MANILA, Philippines (AP) —According to the Department of Labor and Employment, the reopening of Taiwan’s borders to migrant workers will benefit approximately 40,000 Filipinos looking for work abroad (DOLE).
On Monday, February 7, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center announced that migrant workers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand will be allowed to enter Taiwan beginning February 15. This is the second phase of Taiwan’s “special program,” which allows more foreign workers to gradually enter the country.
Due to an increase in COVID-19 instances, Taiwan issued a blanket ban on all migrant workers on May 19, 2021.
On Tuesday, February 8, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III remarked, “We thank Taiwan for welcoming once more our kababayan (countrymen) in their various employment industries starting February 15.”
Cesar Chavez, the labor attaché of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Taipei, encouraged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to rigorously observe the Taiwanese government’s standards.
Before they can work in Taiwan, outbound OFWs must be completely immunized. Before they can return to work, their employers must book their accommodations for the 14-day quarantine period and the subsequent seven-day self-health monitoring period.
Upon arrival in Taiwan, OFWs must undergo an RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test. Taiwan, on the other hand, has urged firms to rigorously adhere to its recruiting criteria for migrant labor.
According to the Philippine Department of Health, outbound OFWs are part of Expanded Priority Group A1 for COVID-19 immunization. (Pagbabakuna ang mga paalis ng OFW sa Gaby)
While Migrante International, an OFW rights organization, applauded the reopening of the border and acknowledged the significance of health measures, it voiced concern that such regulations may “bleed” the workers dry.
On Wednesday, February 9, Migrante issued a statement: “They have suffered too much from this pandemic for delaying their livelihood, and now they will be burdened by a long list of fees.”
According to the group, stranded OFWs reported that their employment agencies demanded additional processing fees for medical exams, training, and visa requirements, among other things. They also brought up the ongoing challenges that OFWs have with Taiwanese labor brokers.
Labor brokers exploit migrant workers by charging them excessive recruitment fees, according to the United States Taiwan 2020 Human Rights Report. As a result, several workers end up in debt merely to find a job.
Migrante has long advocated for the Philippine government to provide more cash assistance to OFWs within the nation and abroad. The DOLE’s AKAP (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong) program provides OFWs afflicted by the epidemic with a one-time P10,000 ($200) subsidy, but rights groups claim that many OFWs have not received the help they require.
Migrante stated, “It is high time that the Philippine government extends financial relief to the stranded OFWs by providing a government subsidy to outbound OFWs for paying their PCR test fee, medical test fee, Bureau of Quarantine certificate, and other expenses related to quarantine.”
With the 2022 elections approaching, Migrante also urged national candidates to defend OFWs by engaging with their Taiwanese counterparts to remove the broker system.
