On my days off
My husband complains that whenever I email him to tell him about how my days here in Hong Kong go, all I ever write about are the stores and the shopping habits of Hong Kongites.
"Aren’t there museums there? Theatres?! Libraries?!!"
Actually, there are quite a lot of the aforementioned here. There are even free glossy magazines that come out every week, and they’re crammed with announcments about recitals, plays, concerts, poetry readings, etc. Do I go to any of them?
Let’s put it this way, even if I had the money, I probably still wouldn’t go.
At least not now. I want my husband with me before I go to any of those plays, recitals and concerts. I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy anything fully without him, so I’m being patient.
That aside, in truth, I am not much of a tourist. I’m by nature a very lazy person, andleft to my own devices, I settle in bed with a book, eat junk food and daydream. I used to this in Manila whenever I had free time (which wasn’t often; but I’m not complaining).
So old habits die hard.
On weekends I go on a walk-about in the areas of Hong Kong I’ve become familiar with. I go where the OFWs are gathered - eating their lunch, playing cards, exchanging those romance novels that are less than an inch thick at the spine- and talk to them. I as them questions how they are, how’s work, why they left the Philippines, any problems they’ve been encountering.
On the one hand I do this because it’s my job as a writer for a newspaper whose main audience is comprised of OFWs. Gathering stories, getting leads, etc; but on the other, well, I go around talking to OFWs because I constantly want to remind myself of the country I temporarily left behind and why I should go back at the soonest possible time.
Sob stories abound here; but there are also small bits of happy news.
For instance, late last week, two children of a Filipino couple who have been working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong since 1985 have been granted the Right of Abode by the Hong Kong government .
Dariel, 13 and Darlene, 11, the children of Irene Pineda Raboy-Domingo and Daniel de Leon Domingo will officially be Hong Kong permanent residents beginning February 17 when their official papers stating their new status will be released by the HK Immigration Department in Wan Chai.
Dariel is a student at Po Ying Secondary School, while Darlene attends Precious Blood Primary School in Wha Fu, Pok Fu Lam.
According to Hong Kong law, a person is According to paragraph 2(a) to (f) of Schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance which has come into operation on 1 July 1997, a person not of Chinese nationality who has entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven (7) years, and has taken Hong Kong as his or her place of permanent residence before or after the establishment of the HKSAR can be granted right of abode.
Both children are Hong Kong-born, delivered through caesarian section in Queen Mary Hospital. Their parents have been employed as domestic helpers since 1985 and have not left Hong Kong to work elsewhere since then. They have only gone to the Philippines for occasional visits to Ilocos.
The parents, Irene and Daniel pushed for the change of status of their two children upon the prompting of Immigration authorities themselves two years ago.
“They were the ones who told me that my children were eligible for permanent residency,” Irene said.
Irene and Daniel submitted all pertinent documents proving the children’s eligibility, among them their respective birth certificates and their school records. The Domingos also submitted documentary evidence establishing their work experience in Hong Kong, including the endorsement of their employers and their involvement in the various community organizations in Hong Kong.
During the interviews with the immigration authorities, the Domingos also presented themselves as leaders of the Vilumin Asia Hong Kong Association, an organization of Filipino migrants which have links with UNIFIL. Through the years, both have been active in Vilumin’s activities that also have to do with various campaigns of the Hong Kong government such as those on environmental awareness and public area cleanliness.
“We had to establish that even as migrants, we have been able to contribute to the improvement of Hong Kong. We also said that our children themselves will grow up being aware of their adopted culture and country, and that they too will also make valuable contributions to Hong Kong as citizens.
Irene has also taken paralegal seminars at the College of Law in Kowloon Tong University.
“We believe that that the change of status will be good for the children. We want them to enjoy the same rights and privileges as other Chinese children here in Hong Kong,” Irene said. “We also want them to learn Cantonese, and to be able to find good employment someday.”
Irene said that they only spent around $2000 during the entire process of filing for the right of abode of their children. This amount covered the photo-copying of the various documents, and transportation to and from the immigration office.
Asked on how they feel about their new status as permanent residents, the two children said that they were ‘happy about it.”
“We have made friends here in Hong Kong, and we like living here,” Dariel said.
Darlene, in the meantime, said that she would be even happier if her own parents would also be allowed the right of abode.
Under Hong Kong law, domestic helpers are not allowed to apply for the right of abode, no matter how long they have been working here. Irene and Daniel can apply for ROA if they are endorsed by their employers. In the meantime, they can also wait until Dariel comes of age and can petition for them.
What does this story imply?
The usual - Filipinos here are always on the lookout for what’s best for their family. They’ve had such a difficult time in the Philippines that they’re doing their darnest abroad — even if it means slaving 24-7 for foreigners as domestic helpers.
