Consulate moves office, focuses on community’s new needs

The Philippine Consulate General in Macau has moved out of its former premises, its home for the past 15 years, and is now occupying an office that is 80% larger than the old premises in a bid to provide better quality services to the Filipino people.

Macau is home to some 25,000 non-resident Filipinos, the second largest number of migrant workers in the city, next to the mainland.

Having arranged a total of 33 repatriation flights while coming out of the pandemic and returning home over 6,000 Filipino nationals, the Consulate, which employs 25 staff, is now focusing on looking out for the needs of the community.

In an interview with the Times, Consul General Porfirio Mayo, Jr. spoke of the resilience of the Filipino people in Macau – particularly those who survived living through the pandemic.

In a city where a significant number of Filipino domestic workers live in the absence of a minimum wage law, Mayo said that they have ridden out the storm. The Consulate is now focused on implementing a standard employment contract for such workers, where there is a specified minimum wage for those working in domestic services, which cannot be lower than what domestic workers are receiving in Hong Kong.

Since October 2021, the Hong Kong government has maintained a minimum wage of HKD4,630 per month.

Mayo, who was the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in Ottawa, Canada prior coming to Macau, has been a diplomat since 1986, having served in Athens, Hong Kong, Stockholm and Norway.

Meanwhile, the official also disclosed that the hotel sector is hoping to recruit 10,000 workers from the Philippines as it suffers a severe shortage of labor.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – Consul, you were appointed to lead the Consulate in 2021 during the pandemic. With several restrictions in place, and several hundreds of Filipinos being let go, it was a challenging period for everyone in general. Tell us about the transitioning period at a time when a significant number of Filipinos were calling for flights and financial assistance.

Porfirio Mayo Jr. (PM) – It was personally challenging for me and my team. I arrived here with a fresh team of people who were replacing staff who were due to be recalled to the home office. They were stuck here for [a few years] before a replacement could come because of the pandemic. As far as our workers here are concerned, it was more challenging for them because a lot of them were losing their jobs. Employers were letting go of their trusted workers here because of hard times during the pandemic.

A major challenge was the absence of direct flights particularly when coming into Macau and going out of Macau. […]  When I arrived, there was a lull of six months where we didn’t have any flights. When I was in quarantine, I requested my team here to immediately commence the flights, even if we had to charter a special flight. We had thousands of people lining up, waiting for flights back home.

When I was released from quarantine in June, we commenced the 22nd special flight after a lull of six months.

We managed to organize 12 additional flights, with the 33rd special flight departing in September. All in all, we brought home over 6,000 Filipino nationals back home.

MDT-And in terms of assistance to distressed workers?

PM – The number [of recipients] would have stood in the thousands, particularly during the period when the government allowed employers to impose a no-pay leave. Those were hard times: when the “6.18” outbreak hit Macau. During the two-month period from June to August, people were lining up in our old office seeking financial assistance for the misfortunes that befell them.

MDT- Post-pandemic, with several hurdles that the community has overcome, and with this new office of the Consulate being 80% larger than the former one, what else is new?

PM – We continued to provide services when we were in transition while relocating, but we had to suspend some of them. Now we’re back to our full potential. In addition to that, we are resuming our quarterly meetings with the leaders of the Filipino community. The next one will be this coming Sunday.

MDT – What are the main concerns of these Filipino associations?

PM – We always set an agenda. We speak about timely developments in Macau – in particular, new regulations from the Philippines that would affect them coming home. We have timely discussions with them. For this forthcoming meeting with Filipino leaders, we will be discussing our programs for June as we celebrate the 125th Proclamation of the Philippine Independence – that’s a milestone. Aside from that, we will start meetings with a simple blessing of the new office.

MDT – What will the event comprise and where will it be held?

PM – We will have a celebration this time. A diplomatic reception will be held with government officials of Macau and the consular core accredited to the Macau and Hong Kong government. We are making arrangements with Clube Militar.

MDT – With Filipinos comprising the second largest population of non-residents here in Macau, is the Consulate in any talks with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) or other offices on how to better safeguard workers?

PM – We are always in touch with the relevant offices here in Macau. For example, our labor section is in close communication with DSAL as far as the rights and benefits of our workers are concerned. We hold a yearly seminar on the labor and immigration law of Macau. We are also closely coordinating with Macau immigration department on individual cases that are concerned.

We have been trying for the longest time to set a minimum wage because we have that in Hong Kong. But I think the Macau government is in a difficult situation. In my meetings with senior officials of the host government, they were emphasizing the difficulties that prevent them from being selective. If they were to implement a minimum wage, they would also have to discuss this with other communities of non-Chinese workers here. That’s the position that they had taken. Because of that, we made some adjustments.

Instead of depending on a negotiated minimum wage agreement with the host government, we focused on having a standard employment contract for our own workers, where we could specify the minimum wage for those working in domestic services. So, it cannot be lower than what our workers are receiving in Hong Kong.

In terms of benefits such as insurance and airfare, those are non-negotiables as far as our standardized employment contract is concerned.

MDT – These applies to those going through the right channels?

PM – Yes. But sadly, there are newcomers coming in via tourist visas, who are trying their luck to find opportunities to work here as directly hired employees. But of course, the regulation in Macau has changed since November 2021, where tourists are no longer allowed to be employed directly. They have to go back to their home country to arrange their [working visas in these circumstances].

MDT – Can you say that is better option?

PM – It is. Those coming through the right channels will be well protected by the contract. These are contracts that are verified through the Philippine government’s labor office, and will ensure that they are being paid the right amount. That includes, of course, insurance, guaranteed protection of return airfare and stipends.

MDT – The hotel sector is suffering from a severe shortage of staff as they had to let go thousands of workers during the outbreak. The Philippines has an employment agency, Ikon, that has been actively recruiting for local hotels. Are you aware of how many we can expect to come in?

PM – They [Ikon] are working double time, bringing in Filipino workers for the industry. That’s the specific target: hotel workers. They mentioned a number in the high thousands, and I think they are looking for 10,000 to fill in the gaps. But sadly, the contract approvals are taking time.

MDT – In relation to post-pandemic hurdles, what has been the most challenging?

PM – I don’t see any hard issue because the community is very cooperative with the programs and supportive of them. And it’s also working both ways. We are looking out for the needs of the community. As much as possible, I attend all their invitations to the events they are organizing. It’s a matter of building trust and goodwill between the Consulate and the community.

MDT – Going back to the minimum wage, migrantsí associations in the city have long been calling for such a policy, even meeting with DSAL officials to express their concerns. What is the Consulateís stand on this?

PM – The local government hasn’t budged an inch. That is why we came up with the standardized contract that will apply if workers go through the right channels, because that we can control. There are the things we cannot control […] so we find ways to go around these hurdles. We want quality employers [for our nationals]; that’s what we’re after.

MDT – What is the average number of people seeking for assistance in each day?

PM – In the labor section, it does not go below 100. I think it’s more realistic to say 200, but on Sundays that would easily be double. And with other forms of consular assistance, I think we’re seeing some 30 to 40 people.