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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
December 3, 2025 | 8:08am
This handout photo released by the Hong Kong Police Force on December 1, 2025 shows the aftermath of a fire inside an apartment block at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.
Handout / Hong Kong Police Force / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — The government of Hong Kong has pledged to give around US$1 million in assistance to the families of migrant workers who were killed in the deadly fires that ravaged several high-rise towers.
This includes Maryan Pascual Esteban, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was confirmed to have died in the fires.
In a press conference with Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Hong Kong Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun extended his condolences to those who were affected by the flames.
Many of the foreign domestic helpers affected by the fires were taking care of the elderly and of children, Sun said.
The foreign domestic workers who were killed in the fires will be given statutory compensation of HK$500,000, as well as one-off financial assistance of HK$200,000.
They will also be given an additional HK$50,000. Sun said that this tallies to around HK$800,000.
This translates to roughly US$102,700 or around P6 million.
Meanwhile, those who were injured in the fires will receive a one-off assistance of HK$50,000, depending on how long they stayed in the hospital, said Sun.
Migrant workers who survived the fire will also be granted HK$20,000.
On top of this, all the survivors will also be given an additional HK$2,000.
Without specifying their nationalities, Sun said that there were around 235 migrant workers at the Wang Fuk Court during the fires. A total of 10 migrant workers died, with three others injured and 30 who are still missing.
Cacdac said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Migrant Workers to provide all necessary aid to the affected OFWs, which includes educational assistance to the children of the migrant worker who died, as well as those who were injured.
