Veronica Uy
Inquirer.Net
MANILA, Philippines—Even as Hong Kong employers still want to hire Filipino household workers despite the tragic hostage-taking incident in Luneta, some would-be Filipino migrant workers are cancelling their contracts, a recruitment leader said Sunday.
Alfredo Palmiery, president of the Society of Hong Kong Accredited Recruiters of the Philippines (SHARP) who personally went to Hong Kong last week after job applicants expressed apprehension over the situation in Hong Kong, said his counterparts in Hong Kong assured him that Filipinos are still preferred by Hong Kong employers for their proven reliability, loyalty, and proficiency in English.
In a news release, Palmiery also said he was told that the hostage-taking incident will not affect that status of the Filipino workers in Hong Kong. Hong Kong people are broadminded and understanding, he was assured.
Thomas Chan, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Employment Agencies Ltd., and Tony Lau, president of the General Chamber of Manpower Agencies Ltd., both said that so far employers of their member-agencies have not cancelled any job order or contract for Filipino household workers in relation to the hostage-taking tragedy.
However, Palmiery warned that if departing Filipino workers will continue cancelling contracts or if there will be fewer applicants, Hong Kong employers may be forced to get other nationalities for the job.
He noted that there are already more Indonesian maids than Filipino domestic workers in the former British colony.
Palmiery said that Hong Kong is still the best destination for Filipino household workers: It is close to the Philippines, it offers relatively competitive salaries, and it has very few welfare cases compared to those in the Middle East.
“To lose the Hong Kong market would have a tremendous effect in the Philippine economy as it accounts for a very significant part of our foreign exchange remittances. Many of Philippine business now based in Hong Kong, the remittance centers, the banks, real estate companies would definitely be affected,” he said.
Hong Kong is the top destination of household service workers with 25,000 departures last year and around 200,000 OFWs including non-domestic workers already remitting some $350 million to the country every year. OFWs in Hong Kong also directly remit Philippine currency to their beneficiaries as many Filipino commercial and remittance companies have set up branches there.
He noted that there are already more Indonesian maids than Filipino domestic workers in the former British colony.
Palmiery said that Hong Kong is still the best destination for Filipino household workers: It is close to the Philippines, it offers relatively competitive salaries, and it has very few welfare cases compared to those in the Middle East.
“To lose the Hong Kong market would have a tremendous effect in the Philippine economy as it accounts for a very significant part of our foreign exchange remittances. Many of Philippine business now based in Hong Kong, the remittance centers, the banks, real estate companies would definitely be affected,” he said.
Hong Kong is the top destination of household service workers with 25,000 departures last year and around 200,000 OFWs including non-domestic workers already remitting some $350 million to the country every year. OFWs in Hong Kong also directly remit Philippine currency to their beneficiaries as many Filipino commercial and remittance companies have set up branches there.
Published in Philippine Daily Inquirer Sept. 12, 2010.
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