By The SUN
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| Labor Secretary Chris Sun takes close look at Filipino workers being trained on elderly care |
Secretary for Labour and
Welfare, Chris Sun, ended a three-day visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, as Hong
Kong prepares to import 3,000 additional care workers for residential care
homes.
Sun’s visit included a
visit to a training centre of the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) to take a closer look at the training of overseas-bound
Filipino workers, including the scope of competencies, quality assurance and
recruitment arrangements.
A press statement issued
by the government said Sun also paid courtesy calls on Secretary Susan Ople of
the Department of Migrant Workers, Secretary of Labor and Employment,
Bienvenido Laguesma, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and the
Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Eduardo
Punay.
His talks with the
Philippine officials reportedly focused on strengthening the collaboration
between the two governments on the protection of the rights and welfare of
Filipino workers in Hong Kong.
Sun
assured the officials of Hong Kong’s commitment to protecting FDH rights, and
briefed them on government efforts to enhance workers’ protection, regulate employment
agencies, and help migrants cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
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| Sun meets with Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople |
During
a separate meeting with Chinese business leaders in the Philippines, Sun gave
an update on the latest situation in Hong Kong, and how the government has laid
out an array of new measures to attract talents from overseas. He introduced
the details of the Top Talent Pass Scheme and urged the business people to help
publicize Hong Kong’s bid to attract talents.
Sun’s
visit to the training facility also indicated an intent to hire Filipinos for
at least some of the 3,000 slots to be opened for imported care workers in the
second half of this year.
The
new caregiver positions will supplement the 4,000 imported workers already
here, all from the Mainland.
While
the scheme does not exclude workers from other places, the ease of communicating
with the residents in care homes could be a factor in getting someone hired
from overseas.
The plan to import more care workers was brought up by Chief
Executive John Lee in his maiden policy address early in 2022, as a means to
address acute manpower shortage in residential care homes.
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