The SUN HK : Consulate offers help to OFWs who lost bags on Cebu Pac flights

27 January 2023

By The SUN

One of the distraught passengers was asked if this was her missing bag - it wasn't

The Philippine Consulate is offering to intercede on behalf of at least nine Filipino migrant workers whose luggage were lost in transit recently on their return trips to Hong Kong from the Philippines via Cebu Pacific.

The offer of help was made by Consul General Raly Tejada, who told The SUN: “We will make representations po with Cebu Pac.”

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He gave his assurance as the baggage handler of the airline in Hong Kong reportedly told the affected passengers that 200 bags had been lost or misplaced in the past month, so they are also at their wits’ end trying to respond to queries and appeals for help.

One of those who have been desperately trying to follow up on their missing luggage said she recently received a message from Jardine Airport Services, saying they found “one tagoff baggage in Manila” and asked if it was hers.

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But a distraught Michelle Consumo, who last saw her luggage on Jan 4 when she boarded her connecting flight to Manila from Iloilo, said the bag in the photo sent to her was not hers.

She said she called the baggage handler and the staff who answered the phone said they were already under stress because of the complaints they were getting.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“Galit na ako kaya minura ko,” she said. (I was already angry so I cussed).

“Ano asahan nilang dalhin ng mga OFW from Pinas? Just imagine, yung iba pagkain pa talaga kasi nga kapos sila dito sa pagkain. Sa akin naman lahat doon may sentimental value.”

(What would an OFW bring back from the Philippines? Just imagine, some brought food because they do not get enough to eat. In my case everything in there has a sentimental value).

Boarding passes show one bag got lost as early as Dec 27

There were eight others apart from Consumo who gave details of how their bags got lost in transit, the earliest of which happened on Dec 27.

All said they filed complaints as soon as they realized their bags were not on the same plane they took to Hong Kong, and did near-daily follow-ups afterwards, to no avail.

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Consul Paul Saret, who heads the assistance to nationals section, said they received only one complaint from a passenger, and her bag had been recovered shortly after the Consulate endorsed her complaint to the airline.

He was told that of the nine passengers who had come forward with their complaints, two managed to recover their bags more than a week after they got lost, but received no apologies from the airline.