1st batch of Filipino farmworkers sent to Korea

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), through the local government’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP), on Thursday deployed the first batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to South Korea.

The DMW said there were 39 seasonal farmworkers from the municipalities of Apalit, Lubao, and Magalang in Pampanga, who comprised the first batch under the “interim pipeline processing” procedure intended to guarantee the rights and welfare of OFWs involved in the program.

Partner local gov’ts

The SWP is an initiative facilitated by partner-local governments in the Philippines and South Korea to address the lack of agricultural workers during peak farming season in Seoul.

On Jan. 11, the DMW issued a moratorium on the deployment of OFWs for the program following reports of “illegal recruitment, labor and welfare cases.”

On Friday, the DMW announced the local governments in Pampanga facilitated the departure of the 39 seasonal farmworkers, with the help of the Bureau of Immigration and Clark International Airport.

They underwent the mandatory pre-departure orientation seminar while the DMW provided their special exit clearance that would allow them to depart to South Korea.

No fee

The department said it expects more batches of seasonal farmworkers for deployment in South Korea. They will be provided with protection for their rights as laborers, including the contract, proper living and working conditions, insurance, and welfare coverage as members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“DMW reminds seasonal farmworkers who wish to undergo the SWP that there is no recruitment fee to be charged to them,” it said.

The department added that the public may report anyone who is collecting a “recruitment fee” to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau via https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip INQ