Stay out of sight, OFWs in Taiwan told


Tags: Taiwan

The Philippine government has advised overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan to stay at home and inside their workplaces amid reports that Filipinos are receiving the brunt of the outrage over the death of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters.
 
Antonio Basilio, the Philippines' de facto ambassador to Taipei, has issued an advisory to Filipinos to "limit" their outdoor activities for now, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview Sunday.
 
"Kumbaga, ‘yung mga unnecessary things na kailangang gawin ay huwag po muna; kumbaga, to keep within their workplace and their homes po muna there," Valte said.
 
She also encouraged OFWs to report incidents of harassment to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which represents the Philippines' interest in Taiwan.
 
On May 9, authorities from the Philippine Coast Guard shot fisherman Hung Shih-cheng when the Taiwanese vessel he was riding allegedly tried to ram their ship in disputed waters off the coast of Batanes in extreme northern Luzon.
 
Due to the shooting incident, some Filipinos in Taiwan reported being denied access to public markets and being called "dogs" in some establishments. 
 
The incident has also caused a diplomatic row between the Philippines and Taiwan, with Taipei freezing the hiring of Filipino workers and discouraging Taiwanese from travel to the Philippines despite repeated apologies from Filipino authorities. 
 
According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there were over 93,800 Filipinos working in Taiwan as of December 2011. —KG/HS, GMA News

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