But expatriate families wanted maids who spoke English, so the government allowed the hiring of Filipinas to accommodate them.

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The Spanish capital will rename a street next to the site Avenida Rizal, which intersects the existing Avenida Filipinas.

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Hong Kong's Filipinas, in other words, replicate their village communities, and these surrogate families form a first circle of shared being.

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Organizes and underwrites the Union Cycliste Internationale-sanctioned Le Tour de Filipinas race.

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Filipinas, by contrast, who often have high levels of English before they come to Hong Kong, normally rely on English to communicate with their Hong Kong employers, she said.

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But with his slicked hair, shiny bomber jackets and sunglasses, he is still adored by many Filipinas who remember his screen performances as a gun-toting sort of Robin Hood.

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Before they get on the plane for Hong Kong, many Filipinas know what their rights are, how recruiting agents might try to fleece them and where to turn for help.

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Indeed, even Indonesian maids (after Filipinas, the largest group of amahs), and Chinese or foreign passers-by who linger for even a moment are likely to be invited to share the snacks.

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