Bello to Visit HK Again
LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III is set to visit Hong Kong once again.
Bello will be attending the formal launching of the app “OFW Watch” , brainchild of former overseas Filipino worker Myrna Padilla, on January 29 at the Philippine Consulate General.
Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre said various leaders of the Filipino community will also be present in the launching, and they are expected to meet with Bello.
Bello will be accompanied by Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, Director Jesus Cruz, lawyer Allan Ty, and Janine Ezra Sudario.
Padilla, along with the other members of the app developer team, will also be on hand to witness the formal launching.
The app “will enable the POLO to maximize its reach and its impact as well as empower OFWs.”
Dela Torre said he is trying to set a meeting between Bello and leaders of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong to discuss the outright abolition of the overseas employment certificate.
He said he is supporting the group’s call for the abolition of the OEC as it would free up POLO personnel that are presently attending to issuing OECs and registration of Filipino workers in Hong Kong for the BM Online system.
“Ang tao naming involved diyan, pito sila, and that is almost one third of our personnel. Pwede sana na nasa case management or even welfare issues sila,” he said.
UNIFIL-Migrante Hong Kong has slammed the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency for coming out with the BM Online instead of the outright abolition of OECs.
“Our demand was very clear – to abolish the OEC once and for all. We never asked for exemption. If only the POEA listened to us, we would not have to suffer this crisis again,” said UNIFIL-Migrante chairperson Dolores Balladares Pelaez.
(Source: HongKongNews.com.hk)