Infra development in HK to give more jobs to Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines - Massive infrastructure development in Hong Kong is likely to bring more employment opportunities for Filipinos, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Filipino engineers, architects and even entertainers can find employment as a result of the job-generating infrastructure and tourism projects the Hong Kong government is undertaking this year.

“This is a fair chance for our Filipino workers, not only because they will have the opportunity to earn, but most importantly, the experience and the learning they will acquire from working in Hong Kong will contribute to their knowledge and skills which they can use upon their return to the Philippines,” Baldoz said.

The Hong Kong government has allocated HK$17.9 billion to fund five new railway lines, public hospital construction and renovation, a waste treatment facility, an indoor stadium and a velodrome.

The Hong Kong government is also planning to further develop the Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. It will be offering a HK$2.3 billion loan to Ocean Park to spur commencement of the construction of its all-weather Water World.

Hong Kong Disneyland will launch a new nighttime parade and a themed area featuring the Marvel Heroes.

“What’s even better is that the Construction Industry Council of Hong Kong is offering 2,000 training slots for those who wish to take construction-related vocational studies,” Baldoz said.

However, she reminded those interested to work in Hong Kong or in any part of the world to be extra careful, especially in dealing with recruiters.

“They can check the website of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to validate the legitimacy of a job order. They can also check, through the website, the status of the employment agency that they are dealing with,” Baldoz said.

Based on POEA and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) data, 174,851 Filipinos were staying in Hong Kong in 2011, with 129,575 of them land based.