No need to evacuate Filipino workers in Hong Kong: DFA

The agency assured that the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong closely monitors the situation and is taking every step to ensure the continued safety and well-being of the Filipinos in the area. (File Photo By Patrick Roque, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA— Contrary to reports circulating online, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Filipinos working in Hong Kong are safe from and “largely unaffected” by the ongoing unrest in the area and sees no need to evacuate them.

“The DFA wishes to assure everyone 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,” it said in a bulletin dated November 15 on its website.

“Hence, the DFA sees no need to evacuate them at this time,” it added.

The agency assured that the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong closely monitors the situation and is taking every step to ensure the continued safety and well-being of the Filipinos in the area.

Meanwhile, those who wish to know the protests’ impact on Filipinos in Hong Kong are advised to visit the Consulate’s website for updates and advisories.

This, as the agency reminded Filipinos to avoid sourcing information from social media.

Hong Kong has been gripped with a series of anti-government protests, triggered by a bill proposed in June 2019 that will allow extradition to mainland China.

At least five months since demonstrations started, violent clashes between protesters and police have continued in the city.