By The SUN
 |
| A photo of Ivy Guzman that her employer shared on Facebook |
A Hong Kong
employer has issued an urgent appeal for help in locating his Filipina domestic
helper, Ivy Christian Diaz Guzman, who he said had gone missing after supposedly
spending a week-long vacation in the Philippines.
The
employer, Andy, said he is worried that something bad has happened to Ivy, who
left their house on June 30, after his family had left for a trip abroad. She
was supposed to return to Hong Kong yesterday, July 5, but did not, and her
phone number is now out of reach.
“I checked
the CCTV, she did all the housework that day but left early, about 10am, for
her 6pm flight,” said Andy.
Not a
few of those who saw his appeal posted by his friend on the Facebook page HK
Moms said Ivy might have gone somewhere else, like Poland or Dubai, where many Filipino
migrant workers choose to move to after working in Hong Kong.
In at
least one case in the past, a Filipina who sparked a community-wide search for
days after disappearing during her day-off, turned out to have fled to China without
telling anyone, except her husband in the Philippines.
But Andy
believes Ivy’s case is different because there were no signs that she had
intended to go away for a long time. Her clothes and cosmetics are said to be
still in her room and they did not have any dispute or misunderstanding before
she disappeared.
While
she has been with his family for just over six months, Ivy had previously worked
for them and finished a two-year contract but decided not to renew, saying she
wanted to look after her daughter. She had wanted to return earlier, but the
pandemic made her decide against this.
She
arrived back in Hong Kong in January this year and resumed working with Andy’s
family. When she learned that her employers were planning to go on a vacation
this month, she asked for permission to go home at about the same time, again
saying she wanted to see her daughter.
Andy
said he had contacted the employment agency that brought Ivy back to Hong Kong,
thinking that they would be in the best position to check on her whereabouts in
the Philippines.
He did
not think of calling the police in Hong Kong as he feared that it was in the
Philippines that Ivy encountered a problem that prevented her from returning to
her work.
“We are asking for your help in spreading the word about her
disappearance. Please share this post with your friends and family, and anyone
who may have seen or heard something. Your help and support mean everything to
us during this difficult time,” said the post made on his behalf.
Attached to the post was a picture of Ivy, along with another
appeal to bring her home, “safe and sound.”
In response to the appeal, The SUN has directly informed Consul
General Raly Tejada about the case, and is hopeful Ivy would soon be found. Any information that may help locate her can be sent directly to Andy at 9805 0595.
