Taiwan OFWs facing massive layoffs - MECO

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A Filipino official here has confirmed warnings by migrant groups that the raging global economic crisis could displace a huge number of Filipino workers in Taiwan.

Antonio I. Basilio, the resident representative of the Manila and Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, said the crisis is expected to render tens of thousands of expatriate workers jobless, including two-thirds or 60,000 out of some 98,000 Filipinos.

Layoffs are affecting not just Filipino workers but also other foreign nationals, including Vietnamese, Indonesians, Thais and Indian nationals, Basilio told visiting Filipino workers on Monday.

The layoffs are expected to peak by next quarter of 2009 as big companies whose export markets are the United States and Europe begin to feel the actual impact of the crisis.

Most of these Pinoy workers were those employed in factories, which main businesses are into exporting, and with the US and Europe as their major buyers. These companies are now starting to lay off workers, he said.

He said the number of affected Pinoys seeking assistance and processing their documents at the MECO has reached 400 workers a day.

From an earlier report of more than 1,200 workers retrenched from 18 companies, Basilio confirmed that there were nearly 3,000 workers who were relieved from 49 companies as of Dec. 12.

Basilio's admission effectively negated claims by other MECO officials that the picture was rosier contrary to what the migrant groups Migrante International and Asia Pacific Migrants Mission (APPM) had been saying.

Not all is bad, however, said Basilio. He said job openings in the construction and services sectors would still serve as fallback to Filipinos who may desire to continue working in Taiwan. The demand is not as big, though, compared to the manufacturing industry, he added.

Basilio assured that MECO, the Philippines' de facto embassy in Taiwan, will continue to do intervention work to make sure those who lose their jobs get the benefits due them, and if possible including all the expenses paid to brokers.

Under the present situation, he said, the most that the government could do is to provide assistance and wait for the economic crisis to settle down, which hopefully would happen after the 1st quarter of next year.

Basilio said the most unfortunate are newly arrived OFWs who have yet to pay their debts back home.

At present, MECO has to assist and process the documents of affected Pinoys, which has reached at a peak of 400 workers a day.

From an earlier report of over 1,200 workers retrenched from 18 companies, Basilio confirmed that there were nearly 3,000 workers who were relieved from 49 companies.

Earlier, Basilio disclosed efforts for more Filipinos to be employed in Taiwan in line with its planned $15-billion economic stimulation program.

He said that even before this, new job openings for Filipinos still remain in sectors that are not as affected by the crisis, while deployment of new workers has outstripped the number of workers retrenched in November and this month. GMANews.TV

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