FILIPINO IN HK FEARFUL

HONG KONG – JOY Fajardo likes to spend her Sundays meeting friends from her home town in Chater Garden, a famous gathering spot for the Philippine community at the heart of Hong Kong’s financial centre.

But this Sunday was an exception. The 30-year-old said she was warned to stay away from Chinese crowds for fear of retribution over the dramatic hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in Manila on Monday. ‘We are very worried to be living in a Chinese community now,’ Ms Fajardo told AFP.

In a sign that feelings are running high, the message ‘Stop hiring Filipino domestic workers!!!’ has sprung up on Facebook sites set up by Hong Kong people to mourn the hostage victims.

The hostage drama has whipped up a frenzy of fear and rumours in the 200,000-strong Philippine community in Hong Kong, where most are employed as domestic helpers. A series of unconfirmed reports of Hong Kong employers trying to vent their anger by sacking or attacking their helpers has been widely circulating among Filipinos.

Ms Fajardo said text messages had been exchanged saying that more than 30 Filipina maids have been sacked following the tragedy, including one whose contract was terminated allegedly because her family name was the same as the gunman’s.

On Friday, Ms Fajardo said she received reports that three maids had been killed, with one of them having acid splashed over her face. ‘We don’t know if these cases are true. But we are very scared,’ she said.
Another Filipina worker, Julie, said her 60-year-old employer, for whom she has worked for 14 years, did not speak to her after the hostage crisis. ‘She watched news on TV about the hijacking. She did not talk to me and did not give me dinner on Wednesday,’ she said. ‘I was worried because she’s not happy and I didn’t understand what the Chinese news was about.’

Many also complained about being berated on public transport in the aftermath of the siege. — AFP

PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY

Participatory democracy is a process emphasizing the broad participation of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems. Etymological roots of democracy (Greek demos and kratos) imply that the people are in power and thus that all democracies are participatory. However, traditional representative democracy tends to limit citizen participation to voting, leaving actual governance to politicians.

Participatory democracy strives to create opportunities for all members of a political group to make meaningful contributions to decision-making, and seeks to broaden the range of people who have access to such opportunities. Because so much information must be gathered for the overall decision-making process to succeed, technology may provide important forces leading to the type of empowerment needed for participatory models, especially those technological tools that enable community narratives and correspond to the accretion of knowledge. Effectively increasing the scale of participation, and translating small but effective participation groups into small world networks, are areas currently being studied.

Some scholars argue for refocusing the term on community-based activity within the domain of civil society, based on the belief that a strong non-governmental public sphere is a precondition for the emergence of a strong liberal democracy. These scholars tend to stress the value of separation between the realm of civil society and the formal political realm.

Marikina gov’t to distribute flood maps

MARIKINA CITY — Marikina City will soon distribute a flood map among city residents which will indicate all posts at the highest flood level of 22 meters, higher grounds as relocation areas for the city vehicles and heavy equipment, and evacuation sites for residents in low-lying areas.

Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman said the map will be a key tool in educating and informing residents on two important things: areas most prone to flooding and areas where it is safe for evacuation.
“This is a strategic step to manage our city in terms of flood preparation,” the mayor said.
Aside from the flood map, Vice Mayor Fabian Cadiz also ordered city administrator Vic Sabiniano to coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We want to set up an upgraded flood warning system along the Marikina River in collaboration with the DOST; and we also want to appeal to the DPWH for the immediate repair of damaged floodgates located in Rosario, Pasig City,” he said.

The move is part of the city’s Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Council, as chaired by Mayor de Guzman, and also the creation of barangay disaster councils in readiness for any massive flooding re-occurrence.

The city government has allocated PhP70 million as the calamity fund for the project.
It will come from the city’s annual budget of P1.4 billion, where 70 percent will be utilized for preparedness programs and actual relief while 30 percent for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Members of the council, headed by Mayor De Guzman as Chairman, include among others representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine National Police, the Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Rotary Club of Marikina, the Philippine National Red Cross, the Marikina Valley Contractors Association, the Tzu Chi Foundation, the Fil-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Marikina Valley Medical Society.