HONG KONG (SE): Rodelia Pedro Villar, a regular contributor to the Sunday Examiner and a 42-year-old Filipino domestic worker who has lived in Hong Kong for over 17 years, has been nominated for this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Award. The annual awards recognise unsung heroes of the society who have dedicated their lives to helping the needy and bringing change to society.
The awards are sponsored by property developer, Sino Group, and the South China Morning Post. After public voting and the adjudication of a panel in September, six winners will be selected in November.
Villar founded the Domestic Workers Corner in 2017 and has handled many inquiries from foreign domestic workers regarding visa or passport renewals, termination of contracts, sexual harassment, and so on. She has also referred cases to government offices or non-government organisations for legal assistance.
In an interview in the South China Morning Post on July 7, she said she was particularly concerned about the love scams faced by foreign domestic workers as many receive a sum of money from their false boyfriends then are told to return it to their accounts—a common way of money-laundering.
Villar is also a contributor to the Sunday Examiner and from time to time updates our readers about the community activities of the Filipino community here.
“I didn’t dream to be a writer or a contributor of a newspaper but it happened. I thank God for the knowledge he gave me and for the love that grows in me so that I can share it with others,” she told the Sunday Examiner.
However, she said the nomination came as a surprise as she did not expect any recognition for her work. “I am overwhelmed as speechless. I am happy about helping and did not expect people to know what I am doing,” she said.
She expressed her gratitude to Daisy Mandap, the editor of The Sun, a newspaper for Filipinos in Hong Kong, who provides guidance to her group. She also thanked her employer for supporting for her community services.
Moreover, Villar has also joined many programmes organised by non-government organisations, such as the PathFinders, an organisation helping foreign domestic workers and their children in Hong Kong, as well as the Are you OK? Campaign run by the Equal Opportunities Commission together with other groups which addresses the needs of migrant domestic workers who may be victims of exploitation.
Villar is the recipient of 10-year service award from the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Tai Po, as well as a service award from The Philippine Overseas Labour Office for being a dedicated volunteer.
The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards began in 2013. In 2017, Oblate Father John Wotherspoon, a prison chaplain, was a recipient of the prestigious award for his anti-drugs campaign.
