Group: More OFWs in Macau might lose jobs to locals
Philippines - More overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Macau might just end up jobless if the localization of workers continues in Asia’s gaming capital, a non-profit organization said on Tuesday.
"The Macau administration is looking at a possible 50 percent reduction in foreign workers in private security and cleaning agencies for 2009," said Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople (BFO) Policy Center in a statement on Tuesday.
Ople said that there is also some pressure for Macau – where around 13,000 Filipinos currently live and work – to prioritize hiring jobless locals for high-paying jobs like pit managers in casinos.
According to the report, she met separately with Labor Attache Leopoldo de Jesus and Consul General Jet Ledda to discuss how the financial crunch is affecting Macau and its workforce.
De Jesus told her that the tightening of Macau’s economy was also due to China’s policy limiting its citizens to visit the renowned gaming mecca only once every three months.
And while expressing optimism that majority of OFWs remain secure with their current employers, Ledda told Ople that the Philippine Consulate is still closely monitoring the situation.
"There is no doubt that our workers are highly valued in Macau. However, no one really can say for sure what the economy will be like a few months from now," he said.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) showed that 3,567 Filipinos from seven countries, including the Chinese province of Macau, have been the latest casualties of the financial crunch.
It also indicated that two construction companies from Macau had laid off a total of 45 Filipino workers due to the suspension of construction projects.
Industry recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani earlier said that OFWs in Macau have expressed fear that they would be the first casualties of the cutbacks since they are paid more than local hires.
As such, Ople asked all those in the industry to think of ways to mitigate the looming lay-offs.
"It’s about time that we also view this crisis from labor’s perspective because every job lost affects not only the worker, but also his or her household, and the economy as a whole," she said.
On the other hand, POEA chief Jennifer Manalili has recently said that the average daily deployment of Filipinos overseas remains steady at 3,647 every month, which more than offsets the number of lost jobs abroad since October.
Moreover, Ople said in the report that the Macau government has been adopting a “wait-and-see attitude" because it also needs skilled foreign workers in order to remain competitive.
But since Filipino economists foresee the crisis to continue until the end of 2009, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has advised OFWs to just stick to their jobs. - GMANews.TV
"The Macau administration is looking at a possible 50 percent reduction in foreign workers in private security and cleaning agencies for 2009," said Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople (BFO) Policy Center in a statement on Tuesday.
Ople said that there is also some pressure for Macau – where around 13,000 Filipinos currently live and work – to prioritize hiring jobless locals for high-paying jobs like pit managers in casinos.
According to the report, she met separately with Labor Attache Leopoldo de Jesus and Consul General Jet Ledda to discuss how the financial crunch is affecting Macau and its workforce.
De Jesus told her that the tightening of Macau’s economy was also due to China’s policy limiting its citizens to visit the renowned gaming mecca only once every three months.
And while expressing optimism that majority of OFWs remain secure with their current employers, Ledda told Ople that the Philippine Consulate is still closely monitoring the situation.
"There is no doubt that our workers are highly valued in Macau. However, no one really can say for sure what the economy will be like a few months from now," he said.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) showed that 3,567 Filipinos from seven countries, including the Chinese province of Macau, have been the latest casualties of the financial crunch.
It also indicated that two construction companies from Macau had laid off a total of 45 Filipino workers due to the suspension of construction projects.
Industry recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani earlier said that OFWs in Macau have expressed fear that they would be the first casualties of the cutbacks since they are paid more than local hires.
As such, Ople asked all those in the industry to think of ways to mitigate the looming lay-offs.
"It’s about time that we also view this crisis from labor’s perspective because every job lost affects not only the worker, but also his or her household, and the economy as a whole," she said.
On the other hand, POEA chief Jennifer Manalili has recently said that the average daily deployment of Filipinos overseas remains steady at 3,647 every month, which more than offsets the number of lost jobs abroad since October.
Moreover, Ople said in the report that the Macau government has been adopting a “wait-and-see attitude" because it also needs skilled foreign workers in order to remain competitive.
But since Filipino economists foresee the crisis to continue until the end of 2009, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has advised OFWs to just stick to their jobs. - GMANews.TV
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