Consul General Antonio A. Morales gave a talk at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Wan Chai during the Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) for newly arrived Filipino household service workers (HSWs).
During the 40-minute talk, Consul General Morales presented the Consulate’s various services including passport processing, notarization of documents, civil registry and legal advice, cultural and economic diplomacy, and assistance-to-nationals (ATN).
He also emphasized that OFWs in Hong Kong should know their rights, as well as responsibilities as foreign workers. As such, Consul General Morales called their attention on various problems encountered by OFWs such as using passports as collateral for loans, investment scams, drug trafficking, and violation of employment contracts.
Consul General Morales assured the HSW attendees that the Consulate is committed to protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of OFWs in Hong Kong. He stressed that the Consulate is ready to help Filipinos in distress and provided them the Consulate’s emergency contact numbers.
More importantly, he encouraged them to make their stay in Hong Kong worthwhile by taking advantage of the capacity building programs offered by the Consulate with other partner agencies and NGOs, especially on financial literacy and health and wellness, to prepare them for their eventual return to the Philippines to be with their families and loved ones.
Forty-five newly-arrived HSWs attended the PAOS session. The Consulate conducts mandatory PAOS sessions daily from Monday to Thursday in the POLO with an average of 200-250 attendees per week. Also included in the session are briefings from the Hong Kong Labour Department, Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, and other partner entities.
Hong Kong is also home to more than 206,000 Filipino HSWs, the highest number of 370,000 foreign domestic helpers in the city.