Pinoys going home for good, POLO staff among Peya victims

The shuttered Peya Travel agency office in Central.

AT least two Filipino workers in Hong Kong who are about to go home for good in the Philippines were among those who sought the help of the Philippine Consulate after they found out that the plane tickets they booked from Peya Travel were unconfirmed.

Besides them, it was also learned that a staff at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office was also among those who had to shell out hefty cash so she could still spend the holidays with her family in the Philippines after finding out that her Peya-issued ticket was unconfirmed.

The two Filipino domestic helpers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Hong Kong News that they were worried that they could not get a refund of their tickets.

“For good na kami sa January. Sabi ng Peya baka daw sa January pa ang refund pero wala na kami dito noon. Naghahanap na kami ng ibang ticket para sa pag-uwi namin for good,” one of them said as she showed the ticket she bought from Peya.

She and her friend went to the consulate on Dec. 20 to file their complaint.

Assistance to Nationals officer Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr. told the two women to still file their complaint and assured them that should any refunds would be made by Peya, they would be informed.

“Ipapatawag naman kayo at kokontakin kapag naayos na ito, basta i-file ninyo lang at iiwan ang contact details sa amin,” he told the two women.

Meanwhile, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre also told Hong Kong News that a POLO staff had to fork out $8,000 so she could get a flight to the Philippines.

“She booked with Peya, and now she had to pay more so she could go home. I think it was the only available flight she could find. It’s expensive, but you’d do anything to be with your family,” he said.

Peya owner Rhea Donna Bayona Boyce was taken to the police station on Dec.25 for investigation owing to the flight booking mess.

As of Dec. 24, PCG officials said they had received nearly 700 complaints from Filipinos against Peya, whose office in World Wide House in Central had been shuttered since Dec. 20.