Higher workers quota in Korea seen as number of overstaying Pinoys decreases

With a decrease in the number of illegal Filipino workers in South Korea between 2012 and 2013, the Philippine government is hopeful more Filipinos will soon be allowed to work there.

From 30.6 percent in 2012, the number of illegal Filipino workers in South Korea dropped to 22.7 percent in 2013, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in a statement Thursday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said this may sway the Korean government to increase the Employment Permit System (EPS) quota for the Philippines.

The Philippines' current jobseekers' quota under the EPS is 8,000, or 100 more than last year's quota. If the quota is increased, more Filipinos may enter the country as workers.

“I have high hopes that our EPS quota will increase because our EPS performance has been consistently good as reported to me,” the DOLE statement quoted Baldoz as saying during a luncheon meeting with Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Hyuk Lee and other Korean Embassy officials.

The EPS is a government-to-government hiring scheme for foreign workers, the implementation of which is part of the Memorandum of Understanding between DOLE and the Korea Ministry of Labor that was inked on April 23, 2004 during Baldoz's stint as Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief. South Korean employers can only hire foreign workers through the scheme.  

Current POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac echoed Baldoz's statement.

“While most of the 15 sending countries under the EPS have received a reduced quota due to the reduction of the overall quota for EPS of 53,000, the Philippines is an exception and this is, indeed, a good sign," he said.

The POEA is the only government agency authorized to implement EPS in the Philippines.

DOLE records show there were 35,936 Filipino workers in South Korea as of March 31, 2014, three percent of whom have since returned to their Korean employers after coming home to the Philippines at the end of their EPS stint.

Korea call such returning EPS workers as "committed" or "sincere" workers, the DOLE said in its statement. — Rie Takumi/KBK/JL, GMA News

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