Cebuano workers in Taiwan not affected yet by feud

CEBUANO workers in Taiwan have yet to feel the repercussions of the rift between the national government and the Taiwanese government following last week’s shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman.

There are 2,991 Cebuano workers in Taiwan, said Maricel Regasajo, labor communications officer of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Central Visayas (OWWA).

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Regional Center for Visayas also didn’t receive any advisory from Manila to hold the processing of Cebuanos applying for work in Taiwan.

Cebu City Hall’s Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) head Fidel Magno said they currently have no deployments for Taiwan.

“The Taiwan market is not that lucrative compared to before,” Magno added.

Rosemarie M. dela Pena, Cebu branch manager of Topmost Manpower Specialist Corp. said they “are still receiving applicants for Taiwan”

Recruitment industry expert Emmanuel Geslani said alternative labor markets being eyed by the national government for Filipino workers are not feasible and that Taiwan is a sought-after destination of OFWs.

“Malacañang should stop deceiving the public… that there are other markets where OFWs can find work,” he said.

Geslani said the government’s pronouncements “will further infuriate Taiwanese employers who are now serious in removing Filipinos as their contracts expire.”

He said more employers in Taiwan have recalled job orders for Filipinos issued this year and transferred these job orders to other countries in support of their government’s stand.

The labor department said it was eyeing new markets, especially in the manufacturing sector, the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia.

But Geslani explained that the markets identified by DOLE cannot absorb the yearly deployment of OFWs to Taiwan.

In South Korea there is a yearly quota which cannot be increased at will by the Philippine government.

This year it is for only 7,000 workers, positions which the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has not been able to fill, he said.  Correspondents Jose Santino Bunachita and Michelle Joy Padayhag with an Inquirer report