Despite easing tension, Taiwan keeps freeze on hiring of Pinoys

By Mayen Jaymalin, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - The freeze hiring on Filipino workers in Taiwan stays for now even as the row between the Philippines and Taiwan eases over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman in Batanes.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) told her the restrictions on hiring of blue-collar Filipino workers will not be lifted yet.

“I checked with TECO and I was told it’s still status quo,” Baldoz said in an interview.

But the labor chief expressed hope that Taiwan would soon lift the hiring freeze and open its doors again for Filipino factory workers.

Taiwan stopped the hiring of Filipino workers last month to express dissatisfaction over Manila’s handling of the incident last May 9.

It also extended the processing of employment permits and imposed additional requirements for other Filipino workers.
Baldoz said the hiring freeze has not adversely affected the deployment of Filipino workers in Taiwan.

Hiring of workers in Saudi surges

 Meanwhile, hiring of Filipino household service workers (HSWs) in Saudi Arabia has surged after the Philippine government lifted the restrictions on the deployment of maids to the kingdom.

The recruitment industry yesterday reported that the deployment of HSWs to Saudi Arabia hit 4,000 in the first three months of the year.

Recruitment officials said the demand for Filipino workers is growing fast that the Philippine government could hardly accommodate the high number of domestic helpers needing the mandatory pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS).

They said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has opened additional sites for PDOS orientation in different regions.

Under the new rules in deployment of HSWs, only OWWA is allowed to provide PDOS for departing workers.

Filipino workers were encouraged to work in Saudi Arabia after the government forged a new agreement providing more protection and better working conditions for domestic helpers.

Recruitment agencies deploying HSWs to the kingdom said Saudi employers prefer Filipina domestic helpers because of their fluency in English and higher education background.

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