Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan

mounting fees

2011-10-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

"According to reports, household workers bound for the Middle East spend about P5,800 to P11,300 ($134 to $262) each for medical certification, household worker assessment fee and other related fees such as those for clearance from the National Bureau of Investigations and passport, excluding transportation and food.
In the meantime, OFWs bound for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore also shoulder compulsory insurance premiums and placement costs, which range from P50,000 to P150,000 ($1,162 to $3,488). With most OFWs on two year contracts, the upfront cost of the compulsory insurance is between P6,500 to P8,800 ($151 to $204)."

More at Bulatlat.com

New tack on domestic workers’ pay terms proposed | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

2011-08-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

New tack on domestic workers’ pay terms proposed | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Domestic workers have been the leading occupational group of deployed new-hire overseas workers for many years now, says POEA data. NSO’s annual Survey on Overseas Filipinos also shows that laborers and unskilled workers, the occupational grouping where domestic workers fall under, have been the leading overseas worker remitters.

Recruiter advised OFW to jump off a building to get insurance money? | Inquirer Global Nation

2011-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Recruiter advised OFW to jump off a building to get insurance money? | Inquirer Global Nation: "When contacted by Bantay OCW, Benzon Tan denied he told Saberon to go jump off a building. He said the girl probably overheard him “teasing” a different applicant over her insurance coverage. He also denied advising Villanueva to recruit other applicants to such jobs in Taiwan. Tan did not answer our questions regarding the agency’s job orders."

The success of OFW families - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2011-03-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

The success of OFW families - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "ONE OF the signs of the disproportionate social significance of Filipino families with a member working abroad is their presence in the agenda of surveys. For instance, the Bangko Sentral’s quarterly Consumer Expectations Survey asks households how many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) they have, whether they receive remittances, and how they spend the remittances. From its national sample of 5,643 respondents in 2010Q4, 11.1 percent were OFW families."

Maridel Sagum, living in Paris, hasn’t seen her children for 12 years.

2011-03-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

"Across the world, millions of mothers have made this sacrifice for their children — forgoing a life with them in hope of ensuring a better life for them. These women venture far, often into the uncertain world of undocumented domestic work that in effect keeps them hostage in their host countries. Often, they toil six-day weeks, send home much of their meager earnings and — now, in the digital age — say goodnight to the children onSkype or by instant messenger."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/world/europe/08iht-ffhelp08.html?_r=1&ref=thefemalefactor

Updates March 14

2011-03-14T12:36:00.001-07:00

Taiwan lifts suspension of OFW contract renewal
Manila Bulletin
Worse, Taiwan decided to send back the 90000 documented OFWs in Taiwan upon expiration of their contracts by refusing to renew their contracts. ...

Taiwan relaxes rules for OFW visa applications
GMANews.TV
Viewing personnel changes at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) as a show of "regret," Taiwan on Wednesday made a reciprocal gesture by announcing that it has ...

PCCA exec helps OFWs in Taiwan
Journal Online
Dy, a Filipino-Chinese philanthropist, said he is neither pro-Taiwan nor pro-China, but a private citizen concerned about the plight of OFWs based in Taiwan ...

Philippines hopes for better ties with Taiwan
Philippine Star
Lacierda said the easing of requirements for OFWs going to Taiwan was a welcome development and that back-channel talks had been ongoing. ...

• OFW Recalls Danger in Libya, Denounces Neglect by Philippine ...
Bulatlat
Lebria's first two attempts to apply for a job abroad – first to Australia, then to Taiwan — were both frustrated by illegal recruiters. ...

Taiwan understands, really
Manila Standard Today
And Taiwan can still play the OFW card, which would certainly affect the livelihoods of upwards of 100000 Filipinos (illegals included) working there. ...

Sand castles
BusinessWorld Online
These threatened Taiwan, the Philippines, New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia, ... mostly signed for by OFW families, in the growing unrest in the Middle East, ...

David goes to Immigration; Taiwan impasse end seen
Malaya
... offshoot of the controversial deportation last month of 14 Taiwanese to Beijing, ... In the absence of an apology, OFW hiring was subjected to stringent ...

Stop treating workers as exports
Zamboanga Today Online
Taiwan has just recently threatened to send home thousands of Filipinos ... the fact that the OFWremittances comprise more than 10% of the country's GNP. ...

BSP to review remittance targets amid Mideast unrest, Japan disaster
GMANews.TV
The central bank also projects OFW remittances to breach $20-billion this year. ... Hong Kong ($362.5 million), and Taiwan ($121.7 million). ...

News updates

2011-03-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Review of state employment program sought
Sun.Star
"We wish to inform all Taiwan-bound OFWs that we have put in place measures that shall ensure the swift release of their voter ID cards to facilitate their ...

Fighting Batangueña
Philippine Star
She said that OWWA has sent a Welfare Officer in Yemen where an estimated 1000 OFWs are located. She said that the 5000 applicants for Taiwan jobs have not ...

Agency for OFWs eyed
Journal Online
The labor department also depends on DFA for inputs about OFWs. ... We have to save the jobs of our workers in Taiwan over a deportation snafu of their ...

Comelec moves on Taiwan documents
Malaya
"If an OFW files his request between 8 am and 12 noon, his voter's ID will be released 4 pm," he said. Last month, TECO, the de facto embassy for Taiwan in ...

Bangko Sentral lays down guidelines for Libyan dinar exchange
Philippine Star
Under the CEF, each OFW returning from Libya would be allowed to exchange with the ... South Africa's rand, Sweden's kroner, Syria's pound, Taiwan's dollar, ...

P1 million for Caritas Manila
Manila Bulletin
(Christina I. Hermoso) Issuance of the voter's identification cards for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Taiwan will be fast-tracked by the ...

Bending rules, BSP to allow exchange of Libyan dinars
GMANews.TV
... Syrian pound, (New) Taiwan dollar, and Venezuelan bolivar. ... The BSP sees OFW remittances growing by 8 percent a new record breaching the $20 billion ...

Libyan dinars may be converted to pesos at all banks
Philippine Star
The BSP and the banks require the OFWs to present pertinent documents such as ... South Africa's rand, Sweden's kroner, Syria's pound, Taiwan's dollar, ...

Over here, over grim
Manila Bulletin
What should've taken “30 to 45 seconds” per OFW as promised took 90 to 120 minutes! ... In addition, 30000 working in Taiwan could be sent home. ...

Outlook : Middle East Unpreparedness Team / Rigoberto D. Tiglao
Inquirer.net
... even as his concise attention span was on our China and Taiwan troubles. ... Asked in a talk show if her department had informed OFWs in Libya to ...

Updates Feb 2011

2011-02-28T09:33:00.001-08:00

Govt sets up special lanes for Taiwan-bound OFWs
GMANews.TV
Ochoa said the SSS has already opened courtesy lanes and started issuing documents certifying that the Taiwan-bound OFW is a member of SSS and has applied ...

PHL looks for options to Taiwan's threats not to hire OFWs
GMANews.TV
Malacañang over the weekend reassured jobseekers it is looking for other job openings in other countries to make up for the hiring freeze that Taiwan labor ...

DZIQ: Meco doing its best to help OFWs keep their jobs in Taiwan ...
Inquirer.net
Perez is referring to the plight of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Taiwan who are in danger of losing their jobs. Meco stands for Manila Economic ...

Senators urge govt to provide safety nets for OFWs
GMANews.TV
Villar said the Middle East is home to millions of OFWs including 31000 in Bahrain; ... which could delay the deployment of almost 5000 Taiwan-bound OFWs. ...

Kalinga OFW shares how she resisted being a drug mule
Philippine Information Agency
The lady, who earlier worked as a factory worker in Taiwan before deciding to transfer to China, rejected the offer outright. The OFW, a college graduate ...

Binay off to Middle East to ensure OFW safety
The Philippine Online Chronicles
Binay, who is also presidential adviser on OFW concerns, ... Meanwhile, Aquino's envoy to Taiwanand former presidential running-mate Mar Roxas has failed ...

Unprepared, disorganized
Philippine Star
As many as 100000 OFWs from the Middle East and Taiwan may come home this year. Is the government now prepared to take care of them? I don't believe so. ...

Hiring of Pinoys in Taiwan in peril
Malaya
POEA administrator Carlos Cao, also in a phone interview, said, "There is no freeze order for the jobs of our OFWs in Taiwan." Baldoz and Cao were reacting ...

Roxas downplays 'rivalry' with Binay on diplomatic front
GMANews.TV
I am just doing my job, for the sake of Filipinos working in Taiwan. ... “Maganda ang ating layunin dito, mabantayan ang interest ng OFW. ...

Aquino details efforts to assist Filipinos in war-torn Libya
BusinessWorld Online
On another OFW concern, five agencies have been directed by Malacañang to set up priority lanes for Filipino workers bound for Taiwan which has imposed ...

updates

2011-02-22T09:43:00.001-08:00

Taiwan seen to ease rules on OFW hiring
Philippine Star
Gan further expressed hope that the more than 5000 OFWs scheduled to leave for Taiwan for this month and March can immediately fly and work in factories ...

No apology to Taiwan
Manila Bulletin
Roxas explained that 70 percent of the 90000 OFWs in Taiwan form part of the industrial labor force that fuels its economy. Roxas added the OFWs in Taiwan ...

‘OFWs must be taught ways of hosts’ - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2011-01-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

‘OFWs must be taught ways of hosts’ - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "The government should conduct country-specific pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to avoid “embarrassing incidents” like the one where an OFW was caught with 150 pounds of copper in his luggage while leaving Saudi Arabia, a recruitment industry leader said.

Jackson Gan, vice president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters Inc. (Fedmanex), urged the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to make sure pre-departure seminars for OFWs were “country specific” to make them aware of the laws and traditions of the countries they are going to."

PEBA honors 10 outstanding OFW blogs | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

2010-12-20T09:56:00.000-08:00

PEBA honors 10 outstanding OFW blogs | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features: "The winners for this year’s Top 10 Outstanding Blogs (OFW Bloggers Category) were: Animus, Kuwait (Top 1); Gremliness, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Top 2); Kayni's Corner Cafe, USA (Top 3); Baul ni Noel, Saudi Arabia (Top 4); ¡Soy Negrense!, Saudi Arabia (Top 5); Journey of a Prodigal Daughter, Macau (Top 6); Gumamela sa Paraiso, Taiwan (Top 7); Deconstructing Dubai, UAE (Top 8); The Journey of my Life, Saudi Arabia and Stay at Home Blessings, Saudi Arabia (Top 9); and Batang Gala, Canada (Top 10)."

Updates Dec 2010

2010-12-06T09:31:00.001-08:00

With Korea tension up, OFWs in Taiwan gain from overtime
Inquirer.net
“This new development augurs well for our OFWs in that island-state,” he added. Some 80000 Filipino workers in Taiwan work mostly in electronic assembly ...

An OFW journey with a red couch
GMANews.TV
Dado had just broken up with his Taiwan girlfriend, another Pinay worker Anna ...around that red couch on this Sunday that's precious to every OFW. ...

GMANews.TV

Pinoy Sunday in a foreign land through rose-tinted glasses
GMANews.TV
OFW Anna (Meryll Soriano) meanwhile is a caregiver, contented with ... ice-cold Taiwan beer on their hands, the loves of their lives in their arms, ...

Transport of sofa tests friendship in 'Pinoy Sunday'
Manila Bulletin
... story of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). Manuel (Epy Quizon) and Dado (Bayani Agbayani) work in an assembly line for bicycles in Taiwan, ...

No-win conflicts
Manila Bulletin
... by preparing evacuation plans and deferment of OFW employment travel to ... in the Taiwan Strait in previous years by China to satisfy the protesters; ...

latest news

2010-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

Review of OFW insurance pressed
Manila Bulletin
Migrante-Taiwan chapter chairperson Dave Chang also said OFWs in Taiwan decry the statement of Akbayan party list Representative and chairperson of the ...

Congress urged to suspend compulsory insurance for OFWS
GMANews.TV
Members of OFW group Migrante based in Taiwan also criticized the compulsory insurance provision, saying it discourages and adds heavy burden to prospective ...

OFW gives birth inside toilet
Manila Bulletin
... Philippines – A 23-year-old Filipina worker bound for Taiwan missed her ... another overseas Filipino worker (OFW) leaving for abroad, grabbed hold of ...

Congress asked to review mandatory OFW insurance
Manila Bulletin
... some host countries like Hong Kong and Taiwan as a form of compliance to the law. ...Meanwhile, Baldoz said certification of host countries for OFWs, ...

OFW gives birth in Manila airport toilet
ABS CBN News
Mary Suzie Campana, 23, from Carcar, Cebu was all set to board a plane to Taiwan when she gave birth in the NAIA 1 lavatory. Janitress Marcy Eta told police ...

Baby girl born in airport toilet
Manila Standard Today
Campania, an OFW in Taiwan, was on a two-week vacation and was supposed to board the flight to resume her contract as a quality control staff of a ...

Cinemanila honors Dolphy with international award
Manila Bulletin
The award-winning film tells the story of Manuel (Epi Quizon) and Dado (Bayani Agbayani), two Filipino OFWs in Taiwan who discover a discarded sofa one ...

DSWD keeps custody of baby born in NAIA toilet
ABS CBN News
Earlier reports said the stepmother of the OFW did not know that she was ... suspicious that the mother was about to depart for Taiwan and would like to ...

We will not return baby to mom, yet - Sec. Soliman
Philippine Information Agency
The mother delivered at the NAIA restroom just before boarding a plane bound for Taiwan where she works as an OFW. The Department requests the media to ...

DSWD boosts info drive amid rise in child abandonment cases
Manila Bulletin
The mother delivered the baby girl at the NAIA restroom just before boarding a plane bound forTaiwan where she works as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). ...

Updates Nov 2010

2010-11-22T09:37:00.001-08:00

News

8 new results for ofw taiwan

Taiwan OFWs seek exemption from new insurance
Manila Bulletin
In a statement, Migrate International – Taiwan chapter chairman Dave Chang asked the Philippine government to exempt OFWs in Taiwan and Hong Kong from the ...

OFWs in Taiwan hit Phl government over insurance fee
Philippine Star
"The minimum wage in Taiwan is NT$17280 and the OFW is left with only NT$5436 in monthly earnings," Chang said. "It would do well that OFWs in Taiwan like ...

OFWs refute POEA's mandatory insurance scheme
OFW News On Web
David Chang, head of the Migrante International Taiwan Chapter, said that with the minimum wage inTaiwan, OFW would be left with NT$5436 (equivalent to ...

Baldoz to meet with VP Binay on OFW mandatory insurance
Philippine Information Agency
The provision mandates that every departing newly-hired OFW processed through an ... from Hong Kong and Taiwan and some overseas recruitment agencies in the ...

OFW remittances accelerate in September at 10.6 per cent
Philippine Information Agency
The bulk of the approved job orders was mainly for jobsites in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The POEA also reported that land-based ...

A tiger cub economy in the medium term?
Inquirer.net
The IMF and the World Bank had forecast a 4 percent contraction in OFW ... followed by mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Europe and the United States. ...

Binay pushes for creation of task force vs human trafficking
GMANews.TV
The vice president also pushed for an OFW lounge in airports, where departing migrant ... and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (Taiwan). ...

Remittances grow at fastest pace this year
Manila Times
... Reporter Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in September grew at ... was for job sites in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Taiwan. ...

Latest news

2010-11-15T10:32:00.001-08:00

Taiwanese employers threaten to stop hiring OFWs
Philippine Star
There are about 100000 OFWs employed in Taiwan, most of them employed as factory workers or caregivers. Earlier, employers and Filipino workers in Hong Kong ...

OFWs will still pay for compulsory insurance despite warnings
GMANews.TV
... Taiwan, Brunei, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore will eventually shoulder the ... Moreover, he said, the government has not initiated bilateral OFW ...

Binay to DOLE: Review mandatory OFW insurance
GMANews.TV
In a statement, Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on OFWs' concerns, ... Taiwan subsequently followed suit, after a recruiters' group bared that ...

Three recent articles

2010-11-01T10:38:00.001-07:00

Economists say crisis slows remittance growth
ABS CBN News
(reflecting) that the top OFW destinations were not as affected as the rest of ... sent home due to job cuts in host countries (notably Taiwan and the UAE). ...Crisis continues to haunt OFW families
GMANews.TV
Consolidated data from both agencies revealed some 12117 OFWs reported they were displaced in 2009. Most of them said their employers in Taiwan and the ...

News in Pictures: Hong Kong OFWs Want 'Rude' Labor Attaché Fired
Bulatlat
Salud was formerly an official of MECO in Taiwan. “Labor Attaché to HK Romulo Salud has insulted, neglected, and aggrieved OFWs one time too many and must ...

Bulatlat

placement fees

2010-09-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

RP agencies scored for 'illegal' rider in Taiwan OFWs' contract
GMANews.TV
According to a CBCP News article, the APMM said the addendum required OFWs to pay 2500 NewTaiwan Dollars (about P3,400) for their food, accommodation and ...

OFWs to Gov't: Address High Placement Fees
Manila Bulletin
The problems of OFW's were raised during the “2010 Regional Parent Education ... These incidents happened in neighboring Asian countries, such as Taiwan and ...

Destination Anywhere

2010-09-27T19:36:00.001-07:00

Remittance

2010-08-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Remittance: "SOME PLUNK down cash for tricycles. Others bankroll sari-sari stores. Yearly, overseas Filipino workers remit a hefty $17 billion plus. But “there’s not much evidence” that this infusion of OFW funds has “contributed to real development.” Why?

“Transnational Bridges: Migration, Development and Solidarity in the Philippines” probes for causes. Scalabrini Migration Center and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) published this first of three studies.

The reports sum up two years of research with University of Valencia and Italy’s Fondazione ISMU. “Transnational” straddles 30 provinces, 12 regions, plus Filipino migrants in Spain and Italy. European Union supported the Mapid (Migrant Associations and Philippine Institutions for Development) project."

Remains of OFW in Taiwan repatriated a year after death - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-08-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Remains of OFW in Taiwan repatriated a year after death - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "The cremated remains of an undocumented overseas Filipino worker in Taiwan were finally repatriated, over a year after she died there of cardiac arrest.

The migrants’ group 'Migrante-Taiwan' said in a statement the body of worker Marilou Sables, a native of Iloilo, was exhumed and cremated on July 31, and was brought to the country on August 7.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippines’ representative office in Taiwan, confirmed the repatriation of Sables’ remains in a phone interview.

Migrante said the repatriation of Sables’ remains was delayed because of questions about her identity and the supposed unavailability of funds of the MECO."

Aquino told: Stop forced migration, create jobs at home - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2010-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Aquino told: Stop forced migration, create jobs at home - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines—Migrante International, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers, families and advocates worldwide, today called on President Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino to make good his promise of stopping forced migration by generating more local jobs.

'Our people are being forced to go abroad out of desperation,' said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.

Martinez said that there are currently 11 million OFWs and an estimated 3,800 leaving the country at a daily rate. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) recorded 1.9 million OFWs in 2009 alone."

BusinessWorld Online Edition: May remittances hit record $1.6B, raise tally to $7.4B

2010-07-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

BusinessWorld Online Edition: May remittances hit record $1.6B, raise tally to $7.4B: "'These are the key factors that support the optimistic outlook for sustained remittance flows through the rest of 2010,' the central bank added.
Citing data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the BSP said first half job orders totalled 302,844, of which 35% consisted of service, professional, technical and production related positions. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Taiwan accounted for the bulk of this segment."

When an OFW dies abroad: It's costly and complicated - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-07-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

When an OFW dies abroad: It's costly and complicated - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "One of the longest-running repatriation cases on record is already more than a year old, according to data from Migrante. It involves Marilou Sables, an Iloilo native and an undocumented English teacher in Taiwan, who died of natural causes in April 2009."

Humor in OFW film - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2010-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Humor in OFW film - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "WI DING HO, A Malaysian living in Taiwan, successfully captures the hilarious plight of Filipino migrant workers in his film, “Pinoy Sunday.” He got noticed with his short film, “Hu Xi (Respire),” which garnered the Kodak Short Film and Young Critics Awards at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival"

Next admin pressed on aid to OFWs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2010-06-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Next admin pressed on aid to OFWs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines—As the country marked the 15th Migrant Workers Day on Monday, a former labor undersecretary called on the incoming administration to strengthen its delivery of effective and quicker assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), many of whom have become victims of human trafficking."

Lessons from thousands of miles away

2010-06-07T17:27:00.001-07:00

Lessons from thousands of miles away
By Chao Wai Yee (philstar.com) Updated June 03, 2010 01:33 PM

"Being a child of a modern-day hero, also known as OFWs, taught me a lot of valuable lessons. My mother, being a single parent since I was three years old, worked abroad for eight years in order to raise me and my brother. At first, she worked in Taiwan as a sewer. After her contract in Taiwan ended, she transferred to Saudi where she almost got herself in prison because she fought for her rights. Fortunately, her employer gave her the option to just go back in the Philippines."

More at: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=580979&publicationSubCategoryId=503

Asia structurally dependent on labor migration –analysts | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

2010-05-24T13:36:00.001-07:00

Asia structurally dependent on labor migration –analysts | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "Labor migration for Asia is “not a mom-and-pop story anymore,” Ma. Alcestis Mangahas of the International Labor Organization (ILO) told migration analysts and stakeholders at a recent forum here.

Mangahas, ILO senior migration specialist, said the advancement of labor migration to such level occurred independent of the recent global financial crisis, natural disasters, and political strife that hit Asia in the past three years.

“Migration is no longer ad hoc.”

Hence, Mangahas challenged policy forum participants to face migration squarely, something that an Asian Development Bank paper says is the correct attitude.

This is important since the ADB paper authors noted an “Asian advantage” when migration for work is liberalized —whether within Asia or to other regions of the world by 2012.

But the authors of the 2008 paper “Asian Migration Prospects: 2007-2010” warned officials must be clear of what they want.

“What do labor-sending countries want —higher growth in real GDP [gross domestic product] or higher real incomes for their citizenry?” authors Terrie Walmsley and S. Amer Ahmed posited."

Crisis pushed more Pinoys abroad — analyst | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

2010-05-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Crisis pushed more Pinoys abroad — analyst | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "Crisis not only brings out the best in people; in the Philippines’s case, it brought out the best people and in droves.

So claims Maruja M.B. Asis of the Scalabrini Migration Center.

At a policy conference organized by the SMC here, Asis said there’s a visible volume of OFWs across all occupational groupings, including production workers, service workers (including domestic workers) and professional and technical workers (the top three occupational groupings of OFWs in 2008).

Hence, she said the year-long increase of migrant worker deployment in 2009 “isn’t surprising”."

Pinoy worker in Taiwan dies in fall accident - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pinoy worker in Taiwan dies in fall accident - Pinoy Abroad - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "Arsenio Chua of the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) section of the MECO in Kaohsiung confirmed that Galang entered Taiwan as a caretaker for a Taiwanese man, but was reported to have been instead assigned to another task by his employer, which was to climb trees to gather coconuts."

BusinessWorld Online: Taiwan, Emirates sent home most OFWs

2010-04-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

BusinessWorld Online: Taiwan, Emirates sent home most OFWs: "The latest report by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), as of Sept. 30 last year, showed that about 4,428 OFWs from Taiwan were displaced nearly a year after the United States declared its economy in recession.

There is still no updated government report on the country sources of displaced OFWs.

Eleven months after economists pointed to two successive quarters of negative growth in the US, some 1,357 OFWs in the UAE were reported displaced.

The OFWs from Taiwan came from 93 companies in the electronics, metal workers, and semiconductor industries, the POEA report stated.

The report said this was due to companies filing for bankruptcy and retrenching workers as a result.

Majority of the displaced OFWs from Taiwan (4,251) returned to the Philippines, the POEA reported."

Crisis-hit Taiwan, UAE post high OFW displacement | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

2010-04-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Crisis-hit Taiwan, UAE post high OFW displacement | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates have the most number of overseas Filipino workers displaced by the global economic crisis, while South Korea had the most number of companies with OFW employees affected.

The latest report by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), as of September 30 last year, showed that about 4,428 OFWs from Taiwan were displaced nearly a year after the United States declared its economy in recession.

There is no updated government report, ending December 31, on the country sources of displaced OFWs.

Eleven months after economists pointed to 2 successive quarters of negative growth in the US, some 1,357 OFWs in the UAE were reported displaced.

The OFWs from Taiwan came from 93 companies of that country’s electronics, metal workers, and semi-conductor industries, the POEA report bared.

The report cited this was due to the filing for bankruptcy of these companies and retrenchment of workers.

Majority of the displaced OFWs from Taiwan (4,251) returned to the Philippines, the POEA reported."

David Mitchell Obituary

2010-03-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

"Mr. David Mitchell, 66, of Greensboro, unexpectedly departed from this life on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.
A memorial service, celebrating his life, will be held at a later date, which will be announced in next Sunday's (March 28th) edition of the Greensboro News and Record.
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the late Riley Franklin Mitchell and Adeline Koller Mitchell, David was a professor at UNCG. He was dearly loved by his family. He was a loving and devoted husband, step-father, and grandfather, who will also be greatly missed by his many good friends and students at UNCG.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 16 years, Ann, of the home; her sons, Dan and Matthew Benner; daughter, Becky Dezern and her husband Ed; grandchildren, Shae, Kayla, Mariah, Chris, Brenna, Alina, and Tara; sisters, Donna Warrington and her husband Tom and Jan Gunderson and her husband Roger; nephews, Hans Doores and Jason Gunderson; aunt Eunice Mitchell; cousins Charlotte Mitchell Smith and Tom Mitchell; sister-in-law Susan Yoakum and her family; and his former wife, Sandra Mitchell.
Hanes-Lineberry Vanstory Chapel has the honor of assisting the Mitchell family with arrangements.
Online condolences may be made at www.haneslineberryfhvanstory.com."

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency

2010-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency: "The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), on the other hand, anticipates that work prospects for Filipino overseas workers will continue to be favorable, given the expected opening of new job markets and more opportunities for better-paying work in the next five (5) to 10 years."

"Impact of Global Downturn on Filipina Factory Workers"

2010-03-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

Linda Arnold Carlisle Faculty Research Grant Presentation at UNCG

Impact of Global Downturn on Filipina Factory Workers on Prezi

OFW problem poses major challenge for next president - Special Reports - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-02-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

OFW problem poses major challenge for next president - Special Reports - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "They may have brought home the bacon – $17 billion in 2009 or over 10 times bigger than last year's expected foreign direct investment – but more than an economic force, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have evolved into a social phenomenon that the country’s next president needs to resolve decisively."

Fewer jobs for Taiwan OFWs sans RP trade pact 02/11/2010 | 07:48 PM | OFW - Overseas Filipino News

2010-02-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Fewer jobs for Taiwan OFWs sans RP trade pact 02/11/2010 | 07:48 PM | OFW - Overseas Filipino News

If the Philippines fails to take swift action, Taiwan locators that would have established operations in the Philippines may be prompted to move to mainland China due to ECFA’s “magnetized effect.”

“Worse, many overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan will soon be out of jobs as Taiwan factories may move to mainland China after the implementation of ECFA,” Lee warned.

Analyzing OFW remittances in 2009 | Manila Bulletin

2010-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Analyzing OFW remittances in 2009 | Manila Bulletin

For the first three quarters, remittances from Asia grew a healthy 16.7 percent. Early on in the recession, many Filipino workers were laid off and returned home from Taiwan, casualties of the electronics industry's slump. Consequently, remittances from Taiwan dropped by 46.1 percent for January to September 2009.

Healthcare, construction top job sources | Manila Bulletin

2010-01-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Healthcare, construction top job sources | Manila Bulletin: "Taiwan was the top destination for production workers despite a slight dip in 2009 for workers in the semi-conductor, metal workers and electronics sectors.Demand for caregivers and caretakers was highest in Taiwan, Israel and the United Kingdom in 2009."

How OFWs cope with crisis under study

2010-01-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

How OFWs cope with crisis under study: "The main bulk of the laid-off workers worldwide as of June last year who returned to the Philippines were from Taiwan (4,300) and the UAE (1,400)."

OFW remittance growth may continue slide next year — ADB - Business - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-01-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

OFW remittance growth may continue slide next year — ADB - Business - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "The growth in money sent home by Filipino workers abroad may slow next year as Asia continues to reel from the slowing global economy, the Asian Development Bank said in a recent study....

The ADB said the profile of Filipinos working and living overseas have changed. Traditionally, it said, the Philippines had sent out low-skilled workers but now, a larger share of migrants comes from the high-skilled sector.

Gender composition of Filipino migrants has also changed. Before, males made up the majority, but with increasing demand for nurses, the share of female migrants has increased significantly."

BSP warned on raising OFW hopes - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2010-01-08T01:46:00.000-08:00

BSP warned on raising OFW hopes - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "Taiwan’s special hiring program has only deployed less than a thousand for 2008 compared to the private sector which deployed more than 40,000 factory workers and caregivers.

“Those markets have dried up and only the Middle East countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Libya where over two million Filipinos are concentrated are steadily increasing remittances flows,” Soriano said.

The recruitment executive, however, warned that the over 200,000 OFWs in Dubai, the second biggest source of remittances this year, were likely to send less next year because of the emirate’s debt crisis.

The BSP earlier said that in the first three quarters of the year, OFWs sent home through banks a total of $12.789 billion, up $516.62 million or 4.21 percent from the $12.273 billion in the same period in 2008"

Brighter OFW prospects in Taiwan seen | Manila Bulletin

2010-01-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Brighter OFW prospects in Taiwan seen | Manila Bulletin: "TAIPEI – At least 40 percent of the 5,000 permanently displaced Filipino workers in Taiwan at the height of the global financial crisis last year are now back to work and prospects for deployment are getting better following a positive outlook for this export-oriented economy.

This was revealed by Philippine labor attaché Reydeluz D. Conferido of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan during a talk with visiting Filipino reporters over the weekend.

“Total deployment has reached 70,000 in all from 60,000 OFWs here last year,” Conferido said.

Of the 70,000 OFWs in Taiwan, 40,000 are engaged in the electronics manufacturing and 20,000 are in social services (caregivers, caretakers, nursing aids, domestic workers) and the others in the construction sector, agriculture and fishery."

Saudi Arabia: Top OFW destination in 2009 | Manila Bulletin

2010-01-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

Saudi Arabia: Top OFW destination in 2009 | Manila Bulletin: "As for Taiwan, Manalili said the 22.1 percent decrease in the number of OFW deployed there this year is a manifestation of the global economic crisis.

Early this year, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Taiwan recorded the highest number of Filipino workers displaced by the global financial crisis.

Roque said at least 4,197 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were laid-off in Taiwan from October 2008 to February 2009."

‘Misleading’ POEA report on OFWs hit | Manila Bulletin

2010-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

‘Misleading’ POEA report on OFWs hit | Manila Bulletin: "The POEA earlier said the actual OFW deployment for 2009 reached 1.23 million, adding that the global financial crisis has made little impact on the deployment of workers abroad. The total number reportedly increased by 11.7 percent from 1.14 million in 2008.“In reality, seafarers are re-hires since their contracts average to six to eight months and return to their ships again in two to three months. So, therefore, a seaman/woman may be counted twice as a new hire as he/she may leave twice in a year. This may be the real reason why the sea-based sector shows an increase in the number deployed,’’ he explained.months"

Labor Migration in 2009: A Terrible Year to Be an OFW - Bulatlat

2010-01-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

Labor Migration in 2009: A Terrible Year to Be an OFW - Bulatlat: "But cases of abuses, contract substitution, among others, have increased, so did the number of distressed OFWs, those in foreign prisons, and the number of dead bodies being repatriated . With 3,700 OFWs now leaving daily to work abroad, excluding undocumented Filipinos, cases of “criminal neglect” of distressed and abused OFWs by government officials and agencies supposedly tasked with protecting Filipinos abroad have also been increasing."

Business Insight Malaya | Business

2009-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Business Insight Malaya | Business: "Filipinos are no longer the housemaids of choice of Taiwanese. Carlo Aquino, who heads the assistance to nationals program of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), said from a high of 60,000 household service workers and caretakers, the number had dropped to 22,509 as of October this year....Aquino said the wide support system of Filipino housemaids from church and non-government organizations has empowered them to voice out complaints against employers. This turns off employers from hiring them."

Brighter OFW prospects in Taiwan seen | Manila Bulletin

2009-12-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

2009-11-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

OFW remittances up 2.8% to $1.4 billion in Aug | The Philippine Star >> News >> Business

2009-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

OFW remittances up 2.8% to $1.4 billion in Aug | The Philippine Star >> News >> Business: "MANILA, Philippines - Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) went up by 2.8 percent in August on the back of the steady deployment of Filipino workers abroad and the increasing number of remittance centers worldwide, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported yesterday."

MIgration News: Philippines

2009-10-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

From Migration News

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4

"Remittances to the Philippines rose to $8.5 billion in the first half of 2009, a surprise amid predictions that the global recession would reduce remittances. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said: "our workers are getting jobs and sending home more money than ever. They are keeping the boat stable." Remittances are a seventh of GDP.

However, more Filipinos are discussing the social costs of sending workers abroad, including the reluctance of some in families that receive remittances to accept jobs in the Philippines.

Departing migrants pay a $25 fee to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to provide services in the event of death or illness abroad. The OWWA has posted staff in 38 sites abroad to provide services to migrants.

The Filipino ambassador to the UN between 2003 and 2007 was charged with abusing his household helper in New York. Lauro L. Baja Jr. brought Marichu Suarez Baoanan to New York in 2006; she charged that she was required to work more than 100 hours a week without pay. Baja, who disputes the charges, invoked diplomatic immunity, but a federal judge in June 2009 said that because Baoanan's duties were "unrelated to Baja's diplomatic functions," her suit could proceed.

A July 2008 Government Accountability Office report identified 42 cases of abuse of household help by foreign diplomats in the US over an eight-year period, but emphasized that there were likely more such cases. The GAO cited 19 trafficking investigations involving foreign diplomats from 2005 to 2008, but no indictments. The US Department of State has not yet revoked a diplomatic visa because of an abuse allegation.

Corazon Aquino, who replaced Ferdinand Marcos as president in 1986, died in August 2009, prompting reflections on the past 23 years of developments in the Philippines. Political instability continues. Since Aquino left office in 1992, there have been three presidential elections, two attempts at impeachment, two apparent attempts to stay in power through constitutional change, and one popular uprising that ousted an elected president and another that failed.

Some say that politics diverts attention from the country's economic problems, including poverty--30 percent of the 90 million residents are living below the poverty line."

http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=3558_0_3_0

La. Teacher Union Files Complaint Against Recuiter

2009-10-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

La. Teacher Union Files Complaint Against Recuiter

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers charges that teachers from the Philippines were brought over to fill a teacher shortage, then held in servitude by the recruiting company. The firm is accused of taking chunks of the teachers' wages and threatening to deport them if they complained.

Listen to the Story

Morning Edition

[3 min 5 sec]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113423285

from MIGRATION NEWS Vol. 16, No. 3, July 2009

2009-07-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Taiwan. Taiwan is an export-dependent economy hit hard by the fall in global trade. Taiwan's exports fell over 40 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to a year earlier, and manufacturing employment fell as electronics factories laid off workers. Unemployment topped six percent, the highest rate in decades.

Many of those laid off were foreign workers. The number of foreign workers peaked at 374,000 in July 2008 before falling to 343,000 in April 2009, when migrants were almost four percent of Taiwan's 9.2 million workers. Migrant layoffs were concentrated in electronics and garment manufacturing, affecting primarily Filipina and Thai women, while the number of Indonesian caregivers rose slightly. In April 2009, the number of migrant caregivers, 172,000, exceeded the number of migrant industrial and construction workers, 171,000, for the first time.

Many foreign workers want jobs in Taiwan because of relatively high minimum wages, NT$17,280 ($510) a month or about $3 an hour in all sectors except care giving, where the minimum wage is NT$15,840. Manufacturing workers typically earn $200 to $400 a month in overtime. Most of the migrant women employed in electronics are in their mid-20s and usually have at least high-school diplomas.

As factory production shrinks, foreign workers risk loss of overtime and layoffs. Most migrants live in company-provided dorms, for which many employers deduct NT$4,000 a month for room and board, 23 percent of the minimum wage. In addition, Taiwan allows the labor brokers who match most migrants with jobs to charge up to NT$1,800 a month for their first year in Taiwan, NT$1,700 a month during the second year, and NT$1,500 a month during the third year, or about 10 percent of the Taiwanese minimum wage.

However, many brokers charge migrants an additional NT$200,000 ($6,000) as a placement fee, which is allowed if the migrant signs a side agreement.

Foreign workers are not obtaining the overtime work they expected, making it difficult to repay the loans they took to get jobs in Taiwan. Migrants are entitled to the minimum wage even if their hours are reduced unless they agree to fewer hours. Some factories have asked migrants to adopt 4-3 work schedules, four days of work followed by three days off.

A few migrants have accepted return tickets to their countries of origin, saving their employers severance costs; many hope to be selected to return when the economy recovers. With recovery, however, many of the minimum-wage assembly jobs now filled by migrants in Taiwan may move to lower-wage countries such as China and Vietnam.

The Council of Labor Affairs, which regulates the employment of migrant workers, banned the recruitment of additional foreign workers in March 2009 for factories wishing to hire migrants for the third or overnight shift. The CLA also limited migrants to a maximum 20 percent of a manufacturer's work force.

http://migration.ucdavis.edu

GMANews.TV - After Vecina, 57 more OFWs still on death row - Pinoy Abroad - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2009-07-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

GMANews.TV - After Vecina, 57 more OFWs still on death row - Pinoy Abroad - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News: "MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) May Vecina’s reunion with her family on Tuesday after a year on Kuwait’s death row is definitely another feather in the cap for the Arroyo administration.

But the current number of OFWs facing the death penalty abroad means the government still has a lot of work to do.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said the number of overseas Filipinos on death row stands at 57, down from 59 after the commutation of the death sentence of an OFW in Taiwan and the reversal of another in Malaysia."

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency

2009-06-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency: "In 1997, Janette's husband left her for another woman while she was still working in Taiwan. One of her children broke the news, advising her to stop sending money to their father because he got a new woman in their house."

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency

2009-06-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency: "Cebu City (14 June) -- An OFW from Taiwan appeals to the government and prospective employers to waive, if not, reduce the experience requirement for job applicants in the 111th Independence Day Mega Job Fair that is now underway in SM City Cebu's Grand Trade Hall since Friday.

Mark Anthony Campos, 27, from Butuan City came to Cebu just to try his luck here looking for work so he can help his family back home.

'They (government and prospective employers) must consider waiving or reducing the highly prohibitive experience requirement for the job offers which is unfair to those who know the job well but only lack a year or two in related work experience.

Campos is one of the thousands of OFW's from Taiwan that were retrenched last year after several manufacturing and export companies there suffered losses due to the economic slump in America.

With dismay, he said that since his homecoming last December, he can no longer count the job fairs he has joined."

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION >OWWA’s deficiencies

2009-06-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION >OWWA’s deficiencies: "Has OWWA really performed to the best of its well-paid officials’ and personnel’s abilities? Has that attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) satisfactorily done what the law requires it to do, and done what plain respect for the dignity of fellow Filipinos demands it should do for our OFWs and their dependents?

Unfortunately, the answer that must be given is NO.

For OWWA to do its job well is especially vital now in times of the OFWs’ great distress amid the global economic meltdown.

One OWWA failing that must immediately be brought up is the inadequacy of the help it gives OFWs in jail, many of them jailed unjustly. Many OFWs have been victimized by their employers. Some of them are victims of rape by the employers and fired when they protested or, worse, accused of crimes they did not commit."

Southeast Asia - Migration News | Migration Dialogue

2009-05-25T03:19:00.000-07:00

Southeast Asia - Migration News | Migration Dialogue: "Philippines. Almost 1.4 million Filipinos were deployed to overseas jobs in 2008, an average 3,800 a day and up significantly from 1.1 million in 2007. Remittances were $16.4 billion in 2008, up from $14.4 billion in 2007.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines approached eight percent in January 2009, almost three million, prompting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue Administrative Order 247 to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to 'execute a paradigm shift by refocusing its functions from regulation to full blast market development efforts, the exploration of frontier, fertile job markets for Filipino expatriate workers.'

The sharp rise in migrant deployments in 2008 could be followed by return migration in 2009, as last-hired workers are laid off. Over 6,000 Filipino migrants, mostly women working in electronics factories in Taiwan and men working on Middle Eastern construction projects, returned home before the end of the contracts in the first three months of 2009. The POEA dispatched teams to Taiwan, Dubai and Korea to help Filipino migrants who had been laid off.

Laid-off migrants who return to the Philippines are eligible for 10,000 peso ($210) grants to obtain training in opening a small business. After completing the training, graduates can obtain 50,000 peso loans at five percent to open a small business.

There are about 125,000 Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong, and they protested the POEA's ban on direct hiring in February 2009. Since 2007, domestic helpers headed to Hong Kong must use an approved recruiter, who cannot charge a recruitment fee but may charge training fees, which helpers say are P20,000 ($417) to P100,000."

Economic downturn weighs on Filipino migrant laborers | International | Reuters

2009-05-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Economic downturn weighs on Filipino migrant laborers | International | Reuters: "In the case of Ang, after paying a recruitment agency 120,000 pesos (about $2,500) for a job at an electronics factory in Taiwan, she was retrenched within a year and is back in the Philippines without any work at all.

'I wanted to earn more money so I could build a house for my family, but that did not happen,' said Ang, 31, who gave up her job as a quality control officer at a garment factory near Manila for a job in Taiwan that paid four times her salary.

As the global economic crisis deepens, countries such as the Philippines, which are heavily reliant on remittances sent home by migrant workers, face the prospect that workers may return en masse after losing jobs in recession-hit economies abroad."

Global economic downturn putting migrants at risk: Ban

2009-05-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Global economic downturn putting migrants at risk: Ban: "United Nations, Dec 18 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that migrants were highly vulnerable to the global economic crisis.”The world’s more than 200 million migrants are especially vulnerable to the financial downturn shaking the global economy,” Ban said on the occasion of the International Migrants day.

“The crisis in markets has put them (migrants) at greater risk of destitution, stigmatization, discrimination and abuse. Reports of layoffs and lower remittances only begin to tell the story of the human suffering that this crisis has wrought,” he said in a statement issued to the press.

“Moreover, migration policies are growing ever more restrictive. We continue to see the criminalisation of irregular migrants. And all too often, migrants are being dealt with primarily from the perspective of security."

Labor export still R.P. ace, economists say

2009-05-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Labor export still R.P. ace, economists say: "Arroyo’s data showed that Taiwan accounted for the highest number of OFWs (78.7 percent of the total 6,405) recorded to have lost their jobs since the US declared its economy in recession last year. Still, Arroyo told reporters after his talk, he sees the displacement of workers in the country and abroad as bottoming out.

“We expect [the economy’s performance in] Q4 to be more vibrant, coming from a stronger Q3, mainly because of additional employment,” Arroyo said.

He cited as example the jobs that the market requires in the near future: 15,000 to 20,000 in Guam due to the transfer of the US base from Osaka, Japan; and 60,000 in Saudi Arabia as that country is building five mega-cities and prefer Filipino labor."

OFWs face a bleak future as global crisis hits companies worldwide – Davao Today

2009-05-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

OFWs face a bleak future as global crisis hits companies worldwide – Davao Today: "Migrante International, a global group assisting Filipino migrant workers, said some of the retrenched OFWs in Taiwan were intimidated into signing agreements that were disadvantageous to them. Migrante cited the case of 162 retrenched OFWs from Walton Advanced Engineering Inc. (WAIE).

A Taiwanese broker reportedly told the WAEI workers they would not get any separation pay nor provisions for food and airfare to the Philippines if they refused to sign the agreement.

He also reminded the workers that they’d have to pay 20 percent income tax if they stayed for less than 183 days in Taiwan, a policy of Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance. Most of the retrenched workers were employed only for four to six months in Taiwan, hence, were scared to incur additional expenses.

Migrante said the rate of retrenchments in Taiwan has become so alarming that the number of retrenched workers may go over the 11,000 earlier projected by Taiwan’s Council of Labor Affairs this year."

Pace of remittance growth slows to 3% in March

2009-05-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

"Money sent home by Filipinos working overseas reached a record $1.47 billion in March, but the pace of growth has slowed to 3.04 percent as traditionally strong remittance sources, like the US and the Middle East, contracted or were flat."

BusinessWorld Online: More OFWs sent home due to crisis

2009-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

BusinessWorld Online: More OFWs sent home due to crisis: "More OFWs sent home due to crisis

TACLOBAN CITY — More overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been displaced and sent home due to the global economic downturn.

As of yesterday, the Overseas Filipino Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) here said 91 OFWs have been sent home to Eastern Visayas region.

'During the first quarter of the year, many of the affected workers were in Taiwan and some in the United States.

'From April to May, most of the reported retrenchments were from Middle East countries,' said Alberto Penaflor, OWWA regional information officer, in an interview.

The displaced OFWs reported to the Department of Labor and Employment Help Desk for livelihood and job placement assistance.

Mr. Penaflor said as of this month, 81 of the displaced workers received skills training, job placement, and a two-year collateral-free loan package of P50,000.

'Twenty-eight OFWs have already received the financial assistance amounting to P1.15 million,' Mr. Penaflor told BusinessWorld."

News Alerts

2009-05-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Google News Alert for: ofw taiwan

MECO vows continued support for jailed Pinay in Taiwan
ABS CBN News - Philippines
30, since there was reasonable doubt that the OFW killed the Taiwanese. During the final hearing, Atty. Jiao argued that the OFW did not have any financial ...

OFW on Taiwan death row gets reprieve
Inquirer.net - Philippines
MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) Nemencia “Cecille” Armia Alcaraz, the Filipino worker in jail for the slay of a Taiwanese national in 2007, ...

Vigils in Manila, Taipei for convicted Pinay
Inquirer.net - Philippines
By Jerome Aning MANILA, Philippines—An overseas Filipino workers (OFW) group announced it would stage simultaneous vigils in Taiwan and Manila on Monday in ...

As Pinoys pray for Pacquiao win, group seeks help for OFW on death row
GMA news.tv - Quezon City,Metro Manila,Philippines
“The families of Alcaraz and other OFWs on death row can only join the nation's ... The final verdict of the Taiwan court tomorrow will confirm whether ...

Taiwan court's ruling on OFW awaited
Cebu Daily News - Lahug Cebu City,Philippines
By Cynthia Balana MANILA, Philippines -- The Manila Economic and Cultural Office is awaiting the decision of a Taiwanese appellate court on the appeal filed ...

RP among the few to grow
ABS CBN News - Philippines
... New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. ... OFWremittances grew 13.7 percent to $16.4 billion last year, ...

Time to review labor export strategy, experts say
BusinessWorld Online - Quezon City,Philippines
... most of them from Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates. ... A record 1.38 million OFWs have been deployed last year, an improvement from 1.08 million the ...

Front Page
BusinessWorld Online - Quezon City,Philippines
... Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. ... OFW remittances grew 13.7% to $16.4 billion last year, making up more than ...

OFW in Taiwan fears death sentence
ABS CBN News - Philippines
A domestic helper turned English teacher in Taiwan, Alcaraz, 48, was convicted in October 2008 for the murder and robbery of 48-year-old Taiwanese jobs ...

33 OFWs in Brazil, Suriname detained for drug offenses
Philippine Star - Manila,Philippines
Garry Martinez, Migrante chairman, said the Appellate Court of Taiwan is set to hand down on May 4 the verdict on the case of OFW Cecilia Alcaraz. ...

Taiwan stimulus package may cut risk of further OFW layoffs | Home >> Pinoy Abroad >> Asia

2009-03-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Taiwan stimulus package may cut risk of further OFW layoffs | Home >> Pinoy Abroad >> Asia: "MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Taiwan may heave a sigh of relief as Taiwan’s economic stimulus package may reduce the risk of further OFW retrenchments, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said.

MECO resident representative Antonio I. Basilio said Taiwan’s economic stimulus program and an improvement in its export prospects could significantly reduce the number of retrenched Filipino workers in Taiwan.

Although the steady employment projections depend on an improvement in the economies of Taiwan’s major markets like the US, the country is in the midst of an economic stimulus program to pump cash into the economy.

Each Taiwanese citizen is being given cash vouchers for spending and new infrastructure and construction projects in the pipeline. Basilio said these efforts may result in new jobs for Filipinos."

Roundup...

2009-02-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

OWWA: 5000 OFWs displaced by global crisis
ABS CBN News - Philippines
“As of January 28, there were 5036 OFWs who were displaced from Taiwan, Australia, ... Dimzon said that most of those affected were OFWs in Taiwan where the ...

Many displaced workers prefer redeployment
Business Mirror - Philippines
Elwood Yambao, 35, a technician record operator displaced in Taiwan, ... will directly lend a displaced OFW up to P50,000 to expand his livelihood project. ...

Western Visayas labor officials gird for layoffs
GMA news.tv - Quezon City,Metro Manila,Philippines
He said that of the three female and 13 male displaced OFWs, 10 were working in Qatar, three in Taiwan and one each in South Korea, Kuwait and Nigeria. ...

Gov't agencies ready to provide assistance to displaced OFWs
Philippine Information Agency - Philippines
OWWA Cordillera director Manuela Peña also confirmed that there are already four displaced OFWs, two from Taiwan and two from Australia, that enlisted in ...

Claim of deployment hike doubted
Business Mirror - Philippines
... unbelievable and questionable,” as many jobs had been canceled in Taiwan when ... “The 80000-plus OFWs who left in December 2008 is also questionable ...

Jobs: the bleeding goes on
Business Mirror - Philippines
For OFWs like IT workers in Taiwan, and sea-based workers, Guerrero noted that the government is preparing for these scenarios. “Secretary Roque told us ...

OFWs say government unemployment aid a hoax
Philippine Star - Manila,Philippines
The protesters included members of Migrante International and retrenched OFWs from Taiwan. Gina Gaborni, Migrante International deputy secretary general, ...

President Arroyo’s Assistance Package a Hoax - Migrante
Pinoy Press - Manila,Philippines
Migrante International together with retrenched OFWs from Taiwan today trooped down the office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to ...

23485 job losses traced to crisis
Inquirer.net - Philippines
Among the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), "most of those who lost their jobs abroad are from Taiwan," he said. OFW job cuts attributed to the crisis were ...

Bailout plan for workers pushed - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

Bailout plan for workers pushed - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines—Labor groups and economic experts are pressing the Arroyo administration to bail out workers displaced by the global economic crisis by expanding the government’s cash subsidy programs.

The government should earmark part of the P330-billion stimulus package it is seeking to boost the economy to help jobless Filipino workers and spur consumer spending, the labor organizations and experts said."

GMANews.TV - OFW Microsite - Groups score gov't for inaction on plight of OFWs

2009-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

GMANews.TV - OFW Microsite - Groups score gov't for inaction on plight of OFWs: "MANILA, Philippines - Members of Kilusang Mayo Uno and Migrante International on Thursday picketed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to protest the government's alleged inaction on the plight of retrenched overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

QTV's 'Balitanghali' reported that the groups, together with some OFWs who lost their jobs in Taiwan, demanded that the government give back the alleged exorbitant fees that recruitment agencies charged them.

'We condemn the continued government inaction to our demands,' Crisitina de Borja, a retrenched worker, said. 'At the minimum we demand that the exorbitant placement fees recruitment agencies have charged will be given back to us. This is the law and we cannot understand why the government cannot enforce it.'"

2,500 OFWs lose Taiwan jobs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-01-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

2,500 OFWs lose Taiwan jobs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "A total of 2,500 Filipinos were laid off by factories in Taiwan adjusting to lower global demand, according to records kept by the labor department's Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)."

The Alliance for Human Rights Legislation for Immigrants and Migrants (AHRLIM)

2009-01-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Alliance for Human Rights Legislation for Immigrants and Migrants (AHRLIM): "The Government of Taiwan says that it supports human rights, but its policies always ignore the rights of immigrants and migrants. Taiwan's migratory population did not just come, all of a sudden, out of nowhere. Everybody who lives on this island comes from a family of immigrants-the only difference with today's immigrants is a question of old and new. Yet today's Taiwanese society is unsure of what to think about the new migrants and immigrants, and some in the Government and in the news media are trying to use that uncertainty to create fear and deny these new immigrants and migrants their rights. Instead of educating society about the advantages of a multicultural, pluralist society, the newspapers and TV just make immigrants and migrants look like a big problem. They try to create the idea that the new immigrants and migrants are criminals and spies, the main source of today's social ills. As the media stirs up fear in Taiwanese society, the Government promotes policies that actively prevent new migrants and immigrants from enjoying the same rights and benefits allowed to other residents of Taiwan even as they work and make a positive contribution to Taiwanese society."

50,000 OFWs to lose jobs this year, says govt | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

2009-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

50,000 OFWs to lose jobs this year, says govt | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "he Department of Labor and Employment on Friday predicted that around 50,000 overseas Filipino workers could lose their jobs this year as a result of the global economic slowdown.

'As of today, there are probably 5,000 OFWs who have already lost their jobs in Taiwan, Dubai and South Korea. Our expectation is that it would reach 50,000 this year,' Labor Secretary Marianito Roque told radio dzMM.

Roque assured affected OFWs that they could find work once they return to the Philippines. He added that others could opt to be trained for other job skills.

The labor chief said deployment of Filipino workers for overseas work continues despite the crisis.

“We are deploying more or less 3,000 workers every day. We increased OFW deployment by 24 percent in 2008, which is close 1.3 million workers,” he said.

Total deployment from January to October stood at 1.115 million, 25.5 percent higher than the number of Filipinos who left the country in the same period in 2007, data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed."

Union of Catholic Asian News » News Archive » Laid-off Workers Shop For Jobs At Christmastime

2008-12-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Union of Catholic Asian News » News Archive » Laid-off Workers Shop For Jobs At Christmastime: "Daisy Rumbaoa’s expected return from Taiwan this Christmas season is causing her family worries.

The youngest child of a sickly carpenter is among thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who have lost their jobs as part of a global recession.

Relatives expect her to return this month, her father, Elpidio Rumbaoa, told UCA News on Dec. 6 at his home in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province, 300 kilometers north of Manila.

“We pray that my daughter can find another job” overseas, the 60-year-old widower said. “She is our family’s hope.”

Latest records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency show 6,800 land-based workers from the province were deployed abroad between 2005 and 2007.

Elpidio worries that even if Daisy found work in the Philippines, it would not pay enough for her to continue supporting the family. His daughter has a degree in engineering but failed the Philippine board exams. She left two years ago and has been working in a factory in Taiwan.

Her salary there has enabled her to send home money for her father’s medical expenses and high-school tuition fees of her nieces and nephews.

The Taiwan chapter of Migrante International, an OFW alliance, recorded 2,054 workers as"

News Alert for: ofw taiwan

2008-12-09T05:59:00.001-08:00

News Alert for: ofw taiwan

Special visas sought for OFW employers
Inquirer.net - Philippines
In a letter sent to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday, the recruiters called for the extension toOFW employers the benefits of Executive Order No ...
See all stories on this topic

No OFW layoffs in Saudi, says envoy
Manila Bulletin - Philippines
The Saudi diplomat wrote Roque reiterating his assurance amid reports OFWs are being laid off in some countries, including Taiwan. ...
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OFW HIRING IN TAIWAN, SOUTH KOREA SLOWS DOWN
Philippine Headline News - Manila,Philippines
The local recruitment industry yesterday reported a slowdown in the hiring of Filipino factory workers inTaiwan and South Korea and the downtrend is ...
See all stories on this topic

Don’t fret, Arroyo tells laid off OFWs
Inquirer.net - Philippines
By TJ Burgonio Although over 100 Filipino factory workers were retrenched in Taiwan, there are over 1000 job openings in hotels and restaurants awaiting ...
See all stories on this topic

Through the Looking Glass: Club Dread
Business Mirror - Philippines
... contracts involving our overseas Filipino workers (OFW) were winding down and the prospects of renewals were dim. Specifically, in Taiwan, a list was ...
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Squash-enriched hot pandesal
Manila Bulletin - Philippines
... a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW). With a small capital, Constante planted 2000 square meters to the Phoenix solo squash, a variety from Taiwan ...
See all stories on this topic

Other Parts of the World DOLE: Displaced OFWs on the rise
Philippine Star - Manila,Philippines
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday reported that at least 700 more OFWs inTaiwan and other countries were laid off from their jobs. ...
See all stories on this topic

Gov't sets programs for OFWs displaced by financial crisis
ABS CBN News - Philippines
On Tuesday, 82 OFWs returned to the Philippines after they were laid off in Taiwan. The OFWs laid off from the Ace Company Ltd., a semi-conductor company in ...
See all stories on this topic

Jobless OFWs to arrive from Taiwan
Inquirer.net - Philippines
Citing reports from Taiwan-based migrant labor groups, Panlilio said some 3000 OFWs were expected to be laid off before the end of the year as Taiwan faced ...
See all stories on this topic

PGMA orders government agencies to prepare contingency measures ...
Balita.org - Minsterley,England,UK
Reports said that some 300 OFWs have been retrenched from the export and manufacturing companies in Taiwan as a result of global financial crisis. (PNA)
See all stories on this topic

The Financial Crunch

2008-12-02T03:31:00.000-08:00

The Financial Crunch: "A thousand more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have lost their jobs in export-dependent industrial companies of Taiwan, the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) said.

At the same time, a recruiters’ group said the Philippines has lost 20,000 potential caretaker jobs for Taiwan next year due to the omnibus household service workers rules imposed in 2006."

Labor fees for Taiwan hires cut

2008-11-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Labor fees for Taiwan hires cut: "There are over 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan right now, mostly through brokers and recruitment agencies that charge unconscionably high rates.

Basilio said it is estimated that foreign workers could save up to NT$100,000 (P144,991) in brokerage expenses. “That’s prohibitively high. We could help put an end to this practice through our special hiring facility with Taiwan.”"

LOCAL NEWS: Slowdown in hiring of Filipino factory workers in Taiwan, South Korea noted | Home - Other Sections - Breaking News

2008-11-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

LOCAL NEWS: Slowdown in hiring of Filipino factory workers in Taiwan, South Korea noted | Home - Other Sections - Breaking News: "Filipino factory workers could be the first to bear the brunt of the global economic crisis.

The local recruitment industry yesterday reported a slowdown in the hiring of Filipino factory workers in Taiwan and South Korea and the downtrend is expected to continue in the coming year.

Jackson Gan, Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) vice president, said commercial firms in Taiwan already notified the industry of a possible freeze in hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) next year.

“Taiwanese businessmen told us that they will not be laying off workers, but they will also not be hiring additional foreign workers in the coming year. So we are no longer getting additional job orders from Taiwan at this time,” he said.

Gan noted that they have already recorded a drop in the deployment of factory workers to Taiwan and South Korea as compared to last year."

The houses that migrant workers build but do not live in | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

2008-10-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

The houses that migrant workers build but do not live in | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "Houses without people

Overseas labor migration, which started in the 1980s, has transformed Sumilang.

The village used to be an agrarian, artisanal, and petty-trading village, located some five kilometers inland from the coastal town center. Today, a large segment of its population of nearly 2,000 persons work overseas, mostly in Spain and Italy. A sizeable number of them also work in the Persian Gulf states, Canada, and Taiwan.

Why these absent workers send money to build houses they do not live in continues to baffle many observers of the Philippine labor migration phenomenon.

A few who consider migrants as poor deem the construction of a costly house in the “middle of nowhere” as a case of misplaced values, if not a waste of scarce resources.

If not houses, some buy electrical appliances like refrigerators and washing machines, even when the village has no electricity. Anecdotes abound of migrant workers who introduce such modernity to their remote villages.

Some economists explain such spending as stimulating demand for consumer goods and services, which ultimately increases production."

OFW in Taiwan gets death penalty - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2008-10-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

OFW in Taiwan gets death penalty - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) A Filipina who taught English in Taiwan was sentenced to death by the Kaoshiung District Court for the murder of her job broker in September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

In a phone interview, DFA undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said the decision was handed down September 30 this year.

'The first hearing of the appeal would be on the first week of November,' he said.

Citing court records, Conejos said Nemencia Armia, an undocumented teacher whose visa had expired, had a heated argument over money with her female Taiwanese job broker in the apartment Armia was sharing with an American man.

'The court said she stabbed the victim to death with a knife, took her ATM card, and made several withdrawals using the ATM,' he said."

OFWs in Taiwan to keep jobs--recruiter - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2008-10-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

OFWs in Taiwan to keep jobs--recruiter - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines -- Factories in Taiwan are slowing down operations due to cancelled orders from Western countries, but they are not shutting down, a recruiter of Filipino workers there said Tuesday.

Therefore, the 100,000 or so Filipinos working in Taiwan will continue to do so although they will be spending shorter hours, particularly on overtime, said Jackson Gan, president of the Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat).

Taiwan factory owners 'intend to keep their Filipino workers on site and to just reduce overtime hours for some factories. Other companies may re-tool their production lines and concentrate on their other electronics products,' Gan said, quoting his clients there."

Microsoft donates $600,000 for OFW training - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2008-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Microsoft donates $600,000 for OFW training - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "icrosoft said it is donating more than $600,000 worth of cash and software to a computer learning program for overseas Filipino workers.

This is part of the program, dubbed Tulay, which is Microsoft' global Unlimited Potential initiative that involves technology-oriented programs aimed at developing countries.

The grant, valued at exactly $633,000 according to Microsoft, was announced during official turn-over ceremonies Friday attended by Vice President Noli De Castro.

This latest grant was turned over to the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a local NGO and Microsoft's program partner.

Launched in 2004, the program has established 14 so-called community technology learning centers locally and in other countries including Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

These centers cater to OFWs and their families who are trained on using basic Microsoft programs and the Internet to communicate via email and instant messaging."

DOLE eyes high-paying jobs in Taiwan - Yahoo! Philippines News

2008-08-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

DOLE eyes high-paying jobs in Taiwan - Yahoo! Philippines News: "The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reportedtoday that the government of Taiwan is set to implement a new policy on hiring of highly skilled Filipino workers.

'The Taiwanese government is set to implement new rules on employment which we expect to provide better and quality employment for the estimated 90,000 Filipino workers already there in Taiwan,' Roque disclosed.

Roque further noted that the Taipei and Manila Economic and Cultural Office also forged an agreement to provide training for Filipino caregivers who will work in Taiwan."

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OFW TIMES > Migration ups OFWs’ democratic wishes, says study

2008-08-04T04:01:00.000-07:00

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OFW TIMES > Migration ups OFWs’ democratic wishes, says study: "OVERSEAS Filipino workers’ (OFWs) experiences and learnings abroad have been identified as a major reason for their discontent over the social, economic and political performance of the Philippine government among returning migrants, said researchers involved in the research project entitled Democratization through Migration?

The study noted that this factor is true across migrants, regardless of the political system prevailing in their host country, as long as they have been exposed to a society with a functioning economy that has provided for the material needs of its citizens.

This is one of the main results of a study presented on July 29 at the Dr. Alfredo J. Ganapin Advocacy Forum organized by the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Said Ellene Sana, CMA executive director, “These findings that identify the potential effects of migration on the democratization process in the Philippines are highly relevant as these perceptions have the potential to weaken and diffuse support for democracy, combined with a widespread sentiment of powerlessness conveyed in the interviews.”"

Gov’t urged to prepare for economic dislocation of OFWs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2008-07-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Gov’t urged to prepare for economic dislocation of OFWs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines -- Worried over the possible displacement of overseas Filipino workers due to the economic slump that has affected some key countries, a labor group on Monday called on the government to take strong measures to protect OFWs from economic dislocation.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said the government should closely monitor the number of OFWs who would be laid off as foreign employers choose to cut down on labor costs or decide to replace them with locals.

For instance, there could be a possible displacement of workers in Taiwan since relations between the island and mainland China have begun to warm up. The TUCP noted that there were at present some 90,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan."

OFWs THREATENED BY WARMING TIES BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN

2008-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

OFWs THREATENED BY WARMING TIES BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN: "Filipinos might lose jobs in Taiwan following the détente between China and the island nation, according to an association of labor recruiters.

Jackson Gan, Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) vice president, said the situation is a threat to the employment of 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.

“The warming relations between China and Taiwan could lead to serious loss of jobs for Filipinos unless government exert efforts to increase investments of Taiwanese in the country,” he said.

The increasing good relations between the two countries may encourage Taiwan to move more of its factories to China, where Chinese workers could be hired instead of Filipinos, he added.

However, Gan said the government could revise investment policies to attract Taiwanese industrialists to move their small and medium scale factories to Northern Luzon instead China."

Philippines: Migrants

2008-04-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Migration News. 2008. Philippines: Migrants. April. Vol 15. No 2. http://migration.ucdavis.edu

The Philippines sent 1.1 million workers abroad in 2007, the same as in 2006, meaning that an average of 3,000 Filipinos a day left for foreign jobs. They included 810,000 land-based migrants and 264,000 sea-based migrants. Recruiters say that Filipino migrant workers account for 30 percent of the air passengers entering and leaving the Philippines.

Filipinos are about 28 percent of those manning the world's ships. Most seamen work on eight- to 10-month contracts, earning at least $1,100 a month. About 20 percent each are deployed on cruise ships and bulk carrier ships, followed by 13 percent each on container ships and tankers; most carry crews of 21, seven workers for each of three shifts.

The government reports migrant outflow data in several ways. About 312,000 land-based migrants, 38 percent, were going abroad for the first time; the other 498,000 were rehires who had been employed abroad before. About half of those being deployed for the first time were classified as service workers, a third were production workers, and an eighth were professional and technical workers.

The leading destination for Filipinos leaving in 2007 was Saudi Arabia, which took almost 30 percent of Filipino migrants, followed by Hong Kong, 15 percent; UAE, 11 percent; and Italy and Singapore, seven percent each. Remittances were $13 billion in 2007, up slightly from 2006.

Some 8,000 nurses went abroad in 2007, including 6,100 to Saudi Arabia. The Philippines Health Secretary, Francisco Duque, estimated in January 2008 that 85 percent of the newly graduated nurses leave the country each year. Most go to the oil-exporting countries of the Middle East, but many want to go to Europe or North America, including some doctors and MBA graduates who are retraining as nurses in order to improve their chances of going abroad.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has since 1982 promoted and regulated the deployment of Filipino workers abroad; since 1987, the POEA has regulated the activities of recruiters. Over 3,000 workers a day visit POEA offices, including regional centers in the three major parts of the country, La Union in Luzon in the north, Cebu in Visayas in the center, and Davao for the Mindanao region in the south.

Recruiters who place Filipinos in jobs abroad must obtain licenses from the POEA and limit their charges to one month's salary in the country of destination (except in countries that prohibit such charges). They must also ensure that migrants have been found medically fit by government clinics and had their skills were tested in government training centers. Contracts submitted to the POEA for approval must pay at least the minimum wage of the destination country (if it has one) and provide free transportation and food or appropriate payments.

The POEA deals with complaints from Filipinos about recruiters and foreign employers. Filipino recruiters are jointly liable with foreign employers for violations of the contracts that migrants have when they leave Manila.

In April 2008, the POEA warned migrants about overcharges for jobs in Taiwan. Most Filipino migrants earn $NT17,280 ($565) a month in Taiwan, which should limit placement fees to $565. However, migrants were reporting fees of over $3,000, which they paid by writing post-dated checks to recruiters or having extra fees deducted from their Taiwanese wages. In order to avoid high brokerage fees, the governments of Taiwan and the Philippines are trying to encourage employers and workers to bypass agents, but only 600 Filipino migrants were hired directly in 2007.

The POEA runs ongoing campaigns against illegal recruitment, which can include overcharging migrants, charging migrants for nonexistent foreign jobs, or changing wages and terms once the migrant is abroad. The POEA reported 316 cases of illegal recruitment activities in 2006, up from 250 in 2005. Between January and October 2007, POEA reported 132 recruiters illegally involved with 850 migrants. The most common violation appears to be taking money from potential migrants and then not placing them in foreign jobs. However, many such complaints are dropped when the recruiter finds the migrant a foreign job.

The POEA instituted a $400 minimum monthly wage for domestic helpers in 2007; these so-called "supermaids" receive training before their departure. One result was a sharp drop in the number of domestic helpers sent abroad in 2007, 39,700, down from 91,400 in 2006. It is clear that some Hong Kong households have switched to cheaper Indonesian maids, but it is not clear if some Filipina maids are leaving with contracts that falsely label them something else.

The Philippines has 85 million residents, and is projected to have 94 million by 2010.

The price of rice and many other staple foods has risen sharply, prompting protests. In March 2008, the government condemned rice traders for hoarding subsidized rice that they hope to sell later at higher prices. The Philippines used to be the major rice exporter in Asia, and is now the leading importer in the region, importing about 10 percent of its rice. Rice, the staple food of almost half the world's people, doubled in price between January 2007 and March 2008. Only seven percent of the world's rice is traded; far more of the world's wheat and corn are traded.

Stand with Tibet - Support the Dalai Lama

2008-03-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Avaaz.org - The World in Action: "After decades of repression, Tibetans are crying out to the world for change. China's leaders are right now making a crucial choice between escalating brutality or dialogue that could determine the future of Tibet, and China.

We can affect this historic choice -- China does care about its international reputation. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get the government's attention. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has called for restraint and dialogue: he needs the world's people to support him. Fill out the form below to sign the petition--and spread the word."

12-year wait for OFW wife - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2008-02-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

12-year wait for OFW wife - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "The last time he saw his wife, Evan Jean Tupa, was the day after their wedding in Manila on June 25, 1996.

He was 28 years old then and she was 27.

She left for a job as a factory worker in Taiwan, as scheduled. For six months they kept in touch through letters and phone calls. By 1997, the husband said he heard nothing more from her. Andanar, a resident of barangay Apas, Cebu City asked the court to declare his wife “presumptively dead” so he could find happiness with someone else."

PIA Homepage

2008-01-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

PIA Homepage: "POEA to look into complaints of excessive fees

Iloilo City (9 January) -- Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) especially those bound for Taiwan who have been victimized by recruitment agencies charging excessive fees are urged to file complaints with the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Taiwan or with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo D. Brion said that POLOs in Taipei, Taichung and Kaoshiung in Taiwan have been directed to gather more complaints from victims to uncover agencies that charge excessive fees from Taiwan-bound OFWs.

This after the POLO in Taipei reported the proliferation of cases indicating that recruitment agencies illegally collected excessive placement fees from OFWs ranging from P50,000 to P190,000 each."

ABS-CBN Interactive

2008-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

ABS-CBN Interactive: "foreign investments, along with billions in dollars of OFW remittances that come in every month, have helped strengthen the peso, which closed 2007 as one of the best performing currencies in Asia."

Open-source statistics: R and ESS

2007-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Open-source statistics: R and ESS: "My search was fruitful, leading me immediately to the delightfully GPL-licensed R Project for Statistical Computing: “R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics.” (The R system and language are similar to S, developed at Bell Labs.) The R language has functional-programming semantics (which I love) and supports (among others) the object-oriented style of programming, which is used extensively for R’s statistical interface. Most results in R are delivered in terms of objects, such as tables and and vectors and linear models, whose properties you can inspect and manipulate as you would expect. The underlying classes provide specialized methods for common operations so that the objects do the right things in response to generic commands. Immediately, I was hooked on R. Despite having a sharp initial learning curve, R is straightforward to use. Once you get the lay of the land, you can reliably guess what functions and their arguments mean. The help facility is good, too, and can integrate with your web browser if you desire. And the graphics! Graphs and charts are often the first, best way to size up data sets. R makes it easy to create publication-quality graphs and charts, drawing on any number of supported “graphical devices.” Among the stock devices are postscript, pdf, LaTeX,"

PIA Homepage

2007-12-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

PIA Homepage: "Gov't moves to break offshore employment cycle By Renee F. De Guzman San Fernando City, La Union (11 December) -- Notwithstanding the cash remittances from the overseas Filipino workers as major growth driver of our economy and their outstanding contributions to their host countries, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is determined to break the offshore employment 'to keep the best and brightest Filipinos at home.' Working with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the President is focused on economic reforms designed to check the overseas employment cycle so that 'we can keep our best and brightest at home - closer to families and friends, helping to build our communities, and providing the next generation of leadership'. In this regard, the BSP conceptualized a financial literacy program for OFWs and their families. The campaign emphasizes the importance of savings and introduces the participants to alternative opportunities for their remittances, such as placements in financial instruments and investments in business ventures."

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

2007-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com: "Organ sales in the Philippines 3:22 The Philippines prepares to sell its citizens' kidneys 'like any export.' CNN's Hugh Riminton reports"

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > POEA’s marketing missions

2007-11-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > POEA’s marketing missions: "POEA’s marketing missions The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) drew flak the other day from a powerful group of fee charging private recruitment agencies for its continuing job marketing missions. The Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (Pasei), which is composed of 700 placement firms, excoriated the POEA for invading its “domain.” “It’s predatory and totally unfair,” cried Pasei president Victor Fernandez, accusing the POEA of being the administrator of the government’s overseas employment program and at the same time a competitor of an estimated 1,500 recruitment agencies in the country. The latest POEA initiative, which was protested by Pasei, is its ongoing talks with the government of the United Arab Emirates to fill its labor requirements, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with Filipino workers under a government-to-government arrangement. Unless stopped, Fernandez said, the POEA’s “incursions” will continue into other countries experiencing a construction and business boom, such as Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen."

{Comments - I am surprised that these agencies have the nerve to complain when there is so much documentation of their exploitation of OFWs!}

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > RP best economy in Asean

2007-11-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > RP best economy in Asean: "ersonal consumption expanded by 6 percent due to large and growing OFW remittances. Unemployment fell to 7.8 percent in first half to 2007 from 8.1 percent in 2006. Among salaried workers, the largest increase was in the public or government sector due to the elections. The Arroyo administration eliminated the consolidated public sector deficit in 2006, the World Bank notes. A P32 billion consolidated public sector surplus was recorded in first half 2007, about one percent of GDP, driven in large part by higher surpluses of the social security funds and government units."

SLUMP IN OFW HIRING FEARED TO LAST FOR YEARS

2007-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

SLUMP IN OFW HIRING FEARED TO LAST FOR YEARS: "SLUMP IN OFW HIRING FEARED TO LAST FOR YEARS MANILA, NOVEMBER 5, 2007 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - Despite the global demand for highly skilled workers, local recruitment industry leaders yesterday warned that fewer overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are likely to get hired abroad in the coming year. Recruitment industry leaders said the slump in hiring of Filipino workers this year may continue in the coming years due to government�s effort to take over the recruitment of workers from private sector. This, even as there are expectations that remittances from OFWs will double to about $21.4 billion in the next three years. Jackson Gan, Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT) president, said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) does not have sufficient manpower and expertise to handle the recruitment of hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers. �The government, particularly the POEA, does not have the capacity to handle the recruitment of the large market in the Middle East which could lead to lower deployment in the coming year,� Gan said."

Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries | October 31, 2007 | AHN

2007-10-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries | October 31, 2007 | AHN: "Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries October 24, 2007 11:23 a.m. EST Preciosa Dumlao - AHN News Writer Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippine government should pro-actively negotiate for bilateral labor agreements with countries hosting Filipino workers, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada who is concurrent chairman of the Senate Labor Committee and of the Joint Congressional Committee on Labor and Employment. Estrada noted the report by Kanlungan Center, a private group assisting distressed overseas Filipino workers, that the Philippines has bilateral labor agreements with only 13 out of the 197 countries hosting OFWs, namely: Norway, United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Indonesia. 'Practically everyday, we hear of Filipino workers being abused and maltreated by their employers abroad, especially, in countries that our government does not have bilateral labor agreements with. Such agreements could prevent these misfortunes by laying down the necessary guidelines and provisions for the protection of our workers,' he said."

The Manila Times Internet Edition | BUSINESS > Telcos cashing in on OFWs

2007-10-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Manila Times Internet Edition | BUSINESS > Telcos cashing in on OFWs: "Telcos cashing in on OFWs By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter TWENTY-FOUR-year-old Rosemarie, a daughter of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) deployed in Hong Kong, said constant communications with her mother abroad helps ease the pain of distance. “We always call or text my mother to chat and say thank you,” she said. Rosemarie is only one of millions of other Filipinos whose parents or siblings have to work abroad, and whose remittance-fueled spending on calls and text messages has propped up the multibillion-peso telecommunications industry. According to a fresh survey by Nielsen Media Research, communications between OFWs and their loved ones back home is often done once a week by more than a third of respondents. Close to a fifth do that once a month, and another fifth use the phone twice a week. Nielsen sampled 300 remittance recipients, aged 18 years and above, from all socioeconomic classes."

Migration News

2007-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Migration News: "China, Taiwan Migration News Vol. 14 No. 4, October 2007 Print-Friendly Version China's economy and society are being transformed by rural-urban migration. In 1978, before market reforms began, about 70 percent of Chinese were employed in agriculture, which generated 28 percent of GDP. By 2006, only 43 percent of the 760 million Chinese workers were employed in agriculture, which generated 12 percent of GDP. At least 150 million of the 327 million agricultural workers in China are considered redundant. Farmers and especially their children are pushed out of agriculture by low incomes and pulled into urban areas by the availability of jobs. In 2006, urban residents in China had an average income of 10,500 yuan ($1,400), compared with 3,300 yuan ($440) in rural areas Government policies aim to increase rural incomes and slow rural-urban migration. Some 210 million Chinese have left the place in which they are registered. However, Chinese living in places in which they are not registered are not entitled to public housing, schooling or health care. The city of Beijing is approaching its ceiling of 18 million people, including 12 million permanent residents who have the Beijing hukou, or household registration certificates, and over five million migrants. Taiwan. The Council of Labor Affairs in July 2007 announced that it would issu"

That Midas touch in HK parish - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2007-10-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

That Midas touch in HK parish - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "That Midas touch in HK parish By Blanche Rivera Inquirer Last updated 07:35pm (Mla time) 10/08/2007 MANILA, Philippines – As Hong kong Bishop Joseph Cardinal Zen said, it could have been another Italian or American. Instead, the new shepherd of Hong Kong's biggest parish is a Filipino. A former altar boy from Pangasinan has been appointed parish priest of St. Joseph's Church in Central Hong Kong, touted as the area's biggest parish with about 8,000 Mass attendees every weekend, most of them Filipino migrants. On Sept. 1, Fr. Midas Tambot, SVD, officially became the first Filipino priest to take over St. Joseph, now known as a church of migrants due to the bulk of overseas Filipino workers who turn the place into the biggest Filipino Catholic melting pot in Hong Kong on Sundays."

Stand with the Burmese Protesters

2007-10-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Stand with the Burmese Protesters: "Stand with the Burmese Protesters After decades of military dictatorship, the people of Burma are rising – and they need our help. Marches begun by monks and nuns snowballed, bringing hundreds of thousands to the streets. Now the crackdown has begun, but the protests are spreading... When the Burmese last marched in 1988, the military massacred thousands. If the world stands up and supports their struggle, this time they could win. We're in a race against time-- targeting the dictatorship's main backer China in a global advertising campaign, delivering the petition to the UN secretary-general and sending the Burmese our support via radio-- To Chinese President Hu Jintao and the UN Security Council: We stand alongside the citizens of Burma in their peaceful protests. We urge you to oppose a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, and to support genuine reconciliation and democracy in Burma. We pledge to hold you accountable for any further bloodshed."