The Sunday morning throng of foreign domestic workers on their day off is a common and familiar sight on Chater Road in Central.
This time, however, there was something different…
A rally was held as part of an international solidarity movement ahead of the State of the Nation Address given by Philippine President Aquino on July 27.
The State of the Nation Address – also known as SONA – is a speech made in the Philippines’ Congress.
The president uses the address to summarise the accomplishments of his or her government in the past year.
The solidarity movement highlights the realities and difficulties faced by migrant workers living in Hong Kong and other countries.
These issues include excessive fees, overcharging and forced remittance.
The event included speeches from the heads of various Filipino migrant groups. Some migrant workers also staged cultural, social and political performances.
Attendees used the event to remind Filipino domestic workers to urge the Aquino government to provide migrant workers with more protection.
Photographer Adrian Lo captured the colourful event with his camera with the help of another domestic worker turned photographer.
Lory Jean T. Yungco is a self-taught photographer who has been documenting the lives and events of overseas foreign workers in Hong Kong.
Lory herself is a member of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union.
She is also a member of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union (FMWU) and a documentary photographer for UNIFIL-HK (United Filipinos in Hong Kong) and its affiliated organisations.
