P60 Billion Headed Back to PhilHealth After Supreme Court Declares Transfer Unconstitutional
The Philippine Supreme Court has permanently blocked the transfer of 89.9 billion pesos ($1.5 billion) in surplus funds from the state health insurer PhilHealth to the National Treasury and ordered the return of 60 billion pesos already remitted, in a ruling hailed by the agency as vital for sustaining universal healthcare. In a 136-page en banc decision released Friday, the...
Hong Kong Faces Sharp Temperature Drop As First Strong Cold Front Of December Arrives
After an out of season warm beginning to December, Hong Kong is bracing for a dramatic cooldown next weekend as a strong winter cold front moves south across China, the Hong Kong Observatory said Monday. The leading edge of the cold air is expected to reach the city on Saturday, Dec. 13, accompanied by brisk northerly winds and scattered light...
HK Government Pledges Php6 Million in Total Financial Support for Family of Deceased OFW in Tai Po Fire
The Hong Kong government is providing a range of benefits to foreign domestic helpers affected by the Tai Po fire, including financial assistance, medical support, accommodation, and assistance with documentation. For Deceased Victims' Families Families of foreign domestic helpers who died in the fire are expected to receive approximately HK$800,000 (appx. Php 6,000,000.00) in total from the government, comprising the following components: Statutory...
HK$20,000 Special Subsidy Announced for Foreign Domestic Helpers Affected by Deadly Tai Po Wang Fuk Court Blaze
The Hong Kong Government has rolled out a comprehensive package of special subsidies for victims of the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, with a dedicated HK$20,000 one-off payment specifically earmarked for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) who lived and worked in the affected building. Acknowledging the particularly vulnerable position of migrant domestic workers, a Government spokesman highlighted...
Hong Kong government pledges free housing for Tai Po fire victims until homes rebuilt
Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary promised Sunday that the government will provide free temporary housing to all residents displaced by a deadly fire that ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last week, with accommodation guaranteed for as long as it takes to rebuild their permanent homes. Speaking on TVB’s “Hong Kong Letters” program, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs...
2 Indonesian domestic workers killed, 7 missing in massive Hong Kong public housing blaze
At least two Indonesian domestic workers were killed and seven others remained unaccounted for Saturday after a fierce five-alarm fire ripped through a public housing block in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, authorities and migrant advocacy groups said. The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong confirmed the deaths of two Indonesian nationals in the blaze at...
Hong Kong fund for Tai Po fire victims swells to HK$800 million as govt rolls out aid and free housing for survivors
Donations for survivors of the deadly Tai Po housing estate fire surged to HK$800 million (US$102 million) in less than a day, officials said Friday, as the government rolled out an expanded package of funeral assistance, cash aid and temporary housing for affected families. The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court, seeded with HK$300 million in public money, received an...
Hong Kong sets up HK$300 million fund for victims of deadly Tai Po public housing blaze
TAI PO, Hong Kong — Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced Thursday the establishment of a HK$300 million (US$38.5 million) relief fund to assist residents affected by a massive fire that tore through Wang Fuk Court, a public housing estate in Tai Po, leaving multiple fatalities and hundreds displaced. Each affected household will receive an immediate emergency cash payment...
Hong Kong launches massive response after deadly Tai Po high-rise fire kills 65
TAI PO, Hong Kong — Hong Kong authorities mounted a sweeping government-wide mobilization Thursday following a No. 5 alarm fire that tore through Wang Fuk Court, a public housing estate in Tai Po, killing at least 65 people—including one firefighter—and injuring 77 others in one of the city’s deadliest blazes in decades. Chief Executive John Lee convened a second emergency...
Philippine Consulate Officials Probe Unverified Reports of Trapped Filipinos in Deadly Tai Po Blaze
A deadly fire that swept through a 32-story public housing tower in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has claimed at least 44 lives and left almost 300 people unaccounted for, with the Philippine Consulate in HK racing to verify unconfirmed reports that some Filipinos may be among those trapped in the inferno. The blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon amid ongoing renovations...
