Hong Kong's Labor Secretary, Silvestre Bello recently stated that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are now allowed to enter Hong Kong, subject to COVID-19 vaccination. It is mandatory for OFWs to be vaccinated for Covid-19 and have valid vaccine cards issued by the Philippines' Bureau of Quarantine. OFWs can leverage the conditional access to Hong Kong on and after August 30, 2021.

The Philippines is focusing on boosting its COVID-19 vaccination drives. It has so far managed to vaccinate and fully immunize 11.8 percent of its population against the deadly virus. With the surge in Delta variant cases, employability issues and the recent access to OFWs to Hong Kong has further enhanced the vaccinations.

Hong Kong is known to have one of the most rigorous and stern Covid-19 restrictions around the globe. With that image, the access to or entry to Hong Kong had been prohibited for those who received their shots in the Philippines from entry. The recently permitted access to OFWs to enter Hong Kong is said to relieve more than 3000 Filipinos, says Bello.

More than 210,000 overseas Filipino workers work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong. They share and send part of their incomes back to their homes in the Philippines. It is reported that such incomes form a major chunk of the Philippine economy