MANILA -- Filipino workers vaccinated in the Philippines will be allowed entry in Hong Kong effective next week upon presentation of Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) issued vaccination certificates, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced on Sunday.  

Bello said the HK government has already agreed to let overseas Filipino workers who received COVID vaccines in the country to come and work starting August 30, provided they can present validated COVID vaccine certificates issued by the Bureau of Quarantine.

Some 3,000 OFWs who are awaiting deployment to HK are set to benefit from this development, Bello said.

OFWs will undergo quarantine in specified hotels, the cost to be shouldered by employers. The HK government is now in the process of coordinating with partner hotels where the OFWs will be quarantined.

It may be recalled that previously, only those vaccinated in HK are being allowed entry to HK. OFWs were not granted access since they have different vaccination certificates issued by LGUs.

The BOQ, through coordinative efforts by DOLE and the Philippine consulate in HK, prepared a draft vaccination certificate bearing the passport details of the OFWs as requested by HK. Pending inclusion of that detail in the yellow card, HK immigration will honor the vaccination certificates issued by the BOQ for incoming OFWs to HK. (DOLE)