RP ban on direct hiring of HK maids hit

By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:34:00 01/13/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The militant labor group Migrante on Tuesday condemned the government's ban on direct hiring of Filipino maids in Hong Kong, saying it would be an additional burden to overseas Filipino workers.

Around 30 Migrante members picketed the Department of Labor and Employment building in Manila Tuesday morning to decry the implementation of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's Memorandum Circular 04.

The new regulation, which took effect on January 1, prohibits Hong Kong employers from hiring domestic workers from the Philippines directly. Under the memorandum, all hiring must be done by recruitment agencies accredited by the POEA.

The government issued the memorandum early last year to protect OFWs from abusive employers.

Migrante chairman Garry Martinez said the new policy does not benefit OFWs. He noted that the memorandum was an added burden to workers as it would leave them at the mercy of recruiters who require placement fees and pay cuts in exchange for a posting in the former British colony.

“The only ones who are celebrating for the direct hiring ban in Hong Kong are the recruitment agencies and their cohorts in the government who are reliably defending their interests. We highly condemn this connivance between the Arroyo administration and the recruitment agencies, who are further exhorting OFWs out of their earnings amidst the global financial crisis,” Martinez said.

The labor group said the Philippine government pushed for the policy because it stands to receive P3 billion in additional revenues from the fees paid by the workers to the government and recruiters.

Under the new scheme, recruiters pay the government P2,400 for every contract. In the direct hiring method, OFWs only pay the government the required processing fees.

“Eliminating the direct hiring scheme, therefore, assures the government of more than P3 billion in revenues annually, with the number of contracts processed in 2007 at 1,306,078,” the Migrante official said.

Migrante also cried foul over the implementation of the new policy. According to Martinez, the government “abruptly” announced the regulation on December 28 on the website of the Hong Kong consulate.

“Like a thief in the night, without any consultation or any warning, the anti-migrant policy was posted in their website three days before its implementation and during the longest Yuletide holiday in the Philippines,” Martinez said.