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| A big delegation from the Consulate led by Congen Tejada saw off the OFWs at HK Airport |
A total of 80 Filipino domestic workers who were stuck in Hong
Kong because of flight cancellations managed to get on a Cathay Pacific plane bound
for Manila
Consul General Raly Tejada personally bid goodbye to them at
the airport, along with some of his staff and officers from the Philippine
Overseas Labor Office.
The Consulate contingent gave free food to the departing
overseas Filipino workers, and stayed on until all had boarded their CX 907
flight which departed at 7:20am.
ConGen Tejada said in response to an inquiry via messenger
that the passengers could not leave earlier because of repeated flight
cancellations by Cathay and Hong Kong
Airlines.
Both airlines never stopped flying daily to Manila
 |
| HK Airport was buzzing as the OFWs checked in for their 7:20am flight |
Last week, 24,000 of those who tested negative for the
coronavirus were finally allowed to leave the facilities and proceed to their
respective hometowns where they put under another 14-day quarantine.
The air fare for the OFWs who flew home today was reportedly
paid for by their respective employers, in line with Hong
Kong ’s labour law.
The flight was a mix of passengers with previously cancelled
tickets, those with future flights that had been rebooked, and those with
regular bookings for today. The Consulate merely consolidated their flights so
they could leave as a group.
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| Congen Tejada (with glasses) held the Philippine flag aloft in a final goodbye to the OFWs |
According to Consul Paul Saret, head of the Consulate’s
assistance to nationals section, a second batch of OFWs will leave on Jun 10 on
the same flight, CX 907.
Immigration figures show nearly 7,000 Filipino domestic
workers have lost their jobs since February, when the first coronavirus cases
were reported in Hong Kong .
Their numbers declined the most between March and April,
when more than 3,000 lost their jobs.
However, recruitment agencies say up to 15,000 Hong
Kong-bound workers are just waiting for the travel restrictions to ease further
in the Philippines
