Evangeline Banao Vallejos: Filipina Maid's Fight for Hong Kong Permanent Residence Status

In a landmark case involving a Filipina domestic helper, a Hong Kong court has ruled that a law banning foreign maids from settling permanently in the city is unconstitutional, in a landmark case for domestic helpers.

The legal action, brought by Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a Philippine domestic helper who has lived in Hong Kong since 1986, has cast a spotlight on the financial hub's treatment of its army of 292,000 domestic helpers.

"My conclusion is that on the common law interpretation approach the impugned provision is inconsistent with (Hong Kong's Basic Law)," Judge Johnson Lam wrote in a ruling issued today. [Source]

Congratulations to Evangeline Banao Vallejos. Kudos to United Filipinos in Hong Kong who supported her fight and continue to support Filipino workers in Hong Kong!

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Filipina Worker in Hong Kong With Swine Flu (H1N1), Critical

A Filipina Worker in Hong Kong is in critical condition due to Swine Flu (H1N1).

HONG KONG—A Filipino maid in Hong Kong was in a critical condition on Sunday in the city's most severe human swine flu case to date, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The 37-year-old woman, who arrived in Hong Kong on June 28 to start her job as a domestic helper, developed a sore throat and fever a day later, a spokeswoman for United Christian Hospital told AFP.

She checked into the hospital on July 7 and was admitted to its intensive care unit in critical condition.

"It is the most severe swine flu case that Hong Kong has found," the spokeswoman said. [Source]

Hong Kong is one of the common destinations of Filipina Workers, mostly domestic helpers and caregivers.

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Statutory Minimum Wage for Foreign Domestic Workers in HK

Filipino workers, together with other Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) in Hong Kong, are pushing for their inclusion to Statutory Minimum Wage.

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino workers in Hong Kong have bonded with workers from other foreign countries in pressing the Legislative Council (LegCo) of Hong Kong to include them in the law that would legislate the wage increase of workers.

The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) staged a protest rally in front of the LegCo building to air their concern as the first reading of the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) was held.

Source: HK migrant maids entitled to minimum wage’

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