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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced Monday that the Hong Kong government has agreed to allow Filipino workers vaccinated in the Philippines to enter the city.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the HK government decision to allow locally vaccinated Filipino workers to enter and work in the city starting August 30. Provided they present a validated COVID-19 vaccine certificates issued by the Philippine Bureau of Quarantine.

Some 3,000 OFWs who are awaiting deployment will benefit from this development, Bello added.

Once deployed, the OFWs will undergo quarantine in specified hotels, with the cost shouldered by their employers.

The Hong Kong government is also in the process of coordinating with partner hotels for the quarantine arrangements of the OFWs.

Earlier, Filipino workers had issues with their deployment in Hong Kong after the HK government did not allow them to enter the city because of the different vaccination certificates issued by their respective local governments.

The BOQ has prepared a draft vaccination certificate with the passport details of the OFWs as requested by the Hong Kong government.

The Hong Kong immigration will honor these certificates issued by BOQ for incoming OFWs, pending the inclusion of the passport details in the yellow card.

Hong Kong has some of the most stringent coronavirus entry requirements globally, with arrivals from countries considered “high risk” mandated to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in a designated quarantine hotel, even those who are vaccinated.