MANILA, Philippines — Amid reports that foreign workers are being employed in the country, Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday underscored the government’s role in ensuring that Filipino workers are prioritized here.
Lacson questioned how the workers secured temporary working permits, especially in the construction sector where Filipino workers must be given utmost priority.
“May nakakuha ng temporary permit, ‘yan ang problema. So again babalik tayo sa government, babalik tayo sa executive branch (Foreign workers were able to secure temporary working permits. We go back to the government, particularly the executive branch),” Lacson said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
“Why are we accommodating Chinese workers to the detriment of our own construction workers?” the senator added.
ABS-CBN News recently reported that 15 Chinese nationals were spotted working at a construction site in Manila. The report noted that the contractor is Chinese and the workers were hired for their technical skills.
Lacson, however, argued that technical workers are different from construction workers.
“When we say construction workers, they are construction workers. Iba ang technical people na nagpo-provide ng technical expertise sila sa paggawa ng technical, mga architect (When we say construction workers, they are construction workers. Technical workers provide technical expertise, such as architects),” Lacson explained.
The senator added that the issue is not only prevalent in Metro Manila but other areas of the country such as Clark in Pampanga.
“Tayo nga nagpapadala pa ng construction workers abroad. Tapos may requirements tayo rito, hire natin Chinese workers? It’s not only in [Metro Manila] (We send construction workers abroad, so how come we hire Chinese workers? It’s not only in Metro Manila),” Lacson said.
The senator noted that the Senate is seeking ways to address the issue, such as coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“We have to see kung may mangyayari. But we just keep harping on these issues baka sakali magkaroon ng resulta (We have to see if anything happens, but we keep on harping on these issues hoping it would yield results),” Lacson said. /ee
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