RP consulate in HK hit by deluge of contract renewals

Daisy C.L. Mandap and Smiley D. Julve, THE SUN

HONG KONG - It is a scene reminiscent of the days when the overseas employment certificates were issued only at the Consulate. Dozens of people cram the service area and lift lobby of the Consulate, while 14 floors below, many more patiently wait to be allowed to take the lift up.

This time around, the rush is for work contracts to be renewed ahead of time so employers could avail of a government offer to allow them to skip paying the $400 monthly levy for hiring foreign domestic helpers.

According to Consul General Alejandrino A. Vicente, the number of work contracts submitted to the Consulate for verification has more than tripled since the two-year levy suspension was announced on Aug. 1

Before this, the Consulate processed an average of 300 contracts daily, with the number reaching a high of between 700 and 800 during the peak season. But since the start of the month, the number of contracts submitted on any given day has averaged around 1,000.

To manage the deluge, the Consulate has asked the building management to help with crowd control. Only a certain number of people are allowed to go up the lifts at any given time so the staff attending to them are not overwhelmed.

Congen Vicente says the crowd could become unwieldy at times "so we hold them off."

Most Consulate personnel have already been designated as marshals, but they reportedly continue to meet regularly to find other ways to speed up the processing of documents while maintaining order.

"Hopefully it (the crowd) will peter out soon," he says.

But in the meantime, he says labor staff at the Consulate are forced to keep very long hours to cope with the daily deluge.

According to Vice Consul Val Roque, it would help if people go there in the afternoon, "when the queues are shorter."

Beyond this, there is not much that the Consulate could do to prevent the scramble for contract renewal.

"The matter is now in the hands of the HK government," says Congen Vicente.
With the news that the levy was going to be suspended for two years effective Aug. 1 came the announcement that the waiver could also be availed of by those whose contracts have yet to run the full two-year course, on condition that the helper is rehired by the employer.

But employers of workers whose visas were stamped before the suspension took effect are still required to pay the outstanding levy. The government also reiterated that there will be no refund for those who have already paid their dues.

The idea is to prevent a massive pre-termination of work contracts by employers who want to immediately avail of the levy-free period. It also allows the domestic helper to remain in HK while the new contract is processed, which could be done within the same day if the required documents are in order.

But this new "eligibility criteria" failed to appease the domestic helpers under the banner of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body who staged a rally on July 31 at the Central Government Offices.

AMCB again urged the government to implement the suspension for all contracts and the ultimate abolition of the levy. Protesters still feared massive termination of existing contracts if the government does not impose a blanket suspension.

"Our issues are still the same: massive termination and job security for the next two years (because) the government is still insisting on excluding the ongoing employment contracts from this levy suspension, " said AMCB spokesperson Eni Lestari.

She also said the problem with the advance contract renewal is that it only applies to those renewing with the same employers which means that those processing with new employers would still be required to go home and wait for their visas in their home countries.

Also, she said, the new process is not clear cut.

"What does it mean with advanced renewal contract, is it one month early, one year? It is not very clear. "

United Filipinos in Hong Kong Eman Villanueva, meanwhile, criticized the government's move and said, "The option is only made available to employers. The helpers are (still) at the mercy of the employers."

He said, "There's an easy way out! Suspend the levy for all contracts. For more information on the two-year suspension of the levy, visit the Immigration Department website at: http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/faq_fdh.htm#levy. - The Sun

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