6,000 Pinoys hit by Taiwan freeze hiring order — MECO

,GMA News
Some 6,000 Filipinos awaiting employment in Taiwan were hit by Taiwan's freeze hiring order, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said Monday.
 
In an interview, MECO chairman Amadeo Perez Jr. said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) has not issued visas for around 6,000 Filipino new hires due to the order.
 
"Yan nga malaking problema dahil karamihan nito nagbayad ng placement fee, karamihan niyan umutang, pagkatapos itong tatagal pa na ifi-freeze ng TECO yung visa nila. Eh baka yung trabaho o job opening, baka kumuha na yung employer sa Taiwan ng iba," Perez said.
 
The MECO serves as the Philippines' representative office in Taiwan, while the TECO is Taiwan's representative office in the Philippines.
 
Relations between the Philippines and Taiwan have been strained by the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine Coast Guard members in disputed waters on May 9. The falling out has triggered Taiwan to freeze the hiring of Filipino workers.
 
Taiwan has insisted that the Taiwanese fishing boat was not within Philippine territory.

The freeze hiring directive has prompted Philippine officials to look for alternatives for affected Pinoy workers.

Easing tensions
 
Still, Perez said that there's good news for Filipinos already in Taiwan, as tensions seem to have eased between Filipinos and Taiwanese angry at the Philippine government's actions.
 
Perez said no incident of harassment against Filipinos has been recorded over the past eight days.
 

Four incidents of harassment against Filipinos were recorded since the May 9 shooting incident.

"Humupa na ang tensyon at ang inaasahan po namin sana, tuloy-tuloy na to," Perez said.
 
"Pero ganun pa rin, tuloy-tuloy pa rin yung paalala natin sa mga OFW doon na 'wag maging kampante, mag-ingat pa rin," he added.

According to the Labor Department, out of an estimated 85,185 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan, 72 percent are working in the manufacturing sector/factories; 26 percent in personal/social services and 2 percent in the fishery sector. — RSJ, GMA News

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