 |
| ConGen Tejada says all OFWs being hired from the Philippines will have to go through agencies |
Consul General Raly Tejada has dashed expectations that
direct hiring for all overseas Filipino workers in Hong
Kong has been revived.
“Actually there’s still no direct hire. The new system just
revised the previous processing, which means, the contracts will go to HK
immigration first before Polo,” said Congen Tejada.
“For the new hires, they still need to go through agencies.”
He made the clarification one day after Labor Attache
Melchor Dizon issued an advisory, saying that effective Aug 10 (Sunday), Polo
will be implementing a new system for verifying employment contracts.
The process starts with securing an employment visa from
Hong Kong Immigration, before the contract and all supporting documents are
presented to Polo for verification, and then on to the Consulate for the
releasing.
Dizon said that the new procedure “shall apply to new hire,
contract renewal, change of employer after mature or premature termination, or
‘break contract.’”
 |
| Call now! |
OFW leader Eman Villanueva, who yesterday hailed the return
of direct hire for all workers, was quick to label the explanation as a
“u-turn” by the Polo chief, possibly because of pressure from agency groups.
“U-turn yan,” Villanueva said. “There was no mention of
‘employment agency’ in any part of the advisory.”
He added, “The advisory is very clear. Walang sign na may
na-miss na point at wala din namang sign na the advisory was addressed to
agencies.”
 |
| The Polo advisory makes no mention of employment agencies, says Villanueva |
Thomas Chan, head of the Hong Kong Union of Employment
Agencies, said his group was told during a meeting with Labatt Dizon earlier
today, that all hiring from the Philippines
That includes new hires and current FDWs whose contracts
were terminated, and were not allowed by Immigration to remain in Hong Kong to process a new employment contract.
“For those terminated, if Immigration allows them to stay in
Hong Kong, then it is under the category of ‘transfer’; if not, then it is new
hiring from the Philippines
 |
| PRESS FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Chan himself had initially thought that going through
employment agencies in hiring Filipino workers had become optional under the
Polo advisory, and had warned of difficulties being encountered by workers if
they processed their contracts themselves.
But the initial purpose of their meeting, said Chan, was his
request for help in getting the Hong Kong government to extend to one week the
validity period for the swab Covid-19 test that OFWs flying in from the Philippines
Many workers and their employers reportedly found the
72-hour limit prior to boarding unrealistic, as most testing centers in Manila
“Since 25 July (when the new pre-boarding requirements for
travelers from the Philippines
were imposed) there has been no deployment of workers by my members and most
other agencies in Hong Kong ,” said Chan.
He said the Consulate and Polo both agreed to endorse his group's request to Hong Kong authorities.
 |
| CALL ME! |
