Baldoz allays fears of exodus to Hong Kong

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Tuesday allayed fears of Hong Kong citizens that Filipinos might flood the former Crown colony if Filipino domestic helpers there were allowed to apply for permanent residency.

Baldoz pointed out that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) go only to destinations where their skills and labor are needed and that Filipinos who go to Hong Kong for work would still have to pass its strict requirements.

“The thing is, we only go to a market where’s there’s a need for us. We don’t go there just to be able to avail of that privilege so to speak, but simply because there are local employers who are in need of our services. That should be emphasized,” Baldoz said in an interview.

“We have to pass through their immigration requirements, education, and health requirements. Of course, there’s also the actually need of employers who are hiring,” she added.

A recent court ruling in Hong Kong allowed foreign domestic helpers to apply for permanent residency if they had continuously worked in the city for seven years. The ruling provoked a public outcry and the Hong Kong government has promised to appeal the decision.

Baldoz said she welcomed the ruling of the Hong Kong Court of First Instance granting the right to abode to foreign domestic workers.

She praised Filipino domestic helper Evangeline Vallejos, who initiated the first of several legal challenges, raising the issue of discrimination in HK laws that banned permanent residency for foreign domestic workers but not for others types of workers.

“We are proud of Ms. Evangeline Vallejos and we admire her courage in challenging the decision of the Hong Kong Registration of Persons tribunal which has denied her application for permanent residency after staying in Hong Kong for 25 years,” Baldoz said.