By Reginald Jamir Brotonel and Ina Alleco R. Silverio

Caught in a raid

A young man Filipino fell from a window and eventually died after more than a month of being in a coma. The youth accidentally fell out the window in the attempt to escape a sudden raid conducted by Hong Kong immigration officers.

Elvic Estosane Nabonita, 23, from Cebu,  died last April 3 at 5:45 pm, without recovering consciousness in the  Tuen Mun Hospital in northwest regions of the New Territories in Hong Kong.

His attending physician Dr. Wong said that the tremendous trauma Elvic’s skull suffered was fatal from the beginning, and it was already a major miracle that he even lived after it. He explained that Elvic’s skull cracked and a shard pierced his brain.

Dr. Wong said that Elvic continuously ran a fever because of the swift spread of infection throughout his body. He was in vegetative state the entire time because of severe brain damage. This is what eventually led to his death.

Elvic fell from the second floor of a  Philippine products store at internet shop in Yuen Long last  March 11 after more than 20 immigration officers and armed policemen conducted a raid.

According to the immigration officers, they were tipped off by a Filipina who said that the internet shop was frequented by Filipinos who were overstaying, The internet shop reportedly transformed into a videoke bar at night. Elvic was one of the four overstaying Filipinos caught in the raid.

Elvic was reportedly sleeping, his head on one of the computer tables when the police suddenly burst in around 12:30 midnight of March 11.

“He was sleeping on one of the computer tables when the immigration officers then  police broke in, yelling at everyone at the room, demanding that everyone show their IDs and passports,” said one of the witnesses.

As could have been expected, Elvic was startled and immediately panicked. Hearing the immigration officers yell and call for everyone to show their passports, Elvic was overtaken by fear of being arrested. He reportedly ran to the kitchen, trying to find an escape route. Finding an open window, he tried to climb through it, but he lost his balance and fell.

A recent college graduate

Elvic arrived in Hong Kong with a two-week tourist visa on February 10, 2006. He also had with him a Cathay Pacific plane ticket with a flight schedule for mid-April. According to reports, Elvic fully intended to look for employment in Hong Kong.

Subsequent investigations reveal that despite having a plane ticket with a flight schedule not due for another two months, Elvic’s visa was valid only until the end of February. Elvic since then had been over-staying and hiding from immigration authorities.

According to Elvic’s friends and acquaintances, Elvic had already begun working illegally as a part-time packer for a company in  Yuen Long.

According to Hong Kong law, tourists are not allowed to work or seek work. Penalties for those caught include a fine, possible detention, and immediate repatriation. Undocumented migrants or overstaying foreigners in Hong Kong live a life of constant hide-and-seek with the authorities, and accept the most menial jobs for the lowest pay.

As in the case of thousands of other OFWs in Hong Kong and elsewhere whether legal or undocumented, Elvic had the educational background to support a steady-earning job.

He had a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree from the College of Technology in Cebu City. He graduated March 2005. For a year Elvic looked for employment in the Philippines, but failing to land one, he decided to take his chances in Hong Kong.

Elvic was the eldest of three mail children. His family had pinned their hopes on Elvic, expecting his help in sending his two younger brothers to school.

Elvic’s mother, Elizabeth, used to work as a domestic helper in Taiwan and Dubai; while his father, Vicente, is employed as a cargo truck driver.

            The OFWs whom Elvic had made friends with in Yuen Long made  the devastating phone-call to his family and informed them of what happened. Elizabeth immediately left for Hong Kong.

She  arrived in Hong Kong last March 15, and she was supposed to return to the Philippines April 12. She refused to leave, however, and said that will not go back to unless she has Elvic’s remains with her.

“Ayaw kong umuwi nang hindi kasama si Elvic. Gagawin ko po ang lahat para maiuwi ang bangkay ng anak ko para makita naman po siya ng kanyang ama at mga kapatid sa pinakahuling beses,” she said.

(“I don’t want to go back to the Philippines without my son. I will do everything to bring his body home. His father and his siblings want to see him one more time,” she said.)

            Elizabeth recalled the last conversation she had with her so before the latter left for Hong Kong.

“Napakasakit para sa amin ang nangyari sa kanya. Nang umalis siya papuntang Hong Kong, sabi niya sa akin huwag daw akong mag-alala dahil gagawin daw niya ang lahat para makatulong sa amin at sa kanyang mga kapatid,” she said.

(“Before he left he kept telling me not to worry about him because he was going to do his best to find a job and make a good living. He promised us that he would work hard so he can help the family and send money for the tuition of his siblings. All this is very painful for all us,” she said.)

Hospital bills

Elizabeth has already sought the help of the Philippine Consulate regarding the repatriation of Elvic’s remains to Cebu; but repatriation costs is only the secondary problem.

“Hindi nila ako papayagang makuha ang katawan ng anak ko hangga’t hindi daw nababayaran ang hospital bill,” she said, almost in tears.

She had previously gone to the hospital in Tseun Mun to arrange for the release of her son’s body,  but she had a difficult time explaining to the doctor and the staff.

“Gusto kong malaman yung talagang nangyari sa anak ko habang buhay pa siya sa ospital, pero hindi kami magkaintindihan nung duktor. Hirap din kasi sila mag-Ingles, hindi naman ako marunong mag-Instik,” she said.

Instead of being given the autopsy and copies of the medical records stating the exact causes of her son’s death, Elizabeth was handed a hospital bill that amounted to over HK$100,000.

“Hindi ko alam kung paano at saan kukunin ang ganun kalaking pera. Parang nagtrabaho ang anak ko para lang may ipambayad sa sarili niyang burol at libing,” she said.

Insiders at the Philippine consulate say that even if the consulate wanted to give financial assistance, it would be not able to do so.

“The budget allocations for consulates and embassies are much too small. We can’t even provide flight tickets to stranded OFWs, much less give free repatriation funds,” said a staffer who requested anonymity.

“We do write the head office at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and ask assistance and guidance as to how we will be able to respond to emergency cases such as this; but you know the bureaucracy: you write a letter and it takes weeks and sometimes even months to get a response.”

He explained that the most that the consulate can do is accept donations on behalf of Elvic’s family.

”We cannot solicit donations, that’s against regulations. We can only endorse campaigns and legitimate organizations who do the soliciting.”  A donation box has already been set up at the consulate offices.

“Tago-nang-tago”

United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL), the biggest and most progressive alliance of OFW groups in the former British protectorate, say that Elvic and his family’s plight was so representative of the situation of so many other Filipino families.

“Being the eldest among his siblings, Elvic must have taken it upon himself to help his family. This is an unspoken tradition in Filipino families, especially among the working people. Elvic took the risk of being a ‘TNT’ (‘tago-nang’tago’, a name for undocumented migrants)  just so he could earn money to send back home,” said  Eman Villanueva, UNIFIL secretary-general.

Villanueva said that the greatest tragedy was that Elvic was a new graduate.

“He had his whole life ahead of him. He was one of the more fortunate Filipino youth who was able to finish school. Under normal circumstances,  he would’ve had a better chance than most to find steady employment. Pero dahil nga sa krisis sa Pilipinas at dahil na rin sa pagiging inutil ng pamahalaan, kahit mga bagong graduate sa kolehiyo at unibersidad walang makuhang trabaho sa bayan natin. Pag sinabing forced migration, talagang forced. Pwersadong umaalis ng bansa ang mga Pilipino kasi walang makuhang employment sa atin,” he said.

This assertion is supported by latest statistics. The Commission on Higher Education. Figures show that there will be some 447,847 college graduates for school year 2005-2006.  The January 2006 Labor Force Survey shows, however, that only 98,000 wage and salary jobs were created during the survey period, as opposed to own-account and unpaid family work.

            According to IBON Foundation  research head Sonny Africa, majority of the graduates who can’t find employment in the Philippines may opt to work abroad. This is in contrast with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration estimates that  there are only some 250,000 new hires of overseas Filipino workers annually.

“Applying these trends into 2006 means this year’s graduates will be competing for only some 348,000 jobs, and nearly 100,000 graduates may be unable to find work,” he said.

In the meantime, Africa pointed out that those graduates who do find work may have to settle for jobs below their educational qualifications.

“Only some 20%-30% of either wage and salary jobs or overseas employment could be said to require college-level skills, hence most of our graduates may work at jobs below their credentials, and may even earn far below what should be expected of their level of education,” he said. 

“The difficulty local graduates have in finding rewarding jobs highlights not only the failure of the Arroyo administration to meet its self-set employment generation targets, but the bankruptcy of its economic policies as well,” he said.

            Elvic’s mother can only point out how hard Elvic tried to find work in the Philippines. “Pero wala talaga, e. Over-qualified naman siya para dun sa mga opening. Mga fastfood restaurant ang may opening, pero graduate ang anak ko ng information technology. Naisip na lang niyang maging OFW tulad ng naging trabaho ko sa matagal na panahon,” she said.

            It’s bitterly ironic that whatever meager pay Elvic received from working an undocumented migrant would now go to his outstanding hospital bills.

A dollar each  for Elvic

Land-based OFW representative  to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Cora Carsola has already initiated a donation campaign to help Elvic’s mother repatriate Elvic’s remains. This with the help of the Assistance To Nationals section of the Philippine Consulate.

“Maraming tao na gustong tumulong ang tumawag sa isinasagawang panawagan ng ina ni Elvic sa Philippines Tonight Show ng Metroplus AM1044 ( a local Filipino radio show) noong nakaraang April 5, at very positive ang response sa campaign namin na mangalap ng pera para kay Elvic,” said Carsola. (“There are many people who have expressed support for this campaign and are very sympathetic. We already made the rounds of the local radio stations,” said Carsola).

The call is for every OFW to contribute at least a dollar each  for Elvic.

Other Filipino associations and religious groups in Hong Kong have also begun to pitch in. Donations are also being sought from the Filipino residents of the various housing estates in Hong Kong.

           “We already requested funds for the repatriation fee of Elvic from the Philippine government and I already sent a letter to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority explaining the difficult situation and requesting them to waive all medical fees for humanitarian reasons so we can bring home Elvic as soon as possible,” said  Vice Consul Noel Novicio, head of the Assistance To Nationals (ATN) section of the consulate.

As of this writing Elvic’s remains are still at the morgue of the  Tuen Mun Hospital. His family is unable to secure them because they are unable to pay the accumulated  medical bills that have reached around $100,000. Elizabeth also needs more than  $21,000 for the body’s repatriation fee to the Philippines.