The SUN HK : All MWO senior officers due for recall, Filcom told

Labatt Mel Dizon and his two deputies are long overdue for recall

For the past several months, all three senior officers of the Migrant Workers Officers have been waiting for their recall order to the Philippines after serving in Hong Kong for longer than the mandatory five years, but have been told to remain until their replacements are found.

This emerged during the “Meet and Greet” session between Consulate officials and leaders of the Filipino community held last Sunday, Mar. 24.

Labor Attache Melchor Dizon and his two deputies, Antonio Villafuerte and Angelica Sunga who both served in Hong Kong earlier than him, all said they are on holdover status until their replacements are sent by the Department of Migrant Workers in the Philippines.

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This did not happen as expected because of the sudden death of DMW Secretary Susan Ople in August last year. While Undersecretary Hans Cacdac was subsequently named by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as officer-in-charge, he has yet to make any new overseas deployments.

Dizon told the Filcom leaders that he is already 64 and is just a year short of mandatory retirement, so Hong Kong is likely to be his last overseas posting.

Villafuerte said he should have left early this year, while Sunga, who arrived in 2018, making her the longest holdover at MWO, said she is just waiting for her marching orders.

TAWAG NA!

Philippine labour officers who are sent abroad are traditionally allowed to stay at their posts for a maximum of five years, before being recalled. Over at the Department of Foreign Affairs, foreign service officers are recalled after six years, which can be split into two three-year terms if they are assigned to two different posts.

One DFA officer who is also due for recall is Consul Sheila Monedero-Arnesto, who was previously posted in Kuwait, and now heads the political and economic section as well as the gender development sections of the Consulate. Consul Arnesto said she is preparing to leave now, just months after giving birth to her third child here.

Congen Germie Usudan has only 8 months left to complete her tour of duty

Even Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan who had served as Deputy Congen in Hong Kong for more than five years, is also preparing to leave, as her six-year tour of duty will expire in November this year. She took over the top post only at the end of December last year.

But along with the so-called “old faces” were the new officers who were formally introduced to the Filcom for the first time.

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They include Vice Consul George Mariano A. Soriano, a civil engineer and lawyer, who has been appointed as head of the assistance to nationals section. Vice Consul Gino who has been in Hong Kong for just over a month, said he has an affinity to Hong Kong as his wife was born and raised here.

Another relative newbie is Vice Consul Allan G. Revote, another lawyer who came late last year, and now heads the cultural, as well as the civil registry and legal sections.

He has taken over from Vice Consul, Angelo DG Manuel, who was posted in Hong Kong to replace Consul Bob Quintin, who went back home in 2022, after overseeing the last overseas voting.

Another new arrival is Marilou Sumalinog, the supervising welfare officer at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, an attached agency of the DMW. She is assisted by fellow welfare officer Dina Daquigan, who has worked with Filipino migrant workers even before the pandemic.

The other officers who joined the familiarization session were relatively old hands at the Consulate, including Vice Consul and Trade Attache Roberto Mabalot, Jr., Social Welfare Officer Remilene Marcelino, SSS Regional Head Lester Paul Mata, and PAG-IBIG officer Raymond Francis Ramos.