DOLE activates help desk for Taiwan-based OFWs
Overseas Filipino workers affected by the hiring freeze in Taiwan stand to benefit from a new help desk at the offices of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Monday said she has ordered the POEA and OWWA to answer queries and assist the over 16,000 Filipino workers who may be affected by the freeze in hiring imposed by Taiwan following its rift with the Philippines.
The row stemmed from the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman, who was said to be poaching, by Philippine authorities on disputed waters last May 9.
“I task the Help Desk to produce a profile of the OFWs returning from Taiwan, including their principals, employers, and deploying agencies, and to provide the Office of the DOLE Secretary accurate and updated information on their number, skills and qualifications, and if possible, their occupational inclination or plans upon their return, so we can better direct and focus our assistance to them,” Baldoz said in a statement.
The POEA help desk can be reached at 7221189.
Baldoz said the POEA has already 28 existing general help desks nationwide while the OWWA has 901.
Mandate
The help desk was mandated to provide assistance to repatriated workers from Taiwan with services such as:
POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac has designated deputy administrator Jeriel Domingo to lead the operations and supervise the help desk. He also assigned Celso Hernandez of the POEA’s Labor Assistance Division to man the help desk. — KBK, GMA News
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Monday said she has ordered the POEA and OWWA to answer queries and assist the over 16,000 Filipino workers who may be affected by the freeze in hiring imposed by Taiwan following its rift with the Philippines.
The row stemmed from the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman, who was said to be poaching, by Philippine authorities on disputed waters last May 9.
“I task the Help Desk to produce a profile of the OFWs returning from Taiwan, including their principals, employers, and deploying agencies, and to provide the Office of the DOLE Secretary accurate and updated information on their number, skills and qualifications, and if possible, their occupational inclination or plans upon their return, so we can better direct and focus our assistance to them,” Baldoz said in a statement.
The POEA help desk can be reached at 7221189.
Baldoz said the POEA has already 28 existing general help desks nationwide while the OWWA has 901.
Mandate
The help desk was mandated to provide assistance to repatriated workers from Taiwan with services such as:
- legal assistance for those who have legitimate claims from their recruiters, employers, or principals
- livelihood and entrepreneurial development assistance
- referral for local and overseas employment.
POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac has designated deputy administrator Jeriel Domingo to lead the operations and supervise the help desk. He also assigned Celso Hernandez of the POEA’s Labor Assistance Division to man the help desk. — KBK, GMA News
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