The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of the Philippines and the Labor and Welfare Bureau of Hong Kong reaffirmed their commitment to work together to protect the welfare of every Filipino in the Philippines and abroad, in a meeting with the Labor and Welfare Bureau Secretary Chris Sun and his delegation at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City on Jan. 9.

In the meeting, DSWD OIC Eduardo Punay emphasized the agency’s efforts to strengthen mechanisms to protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos as one of the key priorities of the DSWD.

Punay also expressed DSWD’s support in strengthening bilateral relations with foreign governments, such as with the Labor and Welfare Bureau of Hong Kong, to ensure that the rights of Filipinos are protected and promoted.

“As we continue to share the same vision, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is open to closely work with your agency and develop a meaningful partnership for the benefit of the sectors that we serve,” he said.

Moreover, Punay expressed gratitude to the Hong Kong government for their support to Filipino household workers in Hong Kong in their medical and health needs.

To ensure the provision of social welfare programs and services to overseas Filipinos (OFs) in Hong Kong, the DSWD, through its International Social Service Office, has assigned a Social Welfare Attaché to the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong.

So far, the DSWD has served 11,814 OFs in Hong Kong through the provision of social welfare and development programs, such as psychosocial services, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations or AICS, premarital and marriage counseling services, referral services, socio-cultural and capacity building activities, repatriation program, and reintegration services.