Nearly half of the total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong has been vaccinated, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) reported on Friday.

Labor Attaché Melchor Dizon said out of the 220,000 Filipinos working on the island, more than 100,000 have received the vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Maybe it is safe to say that more than 100,000 OFWs have been vaccinated here in Hong Kong,” he said in a virtual forum.

Dizon said out of a total of 365,000 foreign workers in the Chinese autonomous region, about 222,911 or 61 percent have been inoculated as of June 1.

He added that there are reasons why some Filipinos have yet to get inoculated.

“Some would say about their blood pressure. They are afraid that it might have an effect on them, side effect,” Dizon said.

He noted that Hong Kong has enough supplies of the Covid-19 jabs.

At the same time, Dizon also reported that the government is giving incentives to those who will get vaccinated.

“They provide incentives for you to get vaccinated, which we are also qualified (for). But for residents, they are giving away like a house, a car, a certain amount. They have many incentives for you to get vaccinated. I think the draw will start maybe next month, for the raffle. Filipinos are qualified to join the raffle except for the house prize,” he added.

The majority of Filipino workers in Hong Kong are household service workers. (PNA)