Labor chief downplays OFW job losses amid COVID-19 scare

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III stated that reports of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 scare are isolated incidents and not an alarming trend.

He asserted that there is no significant loss of employment for Filipino workers in key destinations like Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, and Taiwan.

However, at least 40 Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong were displaced from work as of Tuesday, March 3, according to figures from the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong, Philippine Overseas Labor Office, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Of the 40, 35 were let go by employers planning to relocate from the city, while others were terminated due to issues concerning days off.

Bello mentioned that only a few OFWs have requested repatriation due to the ongoing health crisis.

Additionally, 196 Filipinos from Macau are scheduled for repatriation this week and will be monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) as persons under monitoring.