Recruitment leaders report fewer takers of Hong Kong jobs

MANILA, Philippines – There are numerous jobs available in Hong Kong, but there seems to be fewer takers among Filipino workers these days.

Recruitment leaders yesterday reported a slump in the number of Filipino workers applying to work in Hong Kong following the bloody hostage incident.

Julie Cabasa, Society of Hong Kong Accredited Recruiters of the Philippines (SHARP) director, said there has been a noticeable drop in the number of workers applying to work in Hong Kong apparently on concerns of growing anti-Filipino sentiment in the former British colony.

“Last Friday, we had zero applicants compared to our 10 applicants a day prior to the Luneta incident,” Cabasa disclosed.

Cabasa said some of the workers who are awaiting their visas from Hong Kong have asked to defer their scheduled deployment to seek work elsewhere.

“We have been getting calls from our workers awaiting deployment expressing some hesitance in leaving the country at this time. They were asking if it is possible to delay their deployment,” Cabasa said.

Those who have shied away from Hong Kong employment have apparently turned their sights to the Middle East, where the number of applicants doubled following the hostage incident in Manila.

Manpower agencies deploying workers to Hong Kong, however, maintained that there were no cancellations of job orders or mass termination of Filipino household workers.

Based on data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), about 24,000 approved job orders from Hong Kong and 115 from China are yet to be filled. SHARP director Claro Genio insisted that Filipino workers have nothing to fear and that manpower agencies as well as the government are exerting all efforts to protect them.

“There is no reason to fear because Hong Kong nationals have no violent mentality. Until this time, Hong Kong still offers the best employment opportunity for Filipino workers,” Genio said.

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong also belied reports and text messages about rampant hate crimes against Filipinos following the hostage-taking incident.

Consul General Claro Cristobal denied reports and text messages that a Filipino worker was stabbed and another was a victim of acid throwing in Hong Kong.

Cristobal stressed Hong Kong remains one of the safest places in the world.

Cristobal said the reports do not help the situation but only create confusion and tension.

He said the Consulate General is closely coordinating with the large network of leaders of the Filipino community in Hong Kong to verify reports and text messages involving Filipinos. – With Pia Lee-Brago