Overseas voting registration for Filipinos ends Monday

Last-minute registrants in the 2021 OVR waited for hours to get up to the Consulate 

Filipinos in Hong Kong who have not yet registered for the landmark internet voting for next year’s mid-term elections in the Philippines have only two more days to so.

The registration ends in all overseas posts on Sept. 30, Monday, which means that those who are in Hong Kong have only Sunday and Monday to get their names registered at the Consulate offices on the 14^th and 29^th floor of United Centre building in Admiralty, as they will be closed on Friday and Saturday.

Registered voters will get the chance to vote for 12 senators and one party-list in next year’s overseas election, which will last from April 13 to May 12, 2025.

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Those who need to register include first-time overseas voters and those who were de-registered for failing to vote in the previous two elections.

They must be Filipino citizens, are at least 18 years of age on or before the election on May 12, 2025 and are not registered to vote in any other places overseas.

To register, they need to accomplish the Overseas Voter Registration Form (which can be downloaded online) and personally submit the form to the Consulate for the taking of their biometrics, including their photo and thumb prints.

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They should bring with them a valid Philippine passport (and photocopy) and HKID. In the absence of a valid Philippine passport, the registrant should obtain a certification issued by the Consulate that it has received and reviewed the appropriate documents submitted by the applicant and found them sufficient to warrant the issuance of a passport, or that the applicant is a holder of a valid passport but is unable to produce the same for a valid reason;

The registration period for overseas voters started on Dec 9, 2022, or six months after the last general election.

Overseas voting for Filipinos this year will be done exclusively online, except in places where the internet connection is deemed unstable, like in China.

Internet voting is seen to boost the number of overseas voters

The Commission on Elections said during a briefing held in Hong Kong earlier this year that there will be a pre-enrolment period 60 days before the start of voting period on Apr 13 next year.

This is to ensure that the one who will cast the actual vote is the registered voter.

The voter will have to upload his/her document, then wait for verification from the Philippine Consulate, before being given access to the ballot online.

Philippine officials tasked with administering the overseas vote are encouraging Filipinos abroad to grab the chance of making a difference in the task of charting the country’s future.

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With an estimated 11 million potential voters overseas, internet voting could allow them to have a big  impact on the outcome of the election.

Over the years, overseas voting has lost its shine for most lawmakers because of the low registration numbers and even lower turnout.

Out of an estimated 11 million Filipinos overseas, only 1,693,813 registered to vote in the 2022 elections. And out of these registered voters, only 663,188 actually voted - or a turnout of 39.15 percent.

With internet voting, it is expected that the turnout would be much higher – but only if more people registered on or before the Monday deadline  

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Customs steps up action vs fake goods, raw-meat smuggling

 

This shop is one of 25 raided by Customs in Mong Kok for selling fake branded goods

Hong Kong Customs has raided 25 shops in Mong Kok, as part of intensified effort to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods ahead of the “Golden Week” marking the 75^th National Day on Oct. 1.

The operation coincided with calls on travellers, especially those crossing the border from the Mainland, to stop bringing in raw meat and poultry products, as this violates Customs regulations.

In the raids in Mong Kok conducted between Sept 20 and 25, a total of 8,500 falsely branded items were seized, with an estimated market value of about $3.6 million.

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The raids on 25 fixed-pitch hawker stalls on Tung Choi Street and a hidden counterfeit goods storage nearby yielded a batch of items that included handbags, wallets and headphones.

Two women, aged 35 and 41, were arrested. An investigation is ongoing;

Customs warns that it will continue to step up its inspection and enforcement action to combat goods violating copyright infringements, especially with the approach of the Golden Week.

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Consumers are advised to buy goods only at reputable shops and to check with trademark owners or their agents if they have doubts about the authenticity of the products being sold.

Sellers are warned that dealing with counterfeit products is a serious crime under the Trade Description Ordinace, for which the maximum sentence is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Reports on suspected counterfeiting activities may be made through Customs' 24-hour hotline, 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Illegal food importation is on the rise, says Customs

Meanwhile, Customs also repeated a warning against the importation of prohibited food products into Hong Kong, particularly fresh meat and eggs, amid  a doubling in the number of people found committing this offence.

According to Jacqueline Lee, deputy head of the Customs and Excise Department’s land boundary command, the number of illegal food imports seized in the first eight months of the year reached  1,324, which is more than the total of 1,019 reported for the entire 2023.

More than 60 percent of the food seized involved uncooked meat. About 30 percent related to eggs and the remaining 10 percent, to poultry.

Customs officials said much of the meat smuggled in were only wrapped in plastic bags, sparking hygiene concerns.

A big number of the tourists caught with the unlicensed meat had tried to hide them in carry-on bags, but some kept them inside suitcases, luggage carts or backpacks.

Lee said many people might not be aware or might have been misled into thinking that vacuum packing, foil wrapping, or blanching raw meat was permissible for bringing food back to Hong Kong.

But this is wrong, she said, because without the required health permits, uncooked meat cannot be brought into the territory, and travellers risk being charged with a criminal offence if they violate such restriction.

Most of the raw meat smuggled in are wrapped or vacuum-packed in plastic bags

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, each consignment of imported meat and poultry requires an import license from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Also, the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations state that each consignment must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the relevant authority in the place of origin and/or import permission from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Violators face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and six months' imprisonment.

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Another Filipina jailed for money laundering

Nequinto was sentenced at Kwun Tong Court

Another Filipina domestic helper has been added to the list of those convicted of money laundering by letting their bank accounts be used to receive deposits of money that came from crime.

M. A. Nequinto, 53 years old, was jailed for nine months by Magistrate Edward Wong last Monday (Sept. 23) after pleading guilty to “dealing in property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense.”

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Her guilty plea averted a trial that was supposed to start on that day.

The complaint filed by police on March 28 charged Nequinto with violating sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organizerd and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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The complaint said Nequinto dealt with $868,704.52, “knowing and having reasonable grounds to believe that the said property, in whole and in part, directly or indirectly, represented the proceeds of an indictable offense.”

The money was deposited and withdrawn, with the help of a certain Zeny, from Nequinto’s Hang Seng Bank account between Sept. 23, 2019 and Dec. 28, 2019.

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Disneyland ticket prices go up today

 

It now costs more to see Disney's magic

Prices of tickets to Disneyland Hong Kong went up today, Sept. 25, by five to seven percent for one-day access and up to 13% for annual memberships.

Regular one-day tickets which used to cost $639 for adults and $479 for children and seniors will go up to $669 and $499, respectively.

Tier 2 tickets will go up to $759 from $719 for adults and $569 from $539 for children and seniors.

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Tier 3 tickets now cost $50 more for adults who will have to pay $849, while children and seniors pay an extra $40, for a total of $639 each.

The priciest Tier 4 tickets which allow access to the Lantau theme park at any time of the year, including the peak holiday season, will now cost $939 from $879 for adults and $705 from $659 for children and seniors.

The only ones who will not have to pay more are residents aged 60 and above and holding JoyYou cards, who will still be paying $100 to enter.

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But in line with other Hong Kong attractions, seniors who do not hold JoyYou cards will be charged the same entrance fees as students and children.

Annual pass prices will increase by up to 13 percent, with the silver membership now costing $1,568, the gold tickets at $2,748 and the costliest platinum ones at $4,998 for adults and $3,748 for children.

To offset the higher ticket prices, Disneyland is offering limited-time deals for group visitors and annual pass holders.

For details on the new ticket prices and other information, visit Disneyland’s website: https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/

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Acclaimed Philippine animated film shown in HK

 

Still photo from the animated film showing Eric and mother in tense scene

An uneasy, dead silence greeted the end of screening of “The Missing”, at M+ Cinema in West Kowloon on Sunday, Sept. 22, as part of the Asean Film Festival 2024.

For one, it touched on the sensitive topic of child sex abuse that has long blighted Philippine society. For another, the film managed to hold the audience in thrall by using rotoscope animation to tell the story of Eric, the lead character.

The audience came to life when the film’s director, Carl Joseph Papa, was called after the screening, giving him a hearty round of applause in a belated but heartfelt accolade for his work.

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Papa’s admission that Eric’s story was his own gave momentary shock to many in the audience, but later led to profuse praises for his bravery in sharing his experiences to help other children going through the same experience.

“The Missing,” (“Iti Mapukpukaw’ in Ilocano) tells the story of Eric, a young animator who has no mouth and cannot speak, communicating only through a white board perpetually slung over his neck.

With help from his boyfriend Carlo and mother Rosalinda, he manages to recover from a long-kept childhood trauma, triggered when he found his long-lost uncle in bed, dead for days, and with flies hovering over his body.

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The catharsis came after Eric dug up his uncle's grave, and recovered from the coffin various body parts symbolizing his long years of struggle against the abuse. Among this was his mouth, enabling him to speak again. 

Director Papa bravely told the live audience that Eric's story is his own

Papa said his own trigger came when he learned through friends and family posting condolences on social media that an uncle “who did things to (him) which he shouldn’t have", had died.

“I wrote the story of Eric so I could recover,” said Papa. He also said he wanted the film “to be like a hug to the other victims” and as a “refuge” so other victims may be encouraged to speak up as well.

He said that right from the start he wanted to use animation in the movie as it complemented the state of mind of the main character, Eric.

Also, he said the story he wanted to tell was “gruesome” so the animation helped hide the horrible details of what Eric had to go through.

Papa said that he dared not raise his hopes for his indie movie, which was shot in only four days with a budget of less than HK$200,000.

“I thought I would be the only one inside the cinema, watching it,” he said.

But glowing words about the movie quickly spread, leading it to become not just the top grosser in the 19^th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in 2023, but also as Best Film awardee.

It also won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dolly de Leon, who played Rosalinda,  although it was only her rotoscoped image and voice that could be seen and heard throughout.

Later, the Film Development Council and the Film Academy of the Philippines entered “The Missing” in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, making it the first animated film submitted to the prestigious award-giving body by the country.

Though shot in just four days, the animation works for the movie using the rotoscope technique - a laborious process that consists of drawing or tracing over a photo or live-action footage frame by frame, to produce realistic action - took one year and seven months, involving a team of 90 animators.

The other lead characters in the film aside from de Leon were Carlo Aquino who portrays Eric, and Gio Gahol as his friend Carlo.

Work on the movie using rototype animation took 1 year, 7 months

It is the third Philippine-made movie to be screened as part of the 2^nd Asean Film Festival in Hong Kong. The two others were the top-grossing movie, “Hello, Love, Goodbye” which tells the travails of OFWs in Hong Kong, and “K’na the Dreamweaver,” which chronicles the life of South Cotabato’s select weavers whose designs come from visions in a dream. 

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Unemployed Pinoy jailed 6 months for fake money

 

Place where Filipino was found carrying fake money

An unemployed Filipino was jailed for six months Tuesday after pleading guilty in Kowloon City Court to having in his custody five fake $100 bills.

Acting Principal Magistrate Ko Wai-hung handed the sentence after Ray Onate Jr., 35 years old, with no fixed address, admitted violating section 100(2) of the Crimes Ordinance which makes the offense punishable by up to three years in jail.

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The case arose after Onate was intercepted by police officers last July 7 at Woo Sung St. in Yau Ma Tei.

They found in his possession three fake $100 banknotes supposedly issued by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. and two by the Bank of China.

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He was charged with having in his custody, “without lawful authority or excuse” five banknotes “which you know of believed to be a counterfeit of a currency note, namely banknotes of one hundred dollars.”

The police complaint did not specify where the fake bills came from.

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Filipino teen organizes training for OFWs caring for kids with autism

  

Erin Arenas giving a briefing on Kaleidoscope's advocacy

It was her family’s own struggle looking for help for her youngest sibling who was diagnosed with autism that drove 17-year-old Erin Sae Arenas to start a program aimed at helping ethnic minority families, especially those on low income, cope with similar challenges.

This coming Oct. 6, a Sunday, Erin through her Kaleidoscope project, will host a training seminar in Sheung Wan for 50 migrant domestic workers taking care of children with learning disability, specially autism.

Educator and behavior specialist Divina Ancheta will provide the training, which will focus on strategies to integrate play in the development of children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

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Erin, who founded Kaleidoscope while struggling with the rigors of high school life at the Stamford American International School, said the project aims to provide help to low-income ethnic minority families with children on the spectrum.

This will be done with help from volunteer therapists who will be asked to spare one to two hours of their time to provide much-needed training  for carers of special-needs children.

Details of Kaleidoscope's first-ever training for OFWs looking after special-needs children

“I started this project because my youngest sister was diagnosed with autism at the age of three –and I figured that the costs of therapy can be quite expensive and inaccessible to these families,” said Erin.

“Additionally, I’ve come to be quite close with a few other families with ASD children and have found that most share the same struggles. Though there are free Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, they’re usually conducted in Chinese.”

Realizing this, Erin said she is now intent on “fixing” the gap between the needs of ethnic minority children needing special care, and the lack of access to resources that could help them. 

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This she intends to do by getting more people and institutions to know and understand their plight, and hopefully help towards addressing the problem. In the meantime, Erin is wasting no time providing valuable training to the carers.  

By involving overseas Filipino workers who understand the needs of children with special needs in her first community outreach, she hopes to gain a better insight on the kind of special courses or seminars that Kaleidsocope could do, to better achieve its goals.

The seminar titled “Carers’ Guide to Effective Use of Play” is being held in partnership with Wimler Foundation.

Spaces are limited to 50 participants, so those who qualify and are interested are enjoined to register quickly by filling up this form: https://forms.gle/ZZ7DfpwzqJEDpAiA9

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Eight months’ jail for lying thrice to Immigration

 

The Filipina was sentenced at Shatin Court

Lying to an Immigration officer three times has resulted in a Filipina being jailed for eight months.

Hydee Cauton, 45 years old, pleaded guilty on Monday at Shatin Court to three counts of telling an Immigration officer that she was a domestic helper under contract with a certain Wong Yiu Hung, in violation of the Immigration Ordinance,

In truth, however, she did not actually work for her supposed employer but elsewhere, as an illegal worker, for better pay.

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The charges against Cauton were for the false representations she made when she applied for an extension of stay on March 9, 2022, when she arrived at Hong Kong Airport on March 31, 2023, and when she again requested an extention of stay on May 16, 2024.

In his appeal for a lenient sentence, her lawyer said Cauton had worked in Hong Kong legally as a domestic helper for 10 years but resorted to this arrangement because her father fell ill with a kidney disease. Later, however, both her parents died.

He said she paid $30,000 to an employment agent to process her papers with the Immigration Department using a falsified contract.

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The lawyer said she should be credited for pleading guilty, and for cooperating with Immigration officers investigating others involved in helping her get her spurious domestic helper visa.

Magistrate Andrew Mok sentenced her to six months in prison for each of the three counts.

Because of her guilty plea, he gave her a one-third discount for each sentence, leaving four months each.

Magistrate Mok then ordered that half of the sentences for the second and third charges run after the first sentence, resulting in a final sentence of eight months.

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FDH arrested for possessing drug used in Viagra

 

Sildenafil is more commonly known by the brand name Viagra

A supposed tour of Macau has turned into a problem for a Filipina after Customs officers checked her luggage at the departure area of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, and found pills that turned out to be on the Poisons List.

Marjorie Villegas, 29, appeared today at the West Kowloon court, charged with possession of sildenafil, in violation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.

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She was freed on a cash bail of $4,000 by Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui.

The case was adjourned to Nov. 11.

The charge filed last Sept. 20 by the Customs and Excise Department alleged that officers at the Customs Departure Hall found 100 sildenafil tablets -- in 10 foil packs containing 10 tablets each -- in her luggage.

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Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, is used to treat erectile disfunction in men.

Since it is included in Part 1 of Hong Kong’s Poisons List, the law requires that no person should possess it unless they are authorized. Violators are liable to a fine of up to level 6 ($100,000) and imprisonment of up to two years.

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