Sixth Post
Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) for 2006
26 June 2006
The Philippine Consulate
General conducted its sixth Post Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) for
OFWs in Hong Kong for 2006 on 25 June, in conjunction with the ongoing
overseas absentee voting (OAV) registration.
The seminar, held in Tuen Mun,
New Territories and in cooperation with St. Matthew the Apostle Parish
Filipino Catholic Community and the Philippine Bankers’ Club of Hong Kong,
was the fourth to be held outside the Consulate General this year as it
extended the reach of PAOS to the members of the Filipino community living
outside Hong Kong island.
It was attended by 64 OFWs. The
Consulate General’s fourth mobile OAV registration this year also
registered 30 new overseas absentee voters and processed three other OAV-related
services (transfer of registration records).
Speakers for the
event were: Vice Consul Noel Novicio, Ms. Angelina Narvaez (POLO), Mr.
Edwin Garcia (OWWA), and Mr. Vic Baldoza (Philippine Bankers Club – Hong
Kong). ATN officers Divina Corpuz and Joel Blas provided technical and
administrative support. The OAV team was composed of Vice Consul Novicio
and Mr. Edmound Cortes (PCG OAV technical secretariat). They were assisted
by one FilCom OAV volunteer.
PAOS is an
outreach program of the Consulate General and its attached agencies
designed to provide information to OFWs about their rights, privileges and
responsibilities while working and staying in Hong Kong, and about the
various programs and services offered by the Consulate General and its
attached agencies.
In the course of
the seminar, the following topics/issues were discussed/explained:
1.
ATN
Section and its services;
2.
Case of overstaying Filipinos;
3.
What to do when questioned or arrested by HK police;
4.
Recent police cases involving OFWs;
5.
Integrity of documents (passport, employment contract, Hong Kong ID);
6.
PCG
telephone hotlines;
7.
OWWA membership and benefits;
8.
POLO and its functions, including mediation and conciliation; and
9.
Financial management, savings and remittance services for OFWs.
The Consulate General also took
the opportunity to remind the participants about their rights when
questioned or arrested by HK police for any alleged crime or offense. The
Consulate General explained the significance of the “caution statement,”
that an accused is not obliged to say anything otherwise it can be used as
evidence in court. It appealed to them to seek the Consulate General’s
advice before they give their testimony or answer the questions posed by
the police.
Participants also raised
questions on matters related to OWWA benefits. They also sought
clarifications on issues related to their employment contracts, work-site
problems, and how they can avail themselves of assistance from the
Consulate General and POLO.
The
participants also expressed interest in the issues discussed by the
bankers, especially on financial management and savings. They took the
opportunity to clarify issues related to savings programs and remittance
procedures by members of the Philippine Bankers’ Club. Aside from Mr.
Baldoza, three other officers of the PBC were on hand to explain their
various programs for OFWs in Hong Kong.
|
