Pinoy travel agencies urged to help distressed helpers

The shuttered Peya Travel agency office in Central.

AN official of the Philippine Consulate has appealed to other travel agencies run by Filipino nationals to give concessionary rates to domestic workers who bought tickets from Peya Travel.

Vice Consul Robert Quintin told Hong Kong News on Wednesday that the act of helping distressed domestic workers whose plane tickets to the Philippines were unconfirmed despite payment given to Peya would be a way of showing the community’s “bayanihan” and “malasakit” traits.

“Sana iyong mga naapektuhan na lalapit sa agency nila, tulungan nila. Bigyan nila ng concessionary rates o ibigay na nila ng actual ticket cost na wala ng tubo,” he said.

Besides doing the good deed in the “spirit of Christmas”, the act makes good business sense as domestic workers are the main market of Filipino travel agencies.

“At tulong na din sa industriya para ipakita nila na maasahan at mapagkakatiwalaan ang Filipino travel agencies,” he said.

At least 200 Filipino domestic helpers have sought the assistance of the PCG upon discovering that their tickets to the Philippines purchased from Peya were unconfirmed.

On Tuesday night, the PCG issued an advisory urging the public “not to transact with Peya Travel until such time that this issue is resolved and all aggrieved parties have received just compensation.”

In a post on Facebook on Tuesday night, Peya apologized and said they were trying to face all the stranded passengers.

As of Wednesday morning, Peya’s office at the World wide House in Central was shuttered.