MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) described the insurance commercial in Hong Kong depicting a Filipina maid as “lacking sensitivity,” and said that Filipino household service workers there are “indispensable.”
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“That was an unfortunate incident. The advertisement was clearly a result of poor decision making on the part of the insurance company because it showed a lack of sensitivity,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press conference Thursday.
“Being a household service worker projects dignity in labor and contributes significantly to the economies of both the [home country of the worker] and Hong Kong. Many people in Hong Kong would even say that these workers are indispensable,” he said.
The Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body demanded a public apology for the “racist” commercial of Hong Leong Bank, which was advertising its insurance offering for household service workers.
“I think they should make a public apology,” Eni Lestari, Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body spokeswoman was quoted as saying in previous reports.
“You are making comedy out of someone, out of a community,” she said.
“For (Hong Kong residents) it’s funny, but what they don’t realize is what’s funny is actually racist.”
The commercial featured a male Chinese actor with dark make-up and a curly wig as he plays clumsy maid “Maria.”
Netizens were quick to condemn the advertisement on social media calling for the commercial to be taken down and for an apology to be issued.
Jose said that “regardless of the advertisement, employees in Hong Kong are mandated to take out insurance for their household service workers which was the point of the advertisement in the first place.”
According to records of the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Hong Kong is the fourth most popular destination for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with 131,000 new hires and rehires in 2012.
As of December 2012, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has documented more than 195,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, around 176,000 of which are temporary workers.
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