POEA vows interventions to monitor OFWs in Hong Kong amid COVID-19 surge

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Wednesday assured that continuous agency interventions were implemented to monitor the affected Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) due to COVID-19 surge in Hong Kong.

In an interview with GMA’s Balitanghali, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said all programs and policies of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Overseas Labor and Office (POLO), and International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) were continuously implemented to assist the OFWs in Hong Kong.

“Patuloy po yung agency interventions at lahat lahat ng programa at polisiya ng DFA at saka ng POLO, ILAB, at DOLE po tungkol sa issue ng COVID-19 sa Hong Kong at yung ating labor attaché doon direktang nakikipagugnayan sa mga authorities doon sa ating mga OFWs lalong lalo na yung mga directly affected yung tinanggal, natanggal, at kasalukuyang may sakit,” Olalia said.

(There are continuous agency interventions, while all programs and policies of the DFA, also the POLO, ILAB, and DOLE will continue regarding the issue of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Our labor attaché there is in direct contact with the authorities to assist OFWs especially those who were fired and currently ill.)

He also said that there is a low COVID-19 transmission among OFWs, adding that they were given immediate assistance.

“Ang kagandahan naman po nito mababa na po yung sa mga infection ng mga OFWs at kasakuluyan na pong nabibigyan ng pangunahing lunas yung mga issues po nila,” he added.

(Fortunately, the COVID-19 infections among OFWs are low and they are currently being given assistance for their issues.)

Hong Kong has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks – more than 24 times that of rival Singapore - due to a large proportion of elderly who were unvaccinated as the highly transmissible Omicron variant ripped through care homes.

The densely packed city has recorded more than a million infections since the pandemic started and about 6,000 deaths — most of them in the past month. Authorities reported 14,068 new cases on Monday and 223 deaths.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong also plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries including the Philippines, reducing quarantine and reopening schools, after a backlash from business and residents. —NB, GMA News