Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1760662077296cropped-176051675666417604392997741760439294091.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photo courtesy of the Hong Kong Police Force</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Friday reported that the 2 OFWs in Hong Kong reported missing earlier have been &quot;found safe&quot; and are now under the custody of OWWA office there.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/14/2-ofws-reported-missing-in-hong-kong-1720">2 OFWs reported missing in Hong Kong</a></div><p>&quot;The two missing OFWs in Hong Kong have been found and taken to the MWO-OWWA office in HK. They were picked up from a police station and are safe and sound,&quot; Cacdac said in a post on X.</p><p>He added that the two will be &quot;repatriated soon.&quot;</p><p>The two OFWs were earlier identified as Imee Pabuaya, 24 and Aleli Tibay, 33.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/hong-kong-authorities-working-on-leads-from-families-of-two-missing-ofws-1725">Hong Kong authorities working on leads from families of two missing OFWs</a></div><p>Pabuaya last communicated with her family on Oct. 4. She is said to be in a relationship with Tibay.</p><p>DMW said they were informed of the pair&#x27;s situation four days after they disappeared. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;LOST IN THE TRAIL&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In an online press briefing following his announcement, Cacdac said the two were found Thursday night, October 16, after the MWO Assistant Labor Attache received a call at around 10:20 p.m. that the two had been found. </p><p>“Siya ay nakatanggap ng tawag sa ating case officer na nahanap ‘yung dalawa at dinala sa isang police station sa Hong Kong, sa Shatin Police Station at agad namang sinundo yung dalawa,” he said.</p><p>The DMW chief said they are still gathering details on the circumstances of the disappearance.</p><p>“Hindi pa malinaw yung kabuuang kwento. ‘Yung ulat lang na pumasok sa’kin kanina is nawala daw sila sa hiking on a certain trail, ‘yung Lung Mun Country Trail. ‘Yun lang,” he said.</p><p>“&#x27;Yun ang sabi nila, ‘yun ang version nila kaya’t lalo pa nating kakausapin &#x27;yung dalawa patungkol sa detalye,” Cacdac added.</p><p>The two will be asked for a sworn statement of what really happened, according to Cacdac.</p><p>Cacdac noted that the two had already been given psychosocial counseling and financial assistance. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SACKED FOLLOWING DISAPPEARANCE  </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Cacdac said the two OFWs have been terminated from work due to their disappearance.</p><p>“Usually, ang course of action ng employer dun is to report and after a certain period of time nasa discretion ng employer is to terminate. So ‘yun ang nangyari sa ngayon. ‘Yun ang status ng dalawa,”</p><p>The two OFWs are set to collect their belongings but will still try to negotiate with their employer, according to Cacdac.</p><p>“Susubukan muna nilang magpaliwanag sa kanilang employer,” he said.</p><p>“&#x27;Yung matter on repatriation will be arranged kung talaga bang tuluyan na silang ite-terminate. But we stand ready to repatriate them of course,” he added. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><em></em><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GWCQqDIfgfc?&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abs-cbn.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Friday reported that the 2 OFWs in Hong Kong reported missing earlier have been "found safe."</p>

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Friday reported that the 2 OFWs in Hong Kong reported missing earlier have been "found safe."

2 missing OFWs in Hong Kong found safe, to be repatriated soon: Cacdac

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2 missing OFWs in Hong Kong found safe, to be repatriated soon: Cacdac

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 17, 2025 08:49 AM PHT

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Updated October 17, 2025 11:29 AM PHT

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OFW

Hong Kong

missing OFWs

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