HONG KONG (SE): Overseas Filipino workers bound for Hong Kong and Macau are now exempt from the badly planned travel ban, precipitously imposed by the Philippine government in reaction to the Covid-19 outbreak (Sunday Examiner, February 9), if they sign a wavier, according to announcement made by the Department of Foreign Affairs on February 19. However, migrant rights workers are concerned that the wavier will undermine the protection afforded to overseas workers.
Workers returning to Hong Kong and Macau are required to make a declaration stating that they are aware of the risks involved with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Newly-hired Filipino employees are also exempt from the ban as long as they also sign the declaration form, which can be obtained from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau as well as Filipinos leaving to study aboard are also allowed to travel to Hong Kong and Macau.
On the other hand, nationals returning to the Philippines from Hong Kong and Macau are still subject to a 14-day quarantine.
On February 18, presidential spokesperson, Salvador Panelo told media in Manila that the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease mandated that returning overseas workers need to sign a written declaration to state that “they know the risk of going back to their places of work.”
Eman Villanueva, secretary general of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, told the Sunday Examiner on February 23 that migrant workers needed more details about any restrictions or requirements that they must comply with after signing the declaration.
Villanueva said the lack of specifics in the declaration meant that workers who are eager to return to their jobs could be susceptible to money scams amid the confusion.
Migrante International, in a statement on February 19, said that the declaration could transgress the rights and welfare of overseas workers needing government protection.
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“If the government is recognising its responsibility, why require a waiver? Why not provide info kits on Covid-19 with emergency hotlines they can call? The government should also negotiate with airlines so that overseas Filipino workers will no longer be required to pay additional fees for rebooking,” the statement said.
The group lamented that overseas workers have had to face the dilemma of either being stranded in poverty and unemployment, or exposing themselves to viral outbreaks just to put food on the table for their families, which shows up the failure of the Philippine government.
It added that Filipino migrants are willing to take the risk, not only to get back to their work and other affairs, but because they also believe that they will get better medical care and attention in Hong Kong and Macau compared to the poor state of the public health system in the Philippines where they do not feel safe in the absence of advanced health care facilities to handle the emergence of infectious diseases.
Overseas workers and Filipino residents of Hong Kong have been calling on the Philippine government to exempt them from the travel ban which has been in force since February 2, after health officials confirmed the first two cases of the Covid-19 virus in the Philippines and the death of one of the patients.
Filipino community leaders met with consul general, Raly Tejada, on February 17 to submit a joint petition calling for the immediate lifting of the Philippine travel ban and allow Filipino migrant workers, residents, and students to resume their work, residency, and studies in Hong Kong.
The meeting was attended by representatives of migrant workers’ organisations, Filipino media and alumni associations along with Philippine Church representatives.
Participants spoke of the aggravating situations of stranded migrants and residents in the Philippines.
“We talked of our fear of losing the main source of income and livelihood of those affected if the exemption is not granted. Not all have employers who are understanding and will be able to wait for their employees. Also, we have better healthcare coverage here in Hong Kong than in the Philippines,” Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong said in a statement after the meeting.
