Taiwan has been asked to reopen its doors to migrant Filipino workers, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said Friday, following a meeting between the Philippines’ representative office to Taipei and the Taiwan labor ministry.
In a statement, MECO said that its chairman and resident representative Wilfredo B. Fernandez, had sought a meeting with labor minister Minister Hsu Ming-Chun “in his continuing bid for Taiwan to reopen its borders to overseas Filipino workers.”
“During the meeting, (Mr.) Fernandez reiterated his request for ‘stranded’ Filipino workers in the Philippines since the May 2021 suspension of deployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic to be allowed to return to Taiwan,” it added.
Philippine labor attaché in Taiwan Cesar Chavez, Jr said earlier that Taiwan is likely to welcome OFWs after the 2022 Lunar New Year, when more quarantine facilities are expected to be available.
Mr. Hsu said during the meeting that the Philippines is an important international partner, citing the immense contribution of Filipinos to Taiwan’s economic development.
MECO said Mr. Hsu pledged to continuously review labor rules to protect the rights of migrant workers and improve their benefits.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fernandez reiterated his strong objection to “exorbitant fees” Philippine recruitment agencies charge to OFWs, saying the matter could be addressed through simplified recruitment and better collaboration between the two countries.
The MECO said its chairman asked Malacañang in November to “ensure Taiwan’s requirements for the resumption of OFW deployment be addressed immediately” and recommended that Philippine recruitment agencies shoulder all pandemic-related fees.
“The recommendation is in consonance with a January 2021 Memo Circular No.1 of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) explicitly providing that pandemic fees prior to deployment shall be borne by the agency, at no cost to the worker,” it said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
