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Vice Consul Allan Revote (2nd from left) and Attaché Chealsie Punzalan (leftmost) met with Mr. Ip Ka Him (2nd from right), Senior Trade Controls Officer of the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) during the delivery of Hong Kong C&ED information materials at the Consulate

HONG KONG, 13 May 2025 — The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), advocates for adherence to safe remittance practices and active compliance with consumer goods safety laws and regulations among Overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong.

In view of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) data reporting on personal remittances from Overseas Filipinos in 2024 amounting to an all-time high of over US$38 billion, approximately 8.3% of the country’s gross domestic product and 7.4% of the country’s gross national income, the Consulate and the Hong Kong C&ED sought to promote safe money-transfer consumer practices by developing a bilingual information brochure providing “Tips on Choosing Remittance Services”.

The infographic advocates for Overseas Filipinos to engage the monetary remittance and delivery services of only licensed and reputable money service operators. This information dissemination campaign is expected to deter them from engaging with unlicensed money service and remittance operators. According to Cap. 615, otherwise known as Hong Kong’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO), operating a money service or remittance center without a license from the Commissioner of Customs & Excise (CCE) is an offense and consequently entails an imprisonment of two (2) years and a fine of $1,000,000.

The Philippine Consulate disseminated these information materials including Hong Kong C&ED’s leaflets on safeguarding consumer rights, emphasizing the prohibition of false or misleading product descriptions under Cap. 456, otherwise known as Hong Kong Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance. Overseas Filipinos within the Consulate’s premises took part in the campaign, including Overseas Filipino Workers attending the Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS)

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong continues to empower the city’s Filipino Community by providing the tools and information in navigating remittance services and purchasing consumer goods in the city. END

Post’s Economic Section distributes the leaflets about “Tips on Choosing Remittance Services”, “Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance” and “Consumer Goods Safety Regulation” to overseas Filipinos, especially, migrant workers and residents, present in the Consulate’s premises during the mid-term elections period, post-arrival orientation seminar, and regular working schedule of the Consulate
Copy of “Tips on Choosing Remittance Services” in English and Filipino language
Copy of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department’s “Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance” and “Consumer Goods Safety Regulation”