Chxpat Guides

Your first week: 5 things to sort out

Unang linggo mo: 5 bagay na ayusin agad

Minggu pertamamu: 5 hal yang harus diselesaikan

1. SIM card — buy a prepaid SIM at 7-Eleven, Circle K or any telecom shop (around HK$50–100). Store your agency's and your family's numbers somewhere safe. Most sisters later switch to a monthly card — see the guide below.

2. Octopus card — the tap-and-go card for MTR, buses, and convenience stores. Get one at any MTR station; you can add value at 7-Eleven.

3. Bank account — open one as soon as you can. Most banks need your HKID (or passport), your employment visa, and proof of address. Never let anyone else keep or use your bank card or password.

4. Save your employer's address — screenshot it and learn the MTR/bus route home before your first day off.

5. Emergency numbers — Police/Ambulance/Fire: 999. Save the Labour Department hotline 2717 1771 too (press 2 for English).

1. SIM card — bumili ng prepaid SIM sa 7-Eleven, Circle K o kahit anong telecom shop (mga HK$50–100). Itago ang number ng agency at ng pamilya mo sa ligtas na lugar. Karamihan sa amin, pumapalit kami sa buwanang card pagkatapos — tingnan ang gabay sa ibaba.

2. Octopus card — 'tap-and-go' para sa MTR, bus at convenience stores. Kumuha sa kahit anong MTR station; puwedeng mag-load sa 7-Eleven.

3. Bank account — magbukas agad kung kaya na. Kadalasan kailangan: HKID mo (o passport), employment visa, at patunay ng tirahan. Huwag hayaang may ibang humawak o gumamit ng bank card o password mo.

4. I-save ang address ng employer mo — i-screenshot, at alamin ang MTR/bus route bago ang unang day off mo.

5. Mga emergency number — Police/Ambulance/Fire: 999. I-save rin ang Labour Department hotline 2717 1771 (pindutin ang 2 para sa English).

1. Kartu SIM — beli SIM prabayar di 7-Eleven, Circle K atau toko telekomunikasi mana pun (sekitar HK$50–100). Simpan nomor agen dan keluargamu di tempat aman. Kebanyakan dari kami nanti ganti ke kartu bulanan — lihat panduan di bawah.

2. Kartu Octopus — kartu tap untuk MTR, bus dan minimarket. Bisa dibeli di semua stasiun MTR; top-up di 7-Eleven.

3. Rekening bank — buka sesegera mungkin. Biasanya butuh HKID (atau paspor), visa kerja, dan bukti alamat. Jangan pernah biarkan orang lain menyimpan atau memakai kartu bank atau passwordmu.

4. Simpan alamat majikanmu — screenshot, dan pelajari rute MTR/bus sebelum hari libur pertamamu.

5. Nomor darurat — Polisi/Ambulans/Pemadam: 999. Simpan juga hotline Labour Department 2717 1771 (tekan 2 untuk bahasa Inggris).

Your phone SIM: the monthly card sisters actually use

Ang SIM mo: ang buwanang card na talagang ginagamit namin

SIM-mu: kartu bulanan yang benar-benar dipakai kami

Most of us don't stay on the first prepaid SIM. We switch to a monthly card with big data and unlimited (slowed) use after — around HK$33–50 a month.

Where we buy: shops run by our own people — in Central / World-Wide House, Chungking Mansions (TST), Wan Chai, Jordan, and around the Sunday gathering areas. The shop owner speaks Tagalog or Bahasa, does the registration for you and tops up your card every month.

Bring your passport or HKID — Hong Kong law requires real-name registration for every SIM. The shop will register it under your own name (make sure it IS your name).

Well-known value cards behind these shops: SoSIM (about HK$33/30 days — 50GB, then unlimited at slow speed), MySIM by China Mobile HK (about HK$38–50/month), Club SIM. Prices change — compare two shops before you buy.

Keep the receipt, and write down your card's expiry date. Top up before you fly home for holiday — a starved card loses its number.

Never use a card registered under someone else's name, and never 'lend' your registered card to anyone.

Karamihan sa amin, hindi nananatili sa unang prepaid SIM. Napapalitan namin ng buwanang card na malaki ang data at unlimited (bagal na) pagkatapos — mga HK$33–50 kada buwan.

Saan kami bumibili: sa mga tindahan ng ating mga kababayan — sa Central / World-Wide House, Chungking Mansions (TST), Wan Chai, Jordan, at malapit sa mga Sunday gathering area. Nagsasalita ng Tagalog ang tindero, tinutulungan ka sa registration at nag-lo-load ng card mo buwan-buwan.

Dalahe ang passport o HKID mo — kailangan ng batas ng Hong Kong ang real-name registration sa bawat SIM. Siguraduhing sa pangalan mo nakarehistro.

Mga kilalang murang card sa likod ng mga tindahang ito: SoSIM (mga HK$33/30 araw — 50GB tapos unlimited pero mabagal), MySIM ng China Mobile HK (mga HK$38–50/buwan), Club SIM. Nagbabago ang presyo — magkumpara sa dalawang tindahan bago bumili.

Itago ang resibo at isulat ang expiry date ng card mo. Mag-load bago umuwi sa bakasyon — kapag nawalan ng load ang card, mawawala ang number mo.

Huwag gumamit ng card na nakapangalan sa iba, at huwag 'pahiramin' ang card na nakapangalan sa iyo.

Kebanyakan dari kami tidak bertahan di SIM prabayar pertama. Kami ganti ke kartu bulanan dengan data besar lalu unlimited (diperlambat) — sekitar HK$33–50 per bulan.

Tempat kami beli: toko yang dijalankan orang kampung sendiri — di Central / World-Wide House, Chungking Mansions (TST), Wan Chai, Jordan, dan sekitar area kumpul hari Minggu. Penjualnya bisa bahasa Indonesia, membantu registrasi dan top-up kartu tiap bulan.

Bawa paspor atau HKID — hukum Hong Kong mewajibkan registrasi nama asli untuk setiap SIM. Pastikan terdaftar atas nama kamu sendiri.

Kartu murah yang dikenal di balik toko-toko ini: SoSIM (sekitar HK$33/30 hari — 50GB lalu unlimited tapi lambat), MySIM dari China Mobile HK (sekitar HK$38–50/bulan), Club SIM. Harga berubah — bandingkan dua toko sebelum membeli.

Simpan nota, dan catat tanggal habis masa aktif kartumu. Top-up sebelum pulang liburan — kartu kosong bisa kehilangan nomornya.

Jangan pakai kartu yang terdaftar atas nama orang lain, dan jangan 'pinjamkan' kartu atas namamu.

Getting around: MTR, bus and minibus

Pagbyahe: MTR, bus at minibus

Berkeliling: MTR, bus dan minibus

The MTR is the fastest way across Hong Kong. Buses go where the MTR doesn't — look up your route on Google Maps before you leave.

Green minibuses take Octopus; red minibuses are cash — tell the driver where you're getting off.

Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour costs only a few dollars and is the cheapest harbour tour in the city.

Pinakamabilang byahe sa Hong Kong ang MTR. Pupunta ang bus kung saan walang MTR — tingnan ang ruta sa Google Maps bago umalis.

Berdes minibus: pwede ang Octopus; pulang minibus: cash — sabihin sa driver kung saan ka bababa.

Star Ferry sa buong Victoria Harbour — ilang piso lang, ang pinakamurang harbour tour sa siyudad.

MTR cara tercepat melintasi Hong Kong. Bus menuju tempat yang tak dilewati MTR — cek rute di Google Maps sebelum berangkat.

Minibus hijau terima Octopus; minibus merah pakai uang tunai — bilang sopir di mana kamu turun.

Star Ferry menyeberangi Victoria Harbour hanya beberapa dolar — tur pelabuhan termurah di kota ini.

HKID and your documents

HKID at ang mga dokumento mo

HKID dan dokumen-dokumenmu

If you hold an employment visa, you must apply for a Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) within 30 days of arrival — registration is free at an Immigration Office (book online to skip the queue).

Keep photocopies or phone photos of your passport, visa and contract in case the originals are lost. Your passport always stays with YOU — an employer or agency has no right to hold it.

Kung may employment visa ka, kailangan mong mag-apply ng Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) sa loob ng 30 araw mula dumating — libre ang registration sa Immigration Office (mag-book online para di pumila).

May kopya o photo sa phone ng passport, visa at contract mo, kung sakaling mawala ang orihinal. Ang passport mo ay lagi nang nasa IYO — walang karapatang hawakan ito ng employer o agency.

Jika kamu memegang visa kerja, kamu wajib mengajukan Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) dalam 30 hari sejak tiba — registrasi gratis di Immigration Office (pesan online agar tak antre).

Simpan fotokopi atau foto di ponsel dari paspor, visa dan kontrakmu, jaga-jaga jika aslinya hilang. Paspor selalu ada padamu — majikan atau agen tidak berhak menahannya.

Your first Sunday off

Unang Sunday off mo

Minggu libur pertamamu

Sundays are when helpers gather — Central and Causeway Bay are the heart of it: picnic mats on the footbridges and harbourfront, friends everywhere.

Worried about not knowing anyone? A church service or a Sunday Zumba class is the easiest way to meet people — just show up and say hi.

Feeling homesick? Go eat at Jollibee or a hometown eatery (see the Hang Out & Food guide) — it fixes more than hunger.

Set a simple rule for yourself: enjoy the day, but be back at your employer's home by the time you agreed. Protecting your job protects everything else.

Tuwing Linggo ay nagkikitain ang mga helper — sa Central at Causeway Bay ang sentro: picnic mats sa footbridges at harbourfront, kaibigan dito't doon.

Takot na walang kakilala? Simba o Sunday Zumba — pinakamadaling paraan para makakilala. Pumunta lang at batiin ang mga tao.

Homesick? Kumain sa Jollibee o sa pagkaing-galing sa atin (tingnan ang Hang Out & Food guide) — higit pa sa gutom ang nagagamot nito.

Magtakda ng simpleng patakaran: enjoyin ang araw, pero bumalik sa bahay ng employer mo sa oras na napagkasunduan. Protektahan ang trabaho = protektahan ang lahat.

Setiap Minggu para-kita para kerja rumah berkumpul — Central dan Causeway Bay jantungnya: matras piknik di footbridge dan tepi laut, teman di mana-mana.

Takut tidak kenal siapa-siapa? Ibadah gereja atau kelas Zumba Minggu cara termudah bertemu orang — datang saja dan sapa.

Kangen rumah? Makan di Jollibee atau warung makanan kampung (lihat panduan Hang Out & Food) — menyembuhkan lebih dari sekadar lapar.

Buat aturan sederhana untuk dirimu: nikmati harinya, tapi kembali ke rumah majikan sesuai waktu yang disepakati. Menjaga pekerjaan = menjaga segalanya.