Pinays to join Dragon Boat Festival

June 15, 2018

Ready for the race

A group of Filipino domestic workers is participating in Hong Kong’s Dragon Boat Festival this year.

The Filipino Dynamo Dragon Boat Team, which was founded in January 2018, is set to participate in its debut race in Discovery Bay this Sunday (June 17).

The team is composed of 51 women from the domestic workers community and most of them are newbies in this team sport. However, they trained every Sunday for 13 weeks so that they could join in the Dragon Boat Festival.

The team’s supporters are inviting Filipinos in Hong Kong to watch this Sunday’s race in Discovery Bay and give support to our compatriots who will carry the Philippine flag during the race.

“They are inviting us to come, watch, and support. The commitment, enthusiasm, determination and grit of these 51 women will inspire you!” said one supporter.

“Tayo na sa Discovery Bay, suportahan natin sila! Maganda sa Discovery Bay! Mamasyal na rin tayo!” she added.

Those who are interested could join the team’s supporters who will meet between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. this Sunday at the Central Pier 3 for the ferry ride to Discovery Bay. They can also contact Liza at 67716324.

Meanwhile, this coming Monday (June 18) is a stautory holiday for the Tuen Ng Festival.

The remaining statutory holidays for the year are the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1), the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25), National Day (October 1), Chung Yeung Festival (October 17), and either the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival (December 22) or Christmas Day (December 25) at the option of the employer.

“All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day (but it should not be) a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day,” the Labour Department said.

It noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day falls on a Sunday, so the employer should grant a holiday on the next day (July 2) but this should not be a substituted holiday for the employee or her rest day.