s upkeep and its clients’ financial needs never ends.

Just a few weeks after reporting that they had met their target of raising HK$1 million by the end of last year and thanking all their generous donors who made it happen, Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio is again overseeing another charity event to ensure the shelter remains afloat.

Three art-related events captioned “Togetherness: Two Pillars, One Shelter” have been lined up by Edwina’s team to what they describe as “an opportunity to celebrate art, community and compassion while supporting migrant workers who play a vital role in Hong Kong society.”

Edwina (3rd from left) and The SUN editor Daisy CL Mandap (seated next to her)
meet the Goroy family, who are among Bethune House's generous donors

The “Bethune House Fundraiser Auction 2025” will be kick-started tonight, Jan 16, with a  VIP Preview and Private Tour of an exhibit that features about 30 works by local artists such as Frog King as well as those by members of Guhit Kulay, a migrant artists’ collective.

The preview will be held at the ground floor of No 33 Wyndham Street in Central, from 6:30 t0 8:30pm.

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On Jan 19, Sunday, “Kitchen Day” hosted by Bethune House residents, Lo Lai Lai and Yip Kai Chun, will be held from 1pm to 4pm at the same venue.

The event to be held over lunch is meant to introduce the local and migrant artists whose works are being exhibited, and as a channel for cultural collaboration among the various people from diverse ethnic backgrounds who are supporting Bethune House.

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Rounding up the festivities is a Live Auction Cocktail on Feb. 7, from 6pm-9pm. Four exclusive artworks will be put up for auction, with the proceeds going to Bethune House.

In the meantime, a silent auction for the 30 artworks carefully selected and curated for the exhibit begins today, and will continue until midnight of Feb. 9. To view the items and bid, click on this link: https://hk.givergy.com/bethunehouse/?controller=home

DH cleared of theft after spending 2 months in jail

 

Estate where theft was allegedly committed (Google Maps photo)

A domestic helper was acquitted today of stealing $6,000 from her employer, on the first day of her trial at Kwun Tong Court -- but only after spending more than two months in jail awaiting justice.

Magistrate Lau Suk-han declared that Jucy Marquez, 43 years old, had no case to answer after listening to prosecution testimony accusing her of stealing the money from her employer, Wong Chi-hang, at his flat in Pak Shek Terrace in Clear Water Bay, Sai Kung, between the 1st and 20th of October this year.

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Marquez had been detained since November after her offers of $1,000 and $2,000 cash bail during two hearings were rejected, and she did not apply for bail during a hearing last Dec. 4 when she pleaded not guilty to violation of section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

A police complaint alleged that she was charged after the money was found in her purse, but she denied putting it there and asked for fingerprints to be taken to see if she touched the bills.

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Among other issues raised by the defense was that the house had multiple occupants, including the girlfriend of one family member, and that before the theft charges were filed against her, Marquez had complained to her employer that she lost one mobile phone and $1,000 from her wallet.

DH gets 12 months’ jail for taking abortion drug

 

The abortion happened in one of the flats in this estate (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina domestic helper was jailed for 12 months today after she pleaded guilty at Shatin Court to taking a drug to induce her own abortion.

T. A., 35 years old, was also jailed for two months for having in her possession an abortion pill, but the two sentences were made to run at the same time by Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong.

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A police complaint said T.A. “unlawfully administered to (her)self a poison or other noxious thing, namely misprostol, with intent to procure (her) own miscarriage” at her employer’s house in The Palazzo in Fo Tan last April 6, in violation of the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance.

Under this law, abortion is illegal unless (1) the continuation of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life, physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated; or (2) the unborn child would be severely handicapped due to physical or mental abnormality.

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The law also requires that assessment of any of these conditions would have to be made by two doctors, and the legal abortion can only be done at designated clinics or hospitals.

She was also charged with possession of Part 1 poison after a tablet containing  misprostol was found in her possession on April 6, at her employer’s house, in violation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.

In an earlier hearing, T.A. was reminded not to talk to her employer, after she said she went to his house to take her things.

Chum said one of the terms of her $2,000 bail was not to talk to her employer.

“Do not do that again, otherwise bail will be cancelled,” he added.

(Pregnant migrant workers who need guidance and information about their rights may consult with PathFinders Hong Kong, a non-government organization that assists migrant women and their children. Click on their website here for more information on what they do, and how they can reached: https://www.pathfinders.org.hk/ )

Phl warns against online offers of call center jobs abroad

 

The Department of Migrant Workers has warned against call center jobs in other countries offered on social media, which often require an immediate departure from the Philippines.

According to a DMW post on Facebook, those who take up the fake job offers are sent by syndicates to Thailand, Singapore or Vietnam as tourists, before being taken to nearby Cambodia, Myanmar or Laos to work as scammers.

Recently, Nigeria appears to have been added to the list of places favored by illegal recruiters of Filipinos.

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A separate advisory said a group of Filipinos has been arrested in Abuja and Lagos recently over allegations of cybercrime, economic sabotage and violations of Nigerian immigration laws.

It turned out the Filipinos were recruited to travel to Nigeria from Dubai, United Arab Emirates on tourist visas, and were made to believe that they would be issued work permits on arrival in Nigeria.

In truth, the Nigerian government does not allow the conversion of tourist visas to work permits. Filipinos who wish to work there are required to first secure a Subject to Regularization visa from the Nigerian embassy in the Philippines.

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The DMW advises the public to first verify the job offers made to them online, and to remain cautious to avoid falling victim to illegal recruiters.

They should also resist any attempts to involve them in third-country deployment as this is not only illegal under Philippine laws, it could also leave them easy targets for crime syndicates.

Those who wish to report to DMW any possible illegal recruitment offer may send an email to airtipinfo@dmw.gov.ph or on its Facebook page: DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program.

2 Filipinas detained for theft, breach of deportation order

 

Two Filipinas accused of being pickpockets before the Eastern Court were returned to jail today after the prosecutor asked for an adjournment pending further inquiries and for legal advice.

Jan-Ann Benlot, 30 years old, and Rebecca Quirante, 67, were remanded until the next hearing on Feb. 25 since they had no bail application.

Both face three theft charges, plus an additional charge of breach of deportation order for Quirante.

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“See you again,” Principal Magistrate Don So told them as they walked out of the courtroom.

In the first charge, Benlot and Quirante were accused of stealing a wallet containing $2,000 and 80 Chinese yuan on Nov. 10 last year at the ground floor of the Emperor Watch & Jewellery Centre on Russel St., Causeway Bay.

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For the second charge, they were accused of stealing a wallet containing an Octopus card and $1,500 last Nov. 14 at the first floor of the Yoho Mall in Yuen Long.

Benlot and Quirante allegedly stole a mobile phone that same day on the ground floor of Hung Yick Bldg. on Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, giving rise to the third theft charge.

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An additional charge was filed against Quirante for not leaving on June 9, 1987 and staying despite being the subject of a deportation order and “prohibited from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter,” according to the complaint filed by police.

HK says Thailand to help repatriate trafficked Hongkongers in SEA

 

Security USec Cheuk meets with Thai justice officials in Bangkok

Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang said earlier today that senior Thai officials have promised to do their best to help ensure the safe return of some 12 Hongkongers who were reportedly forced to do illegal work in Southeast Asia.

The SAR has so far received 28 requests for assistance from Hong Kong residents who claimed to have been detained in the region, but 16 have already returned to the city.

The remaining 12 reported being restricted in their movements but were safe, and could remain in touch with a task force set up by the government to help them.

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The task force, led by Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk, left for Bangkok yesterday to meet with Thai government officials and representatives of the Chinese embassy.

Thailand’s help is being sought as it often serves as the jump-off point for workers recruited from different Asian countries including the Philippines, to work illegally in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and other nearby areas.

Last month, 27 Filipinos were repatriated from Phnom Penh, Cambodia after being rescued from traffickers who forced them to work as love scammers between late 2022 and early 2023.

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Twelve of the 27 departed the country illegally via boat from Zamboanga, while the remaining 14 left as tourists who claimed they were traveling abroad for a holiday. One left as a documented overseas Filipino worker but was supposedly bound for Palau and not Cambodia.

The rescued Filipinos said they were made to scam elderly men living in the United Kingdom. Some said they were abused and tortured in their workplace, and were later sold by their Chinese employers to another company.

Another 13 pregnant Filipino women hired to serve as surrogate mothers were also repatriated from Cambodia on Dec. 29, after being charged and sentenced to four years in prison for working with syndicates offering babies for sale to foreigners.

The women were released early after receiving royal pardon.

In the case of the 28 Hongkongers, Secretary Tang told reporters that not one of them was abducted.

However, all were forced to do illegal work and were not allowed to leave their workplace freely.

Members of Hong Kong’s task force have so far met with representatives of Thailand’s justice ministry, and were assured that the government would do its utmost to help with the safe return of the Hong Kong captives.

The task force comprises officials from the Security Bureau, as well as police and the Immigration Department.

Before leaving Hong Kong, Cheuk told reporters the traffickers are using new methods to lure victims to countries where they operate, like asking people to help bring packages to Japan or Taiwan, but then changing the destination to a Southeast Asian country at the last minute.

The Security Bureau called on the public to be wary of responding to online job offers which are too good to be true, like those that offer high pay but do not require any work experience or  academic qualification.