 |
| Polo's announcement on the move to United Centre |
It’s confirmed. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office is
moving back to United Centre in Admiralty starting on Sept. 13.
This was announced by Polo in a Facebook post today, Aug 13, indicating it
will be relocating to office no. 2 on the 29th floor of United
Centre, where the Philippine Consulate occupies the entire 14th
floor.
Polo’s office address indicates it will be occupying half of
a floor in United Centre, with the floor area measuring about 10,000 square
feet.
Consulate sources earlier said the rental will be lower than
the $500,000 or so that Polo is currently paying for its offices on the 16th
and 18th floor of YF Life Tower on Lockhart Road, Wanchai, which
measure 12,000 square feet in total.
Polo’s current landlord has also reportedly asked for an
increase in the rental under a new lease contract, and a three-month rental
deposit.
Meanwhile, Consul General Raly Tejada said it appears all
Polo personnel have tested free of Covid-19, following a scare caused by a
liaison officer of an employment agency testing positive after transacting
business on Aug 2 at the Polo offices on the 18th floor.
Polo had to close from Aug 3 until Aug 9 so its offices
could be disinfected. Congen Tejada also suggested that all staff in the labour
office submit themselves for testing “for good measure.”
This will not be the first time that Polo will be holding
office in United Centre. Until 2005, or a few years after the government bought
the unit in the Admiralty building, Polo shared office space with the
Consulate.
 |
| United Centre is in a prime location, being a stones' throw away from the Central Government Offices |
But in December 2005, Polo which was then under Labor
Attache Manuel Roldan, asked the home office to lease a unit in nearby
Admiralty Centre so it could have its
own offices.
Polo stayed in the building for only two years because the
landlord reportedly jacked up the rent when the lease agreement became due for
renewal.
After looking for a suitable and more affordable space in
nearby buildings, then Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre settled on YF Life
(formerly Mass Mutual) Tower, despite it being several blocks away from the
Consulate.
The impending move has been widely welcomed by members of
the Filipino community, particularly domestic helpers who have to go to both
offices when renewing or processing new employment contracts.
YF Life Tower is about 10 minutes away by foot from
Admiralty, where the nearest MTR station is located, atop United Centre.
Alternatively, one can take the tram and get off at the Hong Kong Police
headquarters on Arsenal St. Gloucester Road Lockhart Rd.
