DH gets 2 months’ jail for stealing $1,200

 

For stealing just $1,200 from her employer, a Filipina domestic helper has lost her freedom, her job, and the opportunity to work in Hong Kong.

Donnalyn Memita, 32 years old, was sentenced today at Eastern Court by Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung to two months in jail for  the theft which she committed at her employer’s home at Wai Wah Mansion on Fort Street in North Point last June 4.

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She had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of theft filed by North Point Police.

After completing her sentence, Memita will likely be deported and would face no longer be able to get a working visa from Hong Kong Immigration.

Free review for Sept teachers' board gets underway in HK

 

The OFW Center's training hall is packed with teacher-hopefuls at the start of the SPLE review

More than 300 overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong joined the free, whole-day review for those aspiring to take the Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) scheduled to be held in HK and Thailand on Sept. 21.

The review, which was held at the OFW Center on the 18^th floor of United Centre Building, is a joint project of the Carl Balita Review Center (CBRC) and the Filipino Overseas Professional Teachers HK (FOPT) with the support of the Migrant Workers Office.

PRC's official announcement of the SPLE in HK and Thailand on Sept 21

It will be the first time that the licensure examination for OFWs with an education degree, will be held in Hong Kong since 2019, when widespread protests and the pandemic rocked the city.

While the PRC has already set the date, the venue of the test will still have to be arranged, according to MWO officer-in-charge Antonio Villafuerte.

But applications for those who want to take the qualifying examination has now opened, and will last until Aug 11, 2025. Applicants can access the PRC online application system as https://online.prc.gov.ph.

Those with questions or concerns may send an email to sple@prc.gov.ph.

All those who want to join the succeeding review sessions by the CBRC may look for the Facebook page of the Filipino Overseas Professional Teachers – Hong Kong and send them a message.

Alternatively, they can register directly with CBRC at https://forms.gle/4HviTRcx9Z8dnTdP9

In a Facebook post prior to conducting the review sessions, CBRC owner Carl Balita said a total of 369 OFWs in HK will be given a full LET Review Scholarship, through weekly face-to-face lectures and a full online review.

He said CBRC faculty members are giving their services for free, while Senator Bong Go is providing their air fare for the duration of the project.

However, the application fee for taking the examination is not free, and must be paid at any of the following PRC-authorized channels:

1. Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP)

2. Banc Net

3. G-Cash

4. Pay Maya.

After paying the examination fee, all applicants are required to submit via email at sple@prc.qov.ph, a clear scanned copy of their application documents as follows:

1. Transcript of Record (with or without scanned picture and with or without remarks “For Board Examination Purpose Only”);

2. Valid passport; and

3. Two (2) passport-size pictures with a complete name tag in a white background

The list of conditionally approved applicants shall be posted on the PRC Website. No individual response to the emailed applications should be expected, unless certain deficiencies in the submitted documents are noted.

The PRC Delegation shall issue the Notice of Admission (NOA) to the qualified applicants upon presentation of the original documents on September 17-19, 2025, the venue of which will be announced later.

All successful SPLE examinees can opt to return to the Philippines and placed in permanent items or jobs in their hometown, under the SPIMS (Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma'am, Sir) program of the Department of Migrant Workers.

 

CG congratulates HK OFW who placed 2nd in teachers’ board

 

Congen Romulo Israel congratulates Dory Octavio for her outstanding achievement

Consul General Romulo M. Israel met and congratulated Filipino domestic worker Maria Adoracion R. Octavio earlier today, Sunday, for her remarkable feat of placing second in the special licensure examination (SLE) for secondary school teachers in the Philippines held last June.

Congen Israel’s first question to Adoracion or “Dory” to friends was, “Would you like to go home?”. Noticing her hesitation, he added that he fully understood if Dory did not want to, especially if she has better job options in Hong Kong.

However, as the country’s top representative in the HK Special Administrative Region, he said he would like to see Dory go home and use her exemplary knowledge of teaching to help Filipino students, especially those in public schools.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

During their talk, Congen Israel was even more impressed when he learned that Dory obtained her education degree while doing full-time domestic work in Hong Kong. Initially, she took a two-year course with AMA Computer Learning Center in Hong Kong, and then followed this up with two more years of online lessons with AMA University in Quezon City.

Dory, who is 38, single and a native of Pasacao, Camarines Sur, first went abroad to work as a domestic helper in Singapore in 2009, then moved to Hong Kong in 2014 where she has remained since. She had just finished high school then.

“Wala na po sana talaga akong balak mag-aral, (I no longer had plans of studying), I just wanted to save then go back to the Philippines and start a business,” she said.

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“But my friend Nikki encouraged me to enroll in a two-year programming course so that we could earn 72 units to apply for Canada.”

However, when AMA announced that it was opening a diploma in teaching course, she decided to go for it instead, thinking it would serve her better, whether in the Philippines or Canada.

It helped that there were people around her who made her aspire for more, including AMA HK’s school director, Helen Marcos, whom she credits for pushing her to do two more years of online lessons to complete her degree.

CG Israel and teacher Dory are joined by Labor OIC Tony Villafuerte and AMA HK's Helen Marcos

After graduating last year, Dory thought she should take the board exams immediately while everything that she learned was still fresh in her mind. Thus, when she learned that the SLE would be held in Taiwan last June, she tearfully begged her elderly employer to allow her to go there, even just for two days, so she could take the test.

To her surprise and delight, she not only passed the test, she even got a remarkable grade of 89.20, enabling her to tie with three other examinees, all OFWs, in second place. 

But true to her self-effacing nature, Dory said her grade would probably not be enough to land her in the top 10, if she were to compete with everybody who is taking the test, including those in the Philippines and abroad. That, she added, would be the kind of test that OFWs in Hong Kong will be taking in September this year, along with other examinees in the Philippines.

What she didn't seem to realize was that she was a standout even among those who placed in the top 10, as she was an all-around domestic worker, while the others were either teachers or skilled workers in places such as China and Uzbektistan, which meant that they had more time, energy and resources to focus on their studies.

Dory is looking at all options in both HK and the Philippines

Acting Labor Attache Tony Villafuerte who joined Congen Israel in congratulating Dory said that under the SPIMS (Sa Pinas. Ikaw ang Ma’am, Sir) program of the Department of Migrant Workers, Dory could be given a permanent teaching position in her hometown in the Philippines should she decide to go home for good.

But since she’s a new teacher, she will hired at entry-level, which pays just over Php30,000 each month. That would mean Dory taking a salary cut should she decide to go home, as she is already receiving more than the minimum wage for FDHs which is HK$4,990 (about Php35,700).

Then, there is also the possibility that she could be hired for a teaching job in Hong Kong, which is now no longer as far-fetched, given her outstanding performance in the qualifying examination, and the current dearth of qualified teachers in the city.

Even Helen, who was among the first to publicly share Dory’s remarkable feat, said she’d be happy to take in her mentee as an employee, if Immigration would allow it.

But if there are better offers out there for Dory, Helen said she would be happy enough to ask her to come by on Sundays, just so she could inspire other OFWs to dream as she did, and achieve.

 

 

More than 12k people barred from entering HK this year

 

Those turned away don't even get to see the arrivals hall of the HK Airport

If you’re planning to visit Hong Kong and use the trip to work here illegally, think again.

Hong Kong’s immigration director Benson Kwok said that mere suspicions that a visitor would work illegally here could be enough reason to deny entry to that person.

Kwok said in an interview with RTHK today, July 6,  that more than 12,000 people were denied entry to Hong Kong in the first five months of the year alone.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

"There were a number of reasons, for example if we were suspicious about their reasons for coming to Hong Kong, like they could be here to work illegally and affect the job opportunities of locals," Kwok said.

The other reasons were the incomplete travel documents presented by the visitor, like not having a visa as required by Hong Kong for citizens of certain countries.

There were also those who were turned away because immigration suspected that they were carrying forged travel documents.

While 12,000 may seem a lot in terms of actual figures, that represents only 0.06 percent of the 20 million visitors to the city for the same period, said Kwok.

Basahin ang detalye!

He said young Hongkongers who left the city in the wake of the unrest in 2019 are welcome to return if they are patriotice and love Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong people enjoy the freedom to enter or leave the SAR. So long as the person didn't violate the law, the Immigration Department will not stop him or her, never mind asking the person questions," he said. 

Kwok added that now that more young people in Hong Kong travel to the mainland in their free time, they get to have a better understanding of the importance of safeguarding national security.

Court absence worsens case for Pinoy facing drug charges

 

Sai Kung sitting out area (Google Maps photo by Wai Shing So)

A Filipino who uses a recognizance form as identity document, added more problems to the three charges he faces at the Kwun Tong Court when he failed to show up for a hearing on Friday.

Magistrate Lau Suk-han issued a warrant of arrest against Aldrian Maloles, 36 years old, reserved the forfeiture of his bail and ordered police not to allow him bail once arrested.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

Maloles was charged with possession of dangerous drug after he was arrested at a sitting out area at Sai Kung Hoi Pong St. in Sai Kung on Nov. 17, 2024.

Seized from him were three plastic bags containing a total of 1.01 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (also known as ice or shabu) and one plastic bag containing 0.20 grams of shabu.

Basahin ang detalye!

Also seized from him were drug paraphernalia, resulting in a second charge, possession of apparatus fit for the inhalation of dangerous drugs, consisting of a glass tube with a bulb containing 0.02 gram of shabu and a glass bottle with two openings containing 0.01 gram of shabu.

The third charge, resisting a police office contrary to the Police Force Ordinance, arose after he resisted arrest by four police officers.

7 persons arrested in anti-illegal work raids

 

A man on a bike was among those arrested

 Six suspected illegal workers and one employer were arrested in four days of territory-wide operations by enforcement agents of the Immigration and Labour Departments.

A total of 58 target locations were raided from June 30 to July 3, including premises under renovation, recycling yards, restaurants and retail stoes.

In the first phase of the operation four suspected illegal workers comprising two men and two women, aged 43 to 59, were arrested.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

Among them, one man was found to hold a recognizance form, meaning he is applying to ward off deportation while another man and a woman were found to possess fake HKID cards.

One woman aged 52, was arrested on suspicion she had employed the illegal workers.

In a separate operation, two men, aged 32 and 34, were arrested for working illegally. Both hold recognizance forms, which prohibit them from taking employment, whether paid or unpaid.

Basahin ang detalye!

Torture claimants on recognizance who are found to be working illegally can be jailed for up to three years and fined a maximum of $50,000. The same penalty applies to overstayers and illegal immigrants.

Aiders and abettors will also be prosecuted.

Visitors who violate their condition of stay by working while in Hong Kong face a lesser penalty of up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $50,000.

Those found to possess forged HKID cards can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $100,000.

Employers face the harshest penalty of up to $500,000 in fine and imprisonment for 10 years.

An immediate custodial sentence is prescribed for all those engaged in illegal work. 

DH gets $20K compensation for assault

 

The case was decided at the Labour Tribunal

A domestic helper who left her employer’s house because she no longer felt safe in their house after being assaulted by his mother-in-law, agreed today to a compensation of $20,000 in return for ending her complaint at the Labour Tribunal.

Gemma Mones signed the settlement agreement between her and her employer, Wan Hei-man, with Presiding Officer Isabella Chu as witness, ending her complaint that arose after the mother of Wan’s wife kicked her in the groin on Feb. 20.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

In an interview, Mones said this was the latest of more than 10 attacks she had endured since she started working for Wan’s family.

But while her labor complaint has been settled, the criminal case filed by police against the unnamed woman, against whom Mones is a prosecution witness, will continue. The first hearing is scheduled at Kowloon City Court on July 26.

Basahin ang detalye!

The settlement amount represents Mones’ personal expenses and loss of income after she left Wan’s house, claiming she was constructively terminated, until the last hearing last June 16 when she agreed to the amount.

Today’s hearing was held because the employer asked for a three-week adjournment so he could have time to consult his family about paying the compensation.

Licensed recruiter, travel agency shut down for illegal recruitment to Poland

 

The 2 companies face illegal recruitment charges 

A long-time licensed recruitment agency in the Philippines has been closed down by the Department of Migrant Workers for allegedly working with a travel agency to illegally recruit workers for Poland.

Reliable Recruitment Corporation, which has been operating for decades and is licensed to operate until June 2026, has been ordered closed by the Department of Migrant Workers along with its “accomplice”, the Reiven Air Travel Tours and Consultancy.

This was according to a statement released by the DMW yesterday, July 3, along with photos and videos of the Manila offices of the two companies being padlocked.

Officers of the Migrant Protection Bureau and Manila Police carried out the closure of Reliable’s office in Ermita and Reiven’s in San Andres, in line with Closure Order Nos. 15 at 16, Series of 2025, which were issued following an in-depth investigation.

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Reliable, which has three other offices across the Philippines, is licensed to recruit and place for overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong and other destinations abroad. But according to DMW, it is not licensed to recruit for jobs in Poland.

The investigation revealed that Reiven was carrying out its illegal recruitment activities inside Reliable’s office, including the orientation seminar for applicants for the jobs of fruit picker, farmer, truck driver and welder in Poland.

The applicants were reportedly promised salaries of about Php90,000 per month, but they must pay at least Php70,000 in processing fee to the company.

Before they could even attend the orientation seminar, they were required to get a referral from Reliable and pay the processing fee.

DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara said two applicants of Reiven and Reliable had complained that they were not able to leave for Poland despite paying the processing fee.

“Reiven acted as a recruiter when travel agencies are strictly not allowed to do so. They worked with Reliable, which misrepresented job opportunities to applicants,” said Alcantara.

He added that although licensed, Reliable only has a job order for mushroom pickers, but not for fruit pickers or any other jobs.

DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia who joined the raids on the two companies said their investigation revealed that while the applicants were promised a salary of Php90,000 their registered contract stated a salary of only Php50,000.

He said the documents seized from the two companies will be studied to see if there were actual job orders for the posts they promised to the applicants.

A staff member of Reiven is shown being led away during a live coverage of the raids

The DMW post drew a number of reactions from various people, including those who claimed they had paid up to Php100,000 for the promised jobs. They were told by DMW staff manning the page to send them a private message if they wanted to get their money back.

According to the DMW, those conducting the orientation were employees of World Bridge Recruitment Spolka Z.O.O., a Poland-based placement agency registered with the DMW.

Reiven is charged with violating Republic Act No 10022, which strictly prohibits travel agencies from engaging in any recruitment activities. 

Reliable, on the other hand, has a job order for only one kind of work in Poland, while World Bridge did not have the required Letter of Authority from DMW to conduct the recruitment.

DMW said that because of these violations, both Reiven and Reliable will be included in its list of recruitment agencies with derogatory record. In addition, the Department will recommend the cancellation of their business registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC_ and business licenses with the City of Manila. 

All victims of Reiven and Reliable are urged to communicate with DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip so they can be extended legal help.

 

 

 

Jail custody for 3 Pinoys in robbery, theft cases

 

Three Filipinos, each gainfully employed as HK residents, have been remanded in jail after being charged with robbery and theft in separate cases before the Eastern Court.

Ryan Malonzo, 38 years old and a bartender, Allevan Arceo, 29 years old and construction worker, and Roderick Prado, 49 years old and a deliveryman and courier, were charged with burglary for allegedly entering a “Green-Kennedy Town” store on Water St. in Sai Ying Pun last March 20 and stealing an iPad worth $3,999.

Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung ordered the three returned to jail on Wednesday (July 2) after he adjourned the case to Aug. 27.

Basahin ang detalye!

In a separate case that same day, Malonzo and Arceo were listed as ready for plea on two charges of theft when the hearing resumes also on Aug. 27.

The two were accused of stealing two backpacks outside a flat in Wing Wah Mansion on Queen’s Road West in Shek Tong Tsui on March 26.

One of the bags contained a wallet with $1,000 cash, Hong Kong and China identity documents, and four bank cards, all worth a total of $1,400.

The other bag contained an iPhone 13, a Huawei laptop, and cash of 5 renminbi, worth a total of $18,205.36.

Sentencing for Filipina who admitted lying to Immigration put off by 2 months

 

Immigration Department

A Filipina who had pleaded guilty to lying to Immigration officers to get a domestic helper’s visa and conspiring with another to defraud the Immigration Department, had her sentencing scheduled for today at Shatin Court put off for more two months.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong adjourned the case against Annabelle Isidro, 56 years old, to Sept. 4.

Isidro was charged with making a false representation to an Immigration officer on Nov. 5, 2022 when she claimed falsely that she would be working as a domestic helper for a certain Chu Ka-kit, contrary to section 42(1)(a) if the Immigration Ordinance.

Basahin ang detalye!

She was also charged with conspiracy to defraud for having declared falsely to Immigration officers between December 2024 and March 19, 2025, with the help of a certain “Gege”, that she would work for a certain Choi Wa-yee.

This lie induced Immigration officers “to grant you permission to reman in Hong Kong, under circumstances in which they would not otherwise have granted such permission,” according to the complaint filed against her.

The offense was contrary to Common Law, Criminal Jurisdiction Ordinance and Crimes Ordinance, the complaint added.

Board exam for OFW teachers set in HK and Thailand on Sept 21

 

The Professional Regulation Commission in the Philippines has set the board examination for teachers who are overseas on Sept 21 this year in both Hong Kong and Thailand.

The announcement was posted Wednesday by the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong.

Overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong with a degree in education have clamored for years for the Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) to be held here again, after pro-democracy protests and the Covid-19 pandemic halted it.

Basahin ang detalye!

The last time the SPLE was held in Hong Kong was in October 2018.

In June this year, the board exam was conducted by the PRC in the Middle East, Singapore and Taiwan.  

Among those who took the June 2025 SPLE in Taiwan was HK OFW Ma. Adoracion R.Octavio, who placed second overall, with a grade of 89.20%.

Officers at the Philippine Consulate have always encouraged OFWs with a degree in education to take the SPLE here, especially if they wish to return home and teach.

If they pass, they can ask for support to be placed in a public school in the Philippines under the “Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am, Sir” (SPIMS), a reintegration project for OFWs which is now administered by the Department of Migrant Workers.

Ex-Consul General Tony Morales with other Consulate officers 
graced the start of the SPLE held in Hong Kong in October 2018

Those interested to take the September SPLE may apply until August 11, 2025 through the PRC Online Application System at https://online.prc.qov.ph

Examination fees shall be paid at the authorized payment channels as follows:

1. Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP)

2. Banc Net

3. G-Cash

4. Pay Maya

After payment of the corresponding examination fee, all applicants are required to submit via email at sple@prc.gov.ph the clear scanned copy of their application documents as follows:

1. Transcript of Record (with or without scanned picture and with or without remarks “For Board Examination Purpose Only”);

2. Valid passport; and

3. Two (2) passport-size pictures with a complete name tag in a white background

The list of conditionally approved applicants shall be posted on the PRC Website. Separately, the  PRC Delegation shall issue the Notice of Admission (NOA) to the qualified applicants upon presentation of the original documents on September 17-19, 2025, at a venue that will be announced later.

 

16-month jail for DH who used employer's credit card

Worldwide House (Google Maps hoto)

A crime that began when a domestic helper found her employer’s credit card in the laundry bin and then used it on her day off the next day to buy lunch and two gold rings that she later pawned, has resulted in a combined 16-month jail sentence at the District Court today.

Maria Fe Narciso, 32 years old and working as a domestic helper since 2019, barely reacted when the sentence was read to her by Judge J. Lam after she pleaded guilty.

After all, Narciso had been in jail since her arrest 14 months ago after police found in her wallet the $3,000 that she got from pawning the two rings and a pawnshop receipt. With discounts for good behavior and holidays during the period, she could be released sooner than the remaining two months.

Basahin ang detalye!

In his decision, Judge Lam noted that Narciso should have returned the credit card when she found it. “But she used it. The cards were still with her when she was arrested and she could have used the card again,” he added.

He said that while the theft of the card may be opportunistic, and therefore given a lighter penalty, dishonest use of the card was not.

Narciso's sentence started with six months in prison for stealing the Bank of China Mastercard credit card of her employer Au Shuk-chi on May 18, 2024 at the latter’s flat in Sunway Gardens on King’s Road, North Point.

Under the principle of totality in sentencing, Judge Lam added half of a four-month sentence he meted on her for using the card on May 19 to pay for food at the KFC restaurant downstairs.

For using the card again later that day, this time to buy one gold ring for $2,995 at Luvenus Jewellery at Worldwide Plaza in Central, he gave her an eight-month sentence, four of which were added to the first sentence.

He finally added another four of the eight-month sentence for using the card to buy another gold ring worth $2,020 at Friendly Jewelry Ltd., also at Worldwide Plaza.

Treats galore on Handover Day

The 4 senior government officials enjoying their discounted dim sum

 People turned out in droves across Hong Kong today, July 1, to avail of the free tram and ferry rides, restaurant discounts and other treats that were on offer to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Among those who took advantage of the celebratory offers were the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Cheuk Wing-hing; Deputy Financial Secretary, Michael Wong; Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang.

Basahin ang detalye!

After attending the flag-raising ceremony and reception to celebrate Hong Kong’s Handover to China, the four headed to a Chinese restaurant in Wan Chai to have tea, and avail of the 29 percent discount offered for a variety of dim sum.

After their morning tea, Cheuk, Wong and Tsang took the free tram ride to go to nearby Lee Tung Avenue, where the public were treated to free ice cream, popcorn and panda-shaped balloons.

The Start Ferry ride between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wanchai was also free for the day

Over 4,000 restaurants and merchants rolled out special promotions for the day, with a majority of the eateries offering 29% off the price of certain menu items.

Elsewhere, people enjoyed the free entrance to museums and indoor and outdoor facilities operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

One of the biggest hits was the free tram ride on all routes on Hong Kong island, which will be offered for the first time on three consecutive days, or from July 1 to 3.

There were also a lot of takers for the free ferry ride from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai.

The MTR offered no free rides on any of its trains, but raffled off 71,000 e-single journey tickets through a lucky draw.