DOLE says vaccinated Filipino DHs may enter HK from Aug 30

 By Daisy CL Mandap 

The vaccination certificate from BoQ will pave the way for Filipino workers to enter HK

The news that Hong Kong will start accepting Filipino domestic helpers vaccinated in the Philippines from Aug 30 has been welcomed by stakeholders, though many are skeptical most of the stranded workers will be able to get in so quickly.

That’s because all of those flying in from Manila will only be able to board their flights if they have their vaccination certificates issued by the Bureau of Quarantine, a process that involves a long waiting period.

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A check with the BoQ website shows the earliest available slot for applying for an international Covid-19 certificate at the head office in Manila is on Nov. 23. At the Shoemart North extension office in Quezon City, the next open slot is on Sept. 29.

Reports say the only other BoQ office that accepts applications for the yellow vaccine certificate as of now is in Cebu City.

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According to a statement released by the Department of Labour and Employment Saturday afternoon, about 3,000 Filipino workers who already have employment visas are awaiting deployment to Hong Kong.

DoLE says 3,000 Filipino workers are waiting for deployment to HK

Most of them have been unable to leave since Apr 20, when Hong Kong designated the Philippines among “high-risk places” for Covid-19, and barred the entry of all passenger flights from there.

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The ban was lifted starting Aug 9, but travelers from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and several other places not included in the World Health Organization’s list of countries with a so-called stringent regulatory authority were still not allowed to come in.

It took weeks of negotiation with the consulates of the affected countries before Hong Kong began easing up on the requirement. As of last week, HK said it would accept vaccination records issued by governments with which it has bilateral agreements on vaccination recognition.

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Consul General Raly Tejada affirmed the progress made in talks with Hong Kong officials on the issue of vaccination recognition.

In reply to a query to verify the DoLE statement, ConGen Tejada said Aug 30 "is the target date for those who received the vaccine in the Philippines so long as they can present our BOQ-issued yellow card." 

He did not confirm if the stranded workers could actually start coming in starting on Monday next week.

But he did say the negotiations with Hong Kong yielded good results, and gave credit to the BOQ, Department of Foreign Affairs as well as DOLE and its affiliate agencies, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, for securing the agreement. 

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Hong Kong regulations provide that on top of presenting a recognized vaccination certificate, people flying in from high-risk countries like the Philippines must quarantine for 21 days in a designated hotel.

For FDHs, they must book their quarantine with just one or two hotels designated by the Hong Kong Labour Department to be able to get on board a flight. The reason for the segregation has not been made clear.

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FDH groups in Hong Kong have bristled at the move, calling it discriminatory, an attitude shared by some employment agency operators.

Thomas Chan, head of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said “first, there’s no scientific evidence to support (the view) that workers are more contagious than HK residents, and second, it might lead to the hotels being labeled as workers’ quarantine hotels (which would reinforce the stigma on the workers).”

While his group welcomes the news that Hong Kong will finally open its doors to FDHs, Chan said it is not likely there will be deluge of workers arriving here, given the limited number of hotel rooms that will be allocated to them.

“If the door will really open on Aug 30, I don’t think too many can come in because at the moment, we still have no idea which hotel/s (will be used) and how many rooms will be available,” he said.

Chan says it's not likely FDHs would start flooding into HK soon

Another big problem Chan sees is the long queue for those applying for the BoQ-issued vaccination certificates. He said one of his applicants told him the earliest appointment slot she could get is in November.

This was confirmed by several worker-applicants desperate to get to Hong Kong. One said the booking slots are always full, and wanted to confirm if it was true that those who already have scheduled flights could just walk in to secure the coveted card.

Chan also said he had been informed that the workers can only get the so-called yellow cards in Manila, which would entail them having to spend more money just to secure the document.

Earlier reports from Manila said that apart from the two offices of BoQ in the national capital, the only other place where the yellow card is issued is in Cebu.

Chan said he hopes the Philippine government can remedy this problem soon, to lessen the burden on Filipino workers who have been stuck in the country for months, in hopes of finally getting the all-clear to fly to Hong Kong.

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HK govt confirms stranded FDHs may be allowed in by next week

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Chan confirms stranded FDHs may start coming in by next week

Hong Kong government officials have confirmed that thousands of stranded foreign domestic helpers from the Philippines and Indonesia may be allowed to come in as early as next week.

Unnamed labour department officials were quoted in several news reports as saying they were nearing agreement on verifying vaccination certificates issued by the two countries, both designated by Hong Kong as high-risk places for Covid.

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The same information was given to The SUN by Consul General Raly Tejada last week, who said Hong Kong was very close to giving recognition to vaccination records issued by Philippine authorities.

Later on Saturday, Health Secretary Sophia Chan also told reporters discussions between the governments have been going well, and details will be announced as soon as possible.

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Chan reminded the public that since the Philippine and Indonesia are both high-risk places, everyone who will be coming in from these countries will have to be fully vaccinated, and quarantine for 21 days in designated hotels.

She also said the Labour Department is in the process of designating the two quarantine hotels which will be used exclusively for incoming FDHs.

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Employment agencies say up to 7,000 FDHs have been unable to enter Hong Kong since a flight ban was enforced on arrivals from the Philippines on Apr 20, and from Indonesia on Jun 25.

However, this could not be independently confirmed, and Immigration figures show a much higher figure for FDH job losses of no less than 10,000 since the pandemic hit Hong Kong early last year.

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Hong Kong has previously announced that vaccinated residents from the high risk or category A countries could start coming in by Aug 9, but with the additional requirement that they should hold recognized vaccination records.

By this, the government said their vaccination records should have been issued only in Hong Kong, China, Macau, and all countries with a stringent regulatory authority as designated by the World Health Organization.

HK is expected to accept the Philippines' yellow vaccination cards  

Recently, the list was expanded to include countries with bilateral agreements with Hong Kong on a mutual recognition of vaccination records, apparently to pave the way for all other residents and FDHs stuck in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and most of the 24 countries in the high-risk group to come in.

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The selective lifting of the travel ban on the most restricted countries on Hong Kong’s list, plus the designation of quarantine hotels exclusively for FDHs, has sparked accusation of discrimination from migrant organizations.

Indonesian helper Eni Lestari, who chairs International Migrants Alliance, questioned the move to herd FDHs into just two quarantine hotels.

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“Why should they create designated hotels for domestic workers when it is not even free?,” Lestari asked. “It will (just) create another form of discrimination.”

Dolores Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, echoed the sentiment. She said it did not make sense to segregate FDHs when they will be coming from the same high-risk places as the other travelers.

Employment agency operators, on the other hand, are concerned about cramming FDHs in just one or two hotels where they should quarantine for 21 days, saying this could mean another long wait for most of them.

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Laid off & stranded Pinay resident joins clamor for HK to open up

By The SUN

 

Castro was laid off from her work at the Cathay Pacific lounge in November last year

A Filipina permanent resident of Hong Kong has joined the call by thousands of migrant workers stuck in the Philippines to be allowed to come in.

Pearl Castro, who has been stranded in the Philippines for nine months, is anxious to take up a new job offer and reunite with her 21-year-old daughter whom she has left behind in Hong Kong.

Castro, 58, said she decided to fly to Manila on Nov 25 last year along with a friend and colleague after they were both laid off from their jobs at the Cathay Pacific lounge at Hong Kong International Airport due to economic fallout from the pandemic.

“After February, babalik na sana ako diyan sa Hong Kong, tapos naging 21 days ang quarantine. Sabi ko, hintayin kong bumaba nang 14 days.”(After February I decided to return to Hong Kong, but the hotel quarantine was extended to 21 days. I told myself I’d wait until it went back to 14 days).

To her dismay, things only got worse when as a result of the big number of people flying in from the Philippines with Covid-19, Hong Kong decided to stop all passenger flights from there starting on Apr 20.

Castro realized then that her indecisiveness had resulted in her being unable to fly back to Hong Kong.

She said she has defaulted on her rent for nine months now and is worried her landlord would throw out her things and drive away her daughter.

Things started to look up when Hong Kong officials announced early this month that the flight ban on high-risk countries like the Philippines would be lifted starting Aug 9 for vaccinated residents, but there was a catch. 

Only vaccination records issued in Hong Kong, China or Macau, or a place whose issuing authority is recognized by the World Health Organization, would be accepted for all travelers from high-risk places. 

With vaccination records in the Philippines not among those recognized by Hong Kong, most of those aching to come back here like Castro still face a blank wall.

Flights from Manila are now open but HK still has to accept Phl vaccination records

The distraught mother says she has a video showing her being inoculated twice, along with a city hall certificate of vaccination with QR code to show proof of inoculation, but realize these are not what Hong Kong wants.

"Baka lang po kasi pwedeng mapasama ako sa mga HK residents na na-vaccine sa HK bago umuwi ng Pinas tapos allowed silang makabalik,” she asked in desperation. (Is there a chance I could be accommodated along with HK residents who had themselves vaccinated there before coming home to the Philippines).

The Filipina said she can’t continue living in the Philippines without money, and work there is a lot more difficult to come by given her age. If she were back in Hong Kong, she said she would already be back at work now.

Her frustration is shared by thousands of migrant workers who have been issued work visas for Hong Kong but are still waiting to be given the all-clear to leave just because their vaccination records are not recognized by the city’s government.

The longer they wait, the more they regret having pinned their hopes on being able to come here and work, never mind if they have to spend a mind-numbing 21 days quarantined in a tiny hotel room.

But the long wait may soon be over, with both the Philippine Consulate and Hong Kong officials saying that they are nearing agreement on getting vaccination records issued in the Philippines accepted here.

A deal, said some reports, may be struck as early as next week.

But even with the issue of recognition out of the way, those hoping to fly out to Hong Kong soonest are well-advised to ensure they have obtained the yellow-colored international vaccination certificate issued by the Bureau of Quarantine. According to Consul General Raly Tejada, this is the vaccination record that Hong Kong authorities are inclined to accept because it contains all the data that they are looking for.

In addition, Hong Kong-bound travelers should book their tickets as soon as the all-clear is given since there are thousands of other people eager to get on the first flight out as soon as they are able to.

Another reason is that quarantine space in Hong Kong is currently difficult to come by, given the recent tightening of restrictions for all inbound travelers.

 

Health secretary defends mandatory testing for airport frontline staff

By Daisy CL Mandap 

All frontline airport staff should have at least one vaccine dose by Sept 1 

Secretary for Food and Health Prof. Sophia Chan has said the Airport Authority has the right to require its staff working in high-risk areas to get vaccinated.

Chan said in an interview with reporters earlier today, Aug 21, that it is important for any organization to do a risk assessment not only for its staff but also for other people around them.

While people who travel to Hong Kong are required to test negative before being allowed in, some are still found infected after arrival, she said.

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“We have to be very careful, be it the inbound travelers or the transit travelers. Therefore, for those people who are working in the areas whereby they would have close contact with inbound travelers or transit passengers, it is important to protect them and also to ensure that they are vaccinated,” said Chan.

Her comments were made after the Airport Authority announced Friday night that certain categories of staff must get vaccinated starting Sept. 1, and no medical exemption for anyone would be accepted.

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Neither would they be allowed to opt for regular testing for Covid-19 in lieu of vaccination.

The new requirement covers airline and ground agent staff, ramp coordinator, inflight catering coordinator, cargo loading staff, as well as cabin and lavatory cleaners.

The Authority said these workers handle high-risk cargo or have close-range interaction with arrival and transit passengers, which leaves them vulnerable to contamination.

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By Sept 1, the specified staff must have at least one dose of a vaccine. Those who completed one dose or are fully vaccinated will still need to undergo a test every seven days.

By Sept 30, all the specified staff must have completed two doses of a vaccine. But they will still be required to take tests every seven days.

The new rules are being put in place after a local woman who worked as a waitress in a customer lounge at the airport was found to carry the L452R mutant strain of the coronavirus. Health experts say she must have been infected by a transit passenger.

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Earlier, a staff member receiving cargo crew was also infected with the variant by two foreign domestic helpers who occupied the same section of the airport as he did.

3 new arrivals tested positive for the L452R mutant strain of the coronavirus

Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection reported three new imported infections Saturday. All of them were found to carry the L452R variant.

One of them is an 18-year-old male who had received two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine in Venezuela on Jun 5 and 26. He tested positive on arrival in Hong Kong although he did not have symptoms.

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The two other cases involve a 17-year-old girl who flew in Kazakhstan and an 11-year-old boy who came from Nigeria. They both tested positive on day 3 of their hotel quarantine.

The girl was staying at Best Western Hotel in Wan Chai and was asymptomatic. The boy was at Ramada Grand View hotel in North Point and developed symptoms yesterday.

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A total of 45 cases have been reported in the past 14 days. The new cases raised the city’s Covid tally to 12,053.

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Friends say final goodbye to lady drivers’ leader, Tek Barro

By Daisy CL Mandap

Tek would have turned 57 this coming Aug 27

A casket bearing the remains of a longtime leader of two lady drivers’ organizations in Hong Kong left for Manila earlier today, Aug 21, to bring her home in Cavite, and then on to her final resting place.

About 30 friends of Maria Teresa “Tek” Barro, who would have turned 57 this coming Aug 27, gathered at the mortuary of Ruttonjee Hospital in Wanchai Friday afternoon to say a final goodbye to her.

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Barro had worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper for the past 29 years.

Mass was said at Ruttonjee mortuary  before Tek's casket was sealed

Chaplain for Filipinos in Hong Kong, Fr Jay Flandez, said mass and blessed Barro’s body before a wooden box containing her coffin was sealed and sent on to the airport for the early-morning flight to Manila via Cathay Pacific.

On Friday night, more of her friends gathered for a mass at St Margaret’s church in Happy Valley in remembrance.

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Her friends extolled Barro for her easy smile, generosity to friends and family, and dedication to her work and the organizations she served.

More people gathered for a memorial mass for Tek at St Margaret's church

She was president of the Radiant Organization of Amiable Drivers (Road HK) from 2015 to 2018, then led a new group, Drivers Advocating Services to Helpers, or Dash Hong Kong.

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Barro succumbed to complications from cancer at 6 am on Aug 7 at Ruttonjee. She was single and was survived by her partner, Izy Tagara, and two siblings.

With Barro at the helm, Road and Dash undertook projects to promote members' interest and encourage more foreign domestic workers to boost their salary by learning how to drive. 

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Both groups were also regular participants in Filipino community events organized by the Philippine Consulate, including the annual Philippine Independence Day celebration in Central. 

As president of Dash, Barro continued involving her group in Filcom activities

Ma Teresa Aquino, incumbent Road president, said the deceased had been sick on and off for years, but her condition deteriorated after being taken to hospital for chest pains on Jul 24.

Twelve years ago Barro had a heart bypass operation but recovered well enough to continue driving. Later she was diagnosed with breast cancer but went into remission and was able to resume her work.

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She passed on after her cancer metastasized to her lungs, causing pneumonia.

Through her last bout with illnesses, Barro held on to her role as Dash president and remained at the post until her death.

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Her employer in Mid-Levels who she worked with for 12 years, then rejoined after being diagnosed with cancer, had paid for the cost of repatriation. Barro also kept her friendship with her former employer in Tai Hang with whom she worked for five years. 

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Filipina DH fined $4k for stealing goods worth $1k

by Vir B. Lumicao 

The helper stole items for her personal use from this H&M store

A Filipina domestic helper who admitted being overtaken by “greed” when she stole  over $1,000 worth of goods from a shop in Causeway Bay has been fined $4,000, or four times the price of what she took.

M.E. Pardo, 41, appeared before Eastern Court Magistrate Peter Law today, Aug 20, and admitted a charge of theft.

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The prosecution said Pardo was arrested as she tried to walk away from the H&M shop at Hang Lung Centre on Paterson St, after taking five tops, three dresses, one skirt, a pair of shoes and three lipsticks, worth a total of $1,078.80.

She entered the shop at around 4:30pm on Jun 20 and took the items from the display racks before putting them in her shoulder bag. Unknown to her, a store security guard in civilian clothes had seen what she was doing.

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When Pardo tried to leave the store without paying for the merchandise, the guard intercepted her and found the unpaid items in her shoulder bag.

The police were called and the helper was arrested.

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During investigation, Pardo admitted the offense, saying she took the items for her personal use. She has a clear record.

In mitigation, the defense lawyer said Pardo earns $5,000 a month from her job as a domestic helper. She came to Hong Kong in 2012.

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The lawyer asked for a lenient sentence, citing the defendant’s guilty plea and remorse, and that all the items were recovered.

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