DFA: No need to evacuate Filipinos in HongKong
Credit to Author: Bernadette Tamayo| Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2019 01:00:37 +0000
THERE is no need to evacuate Filipinos in Hong Kong, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said.
The DFA has assured the public that contrary to some false reports circulating in social media, Filipinos in Hong Kong “remain safe and are largely unaffected by the ongoing protests in the area.”
Hence, the government “sees no need to evacuate them at this time,” the DFA said in a statement.
“The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong is closely monitoring the situation and is taking every step to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our nationals there,” the DFA said.
“Those wishing to follow the impact of developments in Hong Kong on our nationals there are advised to visit the Consulate’s website for updates and advisories, instead of turning to questionable sources of information in the social media,” it added.
The consulate on November 12 had advised Filipino tourists to skip Hong Kong for the meantime because of “unreliable” mass transportation system as a result of continued protest actions.
In a three-minute video message posted on Tuesday, Consul General Raly Tejada said that Filipinos with jobs waiting for them in Hong Kong may return since the airport was “open and functioning.”
“Nais ko lang po ipaalam sa lahat na ang mga Pilipino po dito sa Hong Kong ay nananatili pong safe at nasa maayos na kalagayan (I’d like to inform everyone that the Filipinos here in Hong Kong are safe and in good condition),” Tejada said.
“Siguro na lang po dun sa mga non-essential travelers na gustong maglibot-libot dito sa Hong Kong at mamasyal siguro, maybe pwede pong ipagpaliban na lang po muna (For those non-essential travelers who want to tour Hong Kong, perhaps, [you may opt to] postpone [your trip],” he said.