Good night Noli, see you in the morning, no matter how long will it takes…so long classmate, batchmate, co-worker…
Ptr. Arnulfo DaculanClass 1987, Southern Baptist School of TheologyHis remains lies in Dulce Funeral Homes Jose Abad Santos, Tondo, Manila
a day to love month February
Deepest sympathy to the family of the late Radio Binan Announcer Sonny Casulla, 69Former DZRH announcer and reporter
UPAC & iskup supports January, National Bible Month
last week of January, National Bible Week
January 23, National Bible Sunday
5 months to EMMANUEL
PACQUIAO 22
iskup is looking for electrical and mechanical trainees, legal age, high school drop out, 0943814499, 09916444376
in the news…
iskup supports January, National Bible Month; last week of January, National Bible Week; January 23,2022, National Bible Sunday
The National Telecommunications Commission warned watching public to withold any information to anyone offering job, it is scam.
Shortage of domestic helper continues to plague HK
By J.Lo
“In mid-December, we made headway in increasing quarantine facilities for helpers … but such ‘dawning light’ soon vanished,” Hong Kong Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said Hong Kong families struggling amid shortage of domestic helpers have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel, after number of such workers in the past two years hit anew low of about 339,000,
Writing on his official blog, Law said authorities had made progress in finding more quarantine facilities for incoming domestic helpers, before Omicron coronavirus variant began to affect Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
But these efforts were in vain when flights from Philippines were banned from landing in Hong Kong after the country was hit by Omicron.
“It was because pandemic situation in the Philippines had rocketed … in early January, more than 40 per cent of 175 Filipino domestic helpers tested positive…very shocking.”
Law said number of domestic helpers had decreased in Hong Kong in the past two years, noting that there were about 400,000 of them in the city in January 2020. They mainly come from the Philippines or Indonesia. That figure dropped to 350,050 in November last year, and then to 339,451 by the end of December.
It was the lowest figure since at least the end of 2016, when there were 351,513 helpers in Hong Kong. The Post has reached out to government for pre-2016 statistics.
From September to November last year, the figure decreased month-on-month by about 1,300 to 1,900. But from November to December, the number fell by more than 10,000.
Law feared figure indicated that many Filipino helpers could have been left stranded by the flight ban after returning home for Christmas and New Year holidays, adding government would closely monitor the situation in both Philippines and Indonesia.
“In mid-January, average number of coronavirus infections in the Philippines peaked at about 35,000 per day…now it has decreased by about a third, but we don’t know whether it … will reach a low level so that flights can be resumed,” Law said.
The pandemic situation in Indonesia was also worsening, albeit at slower pace than in the Philippines, he added.
At the start of pandemic, domestic helpers were allowed to be isolated for fortnight in dozens of quarantine hotels for incoming travelers. Authorities later lengthened quarantine period for all visitors to three weeks, and only designated few hotels, as well as about 1,000 units in the government-run Penny’s Bay quarantine centre, for arriving helpers.
Law said authorities had managed to find more quarantine hotels for incoming helpers in August last year, but the effect was cancelled out as Penny’s Bay spaces were reserved for other purposes.
“Even those domestic helpers who had yet to finish their quarantine had to be moved to the designated hotels,” he noted.
The Labor Department said apart from three designated quarantine hotels for incoming helpers, two more facilities , O’Hotel and iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel would be made available.
The hotels will provide an additional 491 rooms, taking the total number of quarantine spaces for arriving helpers to 2,779.
“We can imagine difficulties faced by tens of thousands of Hong Kong families who lack support from domestic helpers … but to avoid burdening our medical system, we must remain vigilant about imported cases,” Law said.
Mike Cheung, president of Hong Kong-based Overseas Employment Centre, said Law should consider allowing helpers to be quarantined in other hotels.
“This two-track policy was adopted due to uncertainty about anti-pandemic measures in the Philippines and Indonesia…now that we can see domestic helpers are not bringing coronavirus to Hong Kong, employers should be allowed to book other quarantine hotels,” he argued.
Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers Association, Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee chairwoman was not so sure about relaxing rules for helpers, especially when government had recently shortened quarantine period for all incoming travellers from three weeks to two.
Yung also urged government to do more to help employers of domestic helpers.
“Many people could not hire helpers because hotel rooms and agent fees are too costly…there were also cases where helpers quit and switched employers soon after finishing quarantine, and where employers lost their jobs and needed to dismiss their helpers,” she said.
Hong Kong announced two-week ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including United States and Britain, and tightened restrictions on Wednesday as authorities feared fifth wave of COVID-19 infections.
Restrictions were announced as health authorities scoured city for the contacts of a COVID-19 patient, some of whom had been aboard Royal Caribbean ship that was ordered to cut short its “cruise to nowhere” and return to port.
Incoming flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the United States, including interchanges, would be banned from Jan. 8 to Jan 21, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told reporters.
Lam said government would ban indoor dining after 6.00 pm from Friday, and close swimming pools, sports centres, bars and clubs, museums, and other venues for at least two weeks. Future cruise journeys would be cancelled.
“We’re yet to see a fifth wave yet, but we’re on the verge,” Lam said.
Hong Kong recorded 38 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, but only one was local community transmission, while the rest were people who had returned to the city and tested positive during quarantine.
The global finance hub has stuck to zero-tolerance strategy by largely isolating itself from the world and enforcing draconian and costly quarantine regime.
On Dec. 31, a streak of three months without community cases ended with first local transmission of Omicron variant.
Since then, authorities have scrambled to track down and test hundreds of people who had been in contact with handful of Omicron patients. One patient, however, had no known links, raising fears of large outbreak.
“We are worried there may be silent transmission chains in the community,” Lam said.
Lam said government would not suspend classes for the time being “for the benefit of children”.
In response to the outbreak fears, Standard Chartered Plc has started operating in split teams in Hong Kong, a bank spokesperson said.
As part of its coronavirus restrictions, Hong Kong has restricted cruises to short trips in nearby waters, with ships asked to operate at reduced capacity and to only allow vaccinated passengers who test negative for the virus.
People who have been to dozens of places across Hong Kong around the same time as close contacts of recent patients have been issued compulsory testing notices, the government said in a separate statement.
Victoria Park, in downtown Hong Kong, the newly opened M+ modern art museum, ferry piers, restaurants, stores, clinics were among places listed.
Gabriel Leung, University of Hong Kong dean of medicine and government adviser, told media probably “five-to-10 invisible transmission chains” in the city.
“There’s no time to waste,” Leung said. “We need circuit-breaker measures.”
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