HONG KONG — Philippine consular and government officials, led by the Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and ConGen Romulo Victor Israel Jr., visited Filipina inmates at Hong Kong’s Lo Wu Correctional Institution on Saturday, 8 Nov. 2025.
The delegation, which include OWWA Administrator Py Caunan, Vice Consul George Soriano, Hon. Rep. Bryan Revilla of the AGIMAT Party List, Hon. Rep. Johanne Bautista of the Trabaho Party List, and OWWA Welfare Officer Marilou Sumalinog, met with several Filipina women who have been held at the facility for months or even years on charges ranging from immigration violations and theft to money laundering and other crimes.
Lo Wu Correctional Institution houses women awaiting trial, those convicted of offenses, and a number of female drug addicts undergoing treatment under Hong Kong’s drug rehabilitation program. Philippine officials did not disclose the exact number of Filipinas detained there but described the group as comprising “several” women.
During the visit, Secretary Cacdac assured the inmates of comprehensive assistance upon their release, aimed at helping them rebuild their lives and “move on.” The support extends to the minor children of the detained women, and Cacdac pledged to personally visit the homes of some of these inmates’ families.
OWWA Administrator Caunan, speaking on the inmates’ conditions, noted that “they are doing okay.” She added that the OWWA team was “excited” to bring a “little celebration” to lift spirits during the visit.
The officials expressed gratitude to Hong Kong’s government for its “proper care” of the detained Filipinas, many of whom are overseas workers caught in legal troubles while seeking employment in the Chinese Special Administrative Region, a major hub for domestic helpers from the Philippines.
The visit underscores ongoing efforts by the Philippine government to support its citizens abroad amid challenges like incarceration, which affects thousands of Filipinos globally each year often prompting consular interventions for legal aid, welfare checks, and repatriation.
The Lo Wu facility, located in the northern New Territories near the border with mainland China, is one of several correctional institutions in the city dedicated to female offenders.
