More than 10,200 Filipino DHs lost jobs in HK since January

By Vir B. Lumicao

Nearly 2,000 more Filipino DHs lost their jobs because of the negative test and hotel quarantine requirements

A total of 1,914 Filipino domestic helpers lost their jobs in July as more employers appear to have been forced to hire those who were already in Hong Kong to avoid the “heavy cost” of bringing in workers from the Philippines.

But that’s just part of the continuing decline in the number of Filipino DHs in Hong Kong. Immigration Department figures show that since January this year when the coronavirus outbreak in the city began, 10,216 Filipino helpers here have lost their jobs.

The downward trend has continued after Hong Kong imposed strict travel restrictions starting Jul 25 for all new arrivals from seven countries, including FDHs from both the Philippines and Indonesia.

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From this date, those arriving from the so-called “high-risk countries” are required to submit a negative test result for Covid-19, and a confirmed hotel booking for their 14-day quarantine before being allowed to board their flights to Hong Kong.

The test and hotel quarantine requirement apply to all incoming helpers, both new hires and those returning from their vacation.

Many of the helpers who lost their jobs in Hong Kong, on the other hand, said their employers gave financial difficulties related to the coronavirus crisis as the reason for terminating their contracts.

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Immigration statistics show that the population of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong dropped to 209,512 in July from 211,426 in June, or a loss of nearly 2,000.

Indonesian helpers in the city suffered a deeper cut, with their population down to 161,762, a loss of 2,766 from June. This could be largely due to Indonesia’s ban on new deployments to Hong Kong as a result of the pandemic.

The decline in the Filipinos’ numbers was the biggest since the peak of the pandemic’s second wave in March, when the helper population dropped by 2,941 as employers dismissed their maids and sought refuge abroad from the creeping Covid-19.

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Relocation and loss of job due to the economic downturn were the main reasons thousands of employers decided to let go of their domestic helpers then.

“Financial reason po ang inilagay sa termination letter, kasi June pa po nawalan ng trabaho si amo,” said one helper who approached the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to register for a “repatriation” flight to Manila in mid-July.

Another worker who had been with her employers for 22.5 years said her contract is not being renewed because her employer has not been rehired since losing his job in February. The employer also asked to pay a reduced long service fee to the helper because of the financial strain on his family.

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Other employers simply told their helpers they needed to go as they lost their jobs themselves, or had to take deep cuts in their salaries.

A Labour Department survey of the employment situation in the first quarter this year showed the number of Hong Kong people with jobs decreased 1.8% to 2.76 million in March from 2.82 million at the end of December 2019.

That means 55,584 people lost their jobs from January to March this year alone. Results of the second quarter survey have yet to be released amid the work slowdown in government.

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A number of workers said they either got sacked for insisting on taking their day-off, or decided to leave their employers because they had been prevented from leaving the house for as long as seven months.

But Thomas Chan, head of Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said members point to two major reasons for the sharp drop in FDH arrivals in Hong Kong in the past month.

 

The 72-hour limit to the swab test is causing a lot of problems for many departing FDHs in Manila

He cited Hong Kong’s strict requirement of a negative result of a swab test taken within 72 hours of a helper’s departure from either the Philippines or Indonesia.

Most agencies find it difficult to meet the requirement due to the tight time limit between the test and flight. While Hong Kong wants the test taken within 72 hours of departure, government-accredited testing centers in Manila take 3-5 days to release the result.

“The second reason is the heavy cost of the test (in Manila) and the 14-day hotel quarantine in Hong Kong. It forces employers to rethink if they really deserve to have a worker from overseas,” said Chan, who is also general manager of Bright International Services Co.

He said the nucleic acid (swab) test and the hotel quarantine cost employers on average $7,000-10,000. “Therefore, employers in my agency prefer to hire those in Hong Kong and cancel those stranded overseas even if their visas are ready,” Chan said.

Chan said Bright International’s partner agency in Manila didn’t deploy any workers to Hong Kong since Jul 25.

“(To cite) one example, a worker was scheduled to have test and we also reserved the flight. However, one day before the test, the airline cancelled the flight. Then we needed to reschedule the test and the flight. So, on and on,” Chan said.

“By shifting from overseas to locally available maids, employers just add a few thousand dollars more for documentation and the worker is in sight, no need to worry (over) the uncertain and long wait..”, he said.

The Hong Kong government admits it has intentionally imposed the restrictions to limit the number of FDHs arriving in the city, and allowing those whose contracts have expired to remain if they have trouble exiting to their home countries.

Labour Secretary Law Chi-kwong said that before the coronavirus outbreak, 580 FDHs on average arrived in the city each day. After the policy shift, the number was reduced to about 100 arrivals per day.

But since the negative test result for Covid-19 was made a precondition for them flying out to Hong Kong, the number has dwindled to just about 30 daily.

  

Foreign Domestic Helpers Population in Hong Kong
As of end of Month/Year	Philippines	Indonesia	India	Other nationalities	Total -- all nationalities
Jan-20	219,728	170,898	4,838	4,657	400,121
Feb-20	217,654	171,291	4,857	4,619	398,421
Mar-20	218,002	170,318	4,818	4,594	397,732
Apr-20	215,061	167,747	4,723	4,493	392,024
May-20	212,855	165,377	4,664	4,446	387,342
Jun-20	211,426	164,528		Inc India    9,052	385,006
Jul-20	209 512	161 762	4 522	4 379	380 175

    

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Covid-19 cases drop to 9; newly arrived Filipina DH among them

By The SUN

 

The record drop in cases comes a day before the city begins universal testing for Covid-19

Nine new Covid-19 cases were reported today, Aug. 31, the second time the daily infection tally drop to single-digit since the third wave of infections hit Hong Kong in early July. Exactly a week ago, the city also recorded nine cases for the day.

The significant drop in new cases came on the eve of the start of the universal community testing, a voluntary scheme aimed at detecting asymptomatic carriers and put an end to the silent transmissions within the community.

As of noon today, more than two days after registration for the scheme started, around 510,000 people had signed up to be tested, according to the Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip.

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Based on the figures, observers say about two million people will eventually take part in the scheme, which is barely a third of Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million.

But Nip remains hopeful, saying it’s hard to give an estimate. He added it seemed like people are eager to join.

A day or two after the mass testing starts, he said the government will decide whether to extend the exercise. The mass testing is due to last for only a week, but could be extended for up to another week depending on the demand.

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Of today’s cases, two are imported, including a 40-year-old Filipina domestic worker who arrived in Hong Kong on Aug 29. The other is a 53-year-old male pilot who flew in from Ethiopia on the same day.

Five of the seven cases that were locally acquired were linked to previous infections, while two have unknown sources. The total tally in Hong Kong so far is 4,811.

Among the linked cases is a resident at the Hong Chi facility for the mentally disabled at Lei Muk Shue Estate in Kwai Chung. Another resident tested preliminary positive.

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A total of 12 residents and six staff have come down with the virus so far. All the remaining 40 or so personnel at the hostel are under quarantine, while the residents had all been moved out and transferred to the AsiaWorld-Expo community testing facility.

The AWE treatment facility is being readied in case a rash of new infections is detected during universal testing

The two unknown cases are a 31-year-old woman who is 36 weeks pregnant and is now confined at Tuen Mun Hospital, and 75-year-old man who is a casual worker in an office on Prince Edward Road West and lives in Tuen Wan.

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Among those who tested preliminary positive was 64-year-old man who was admitted to Pok Oi Hospital yesterday afternoon for shortness of breath. Two hospital staff who attended to him were identified as close contacts as they did not wear adequate PPE.

The patient has been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital where his condition is critical.

Dr.Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority reported that no patient passed away in the past 24 hours, but an 83-year-old man succumbed to Covid-19 related illness at United Christian Hospital today, raising the death toll to 89.

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A total of 22 patients were discharged today from various hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,341.

As of noon today, 343 confirmed patients were being treated in 18 public hospitals and at AWE facility. Among them, 26 are in critical condition, 29 are in serious condition, and 288 are in stable condition.

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Filipino seafarer and DH among 15 new Covid-19 cases

By The SUN

Many people were out and about today, including those in Victoria Park, despite 15 new Covid-19 cases being detected

Two newly arrived Filipinos, a 41-year-old male seafarer and a 25-year-old female domestic helper, were among 15 confirmed new novel coronavirus patients that Hong Kong health officials reported today, Aug 30.

The Filipinos were among five imported cases. The three others are all returnees from India. The 10 other cases are all locally transmitted, with five of them from unknown sources.

They brought Hong Kong’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 4,802. The death toll rose to 88 after an 83-year-old woman passed away in Tuen Mun Hospital this morning.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said there were about 12 or so preliminarily positive cases.

Several Filipinos have tested positive on arrival here in recent days despite presenting certificates of negative infection before boarding their flights to Hong Kong from Manila.

Among the local cases was a 31-year-old pregnant woman who tested positive after being put in a general admission ward at Tuen Mun Hospital.  Dr Sara Ho from the Hospital Authority said the hospital has apologized for the oversight, and is now reviewing its workflow.

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It was found out during an investigation that the woman, who is 39 weeks pregnant, had declared she had a fever before she was admitted to the hospital, and put in the general ward along with 10 other patients. She was moved to an isolation ward after testing positive later that night.

Also among the local cases was a 29-year-old male officer who is stationed in the Police Headquarters in Wanchai. He tested preliminarily tested positive for Covid-19 after undergoing a test on Aug. 28, and was confirmed to have the virus yesterday.

The other confirmed cases today were a nurse at Dr Tse Kin-wah’s clinic where a nurse and a cleaner had been previously reported as infected. Three residents at the Hong Chi hostel for the mentally handicapped in Lei Muk Shue have also been confirmed, taking the total infections there to 11 residents and six staff.

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The cases of unknown source include a part-time taxi driver, a housewife suffering from chronic illness, a cleaner at the Pacific Place, and another cleaner at the Hong Kong Cricket Club.

 

HK says calls to boycott universal testing are misleading, while Beijing calls them 'vile'

Meanwhile, the governments of both Hong Kong and Beijing have slammed a call by critics for the public not to take part in the universal community testing which is slated to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The call came as up to 400,000 people reportedly signed up for the mass testing on the first two days of registration.

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A number of pro-democracy groups, district councilors and activists held a news conference earlier today to warn that the testing program could do more harm than good. They said people who may gather at the testing centres could lead to new clusters of infections breaking out.

They also claimed people who receive a negative-test result could acquire a false sense of security, and spread the virus unknowingly through increase social activities.

But a statement from the Hong Kong government said such false messages are deliberate attempts to scare or mislead people into opting out of being tested.

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The statement reiterated assurances from health officials that the universal testing is meant to identify asymptomatic carriers so the silent transmission of the virus can be stopped.

“These acts run counter to the spirit of the community to fight the disease together, and fall short of the expectations of the medical personnel and a large number of frontline staff members who have been working hard to fight the virus as well as enterprises and members of the public in support of the program. The acts are extremely disappointing and regretful and deserve the condemnation by the community," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the spokesperson of the central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the campaign against universal testing was a “vile” attempt to smear the mainland’s efforts to help the SAR to fight the spread of Covid-19.

It also said the call for the public to boycott the exercise was a “disregard” for people’s safety and health.

Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong on the other hand accused the critics of politicizing anti-pandemic issues, and said the attempt to cast doubt on the mainland’s help to combat the spread of the disease in the city was “despicable.”

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Kindness more important, says Pinay who accepts reduced long service pay

By Daisy CL Mandap

Joy decided not to file a claim against her employer for her entire long service pay

By her reckoning, she should be getting at least $66,000 in long service pay after working for her employer for the past 22 and a half years, says Joy C, a 49-year-old Ilongga who used to work as a teacher back home.

But after a heart-to-heart talk with her employer who became jobless in February, Joy settled for $50,000, saying the kindness she was shown by the family she had served for more than two decades was more important than the money she knew she should get.

“Alam mo nayakap ako ni amo nang sinabi ko na, (You know what, my employer hugged me when I said) ‘Don’t worry, sir, that’s only money. Your kindness with me for 22 years, that’s priceless,” Joy said in a chat message last Friday, Aug 28.

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Joy had consulted earlier, asking if she should accept her employer’s offer to halve her LSP because of his sacking. At 62 years old, the man was despairing about his prospects of being re-employed, and also about what the future held for him, his wife and two daughters who are in their 20s and are still living with them.

The Filipina, who is active in community events and is well aware of her rights, balked at first. She is not getting any younger, and knows that she should secure her own future because she may not be employable for long herself.

Besides, she says the onset of the pandemic made her realize the value of saving up for her own future. Although her only son is now well-employed as a seafarer and is able to send her an “allotment” from his earnings, Joy does not want to rely on him for support.

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As it was her employer who decided not to renew their contract when it expires on Sept 15, he should have paid Joy for long service, which should have been 2/3 of her current monthly pay of $4,410, times the number of years she has served.

“Alam ko naman ang law kasi siya ang umayaw sa akin, yon nga lang todo pakiusap siya na half lang ang makaya nyang ibigay dahil 62 years old na at hirap na makahanap ng work. Mabait sila sa akin at very supportive na makahanap ako ng new employer,” Joy wrote.

(I know the law since he was the one who decided not to renew our contract, but he has been imploring that he could only afford to pay me half of my entitlement since he’s already 62 years old and has a hard time looking for another job. They’re very kind and has supported my quest to find a new employer).

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“Sayang din kasi yung half na di ko makukuha sa kanya, (but) at the same time, naawa rin ako sa kanya kaya very stressed ako.”

(It’s hard to let go of the other half of what I should be getting from him, but at the same time, I pity him, so I’m very stressed out).

But the next day, concern for her long-time employers overcame her misgivings.

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“Sige na lang po, sinabi ko na lang na dagdagan na lang niya kahit kaunti, ok na sa akin. Mabait naman sila sa akin for 22 years, it so happened nawalan lang siya ng work. May amo na rin ako, so thankful na lang ako sa blessings at sinabi na rin nila kung magkaproblema ako sa new employer ko tawag lang ako sa kanya..”

(I decided to let it go, I just asked my employer to give me a bit more, I’ll be ok with it. They have been kind to me for 22 years, he just happened to have lost his job. I already have a new employer, so I’m still thankful for all the blessings. They also told me to call them in case I run into problems with my new employer).

Looking back, Joy says she has a lot to thank her employers for. She joined them when her first ever employment contract in Hong Kong was terminated after only eight months. She never left because the family gave her a lot of leeway, and never ordered her around. There were even times when she would eat ahead of them and never got a scolding.

Joy, who asked that her identity not be revealed.

“Naisip ko din na kung binitawan nila ako, baka napunta ako sa salbaheng amo,” she says.

(I also realized that if they let me go earlier, I could have ended up with a bad employer).

But what really tipped the scales in favor of giving in to her employer’s request was the realization that it was because of his help that she was able to build a more secure future for her son, whom she had to provide for on her own.

Joy revealed that from her earnings, she has built a house for her parents and her son, and invest in a farm. She has also kept up payments with SSS and an insurance policy, and paid for the medical expenses of her father who was bedridden for three years.

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But what she considers as her biggest reward for giving up her career as a teacher to work as a domestic helper abroad was being able to finance her son’s dream of taking up nautical engineering so he could work aboard a ship.

“Nasa barko na ang anak ko (My son is already on board a ship)….I’m so grateful,” she says.

Her son, who was only a year old when she left, remains a source of joy to Joy for he has always toughed it out, even now that he is unable to disembark as scheduled from the cargo ship he is on because of the coronavirus contagion.

With her son already carving his own destiny, Joy hopes to complete at least one more contract before heading back home to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

She says the coronavirus contagion has made her realize she should have saved up more, but with the separation pay she’s getting from her long-time employer, Joy is more confident about facing the challenges that still lie ahead.

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