Ople: HK gov't to assist kin of OFW who fell to her death while cleaning windows --- By GMA Integrated News

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople on Friday said the Hong Kong government vowed to extend assistance to the family of the overseas Filipino worker who fell to her death from the 18th floor of a building while cleaning windows. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Ople talked to HK Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun on Thursday night and the latter said assistance will be extended as much as possible to the OFW's kin. Ople also assured the relatives of the OFW — referred to by the DMW as "Lyn" — that the Philippine government and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China will work closely to prevent similar incidents from happening again. “We will extend full assistance and support to her bereaved family while working closely with Secretary Chris Sun and his department to ensure that the principle of ‘safety above all else’ is carried out as part of employers’ obligations,” Ople said. Lyn, who was 38 at the time of her death, was cleaning the windows of the unit of her employer when she fell to her death. Some building staff saw her and reported the matter to authorities. Secretary Sun told Ople during their phone conversation that he was "deeply troubled and saddened" by Lyn's death. Lyn's two siblings are now in Hong Kong under the care of the Philippine Consulate and the Migrant Workers' Office to facilitate the repatriation of the OFW's remains and to hold a meeting with her employer and the HK Employees' Compensation Division, the DMW said. The DMW issued an advisory recently reminding employers to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract of employment which includes a prohibition on window cleaning. “Secretary Sun and I discussed the need to remind employers of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong about the prohibition in the standard employment contract on window-cleaning which has been in effect since 2017,” Ople said. Window-cleaning is only allowed for Filipino domestic workers when the windows have grills and only their arms can stretch outside, based on the standard employment contract for them as approved by the HK government. According to HK's Immigration Authority, there are 211,514 Filipinos in the Special Administrative Region as of April 30, 2022. Of this number, 181,067 work as domestic workers. —KG, GMA Integrated News

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