Manila eyes S Korea, Malaysia for expats in Taiwan

South Korea and Malaysia are two of the countries being eyed by the Philippines for its skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan should the ongoing spat between Manila and Chinese Taipei escalate further.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte revealed this as the Philippine government prepared a contingency plan for about 87,000 OFWs in Taiwan, some of whom are being harassed there over the recent shooting incident in Philippine waters.

On May 9, a Taiwanese fisherman died when Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel shot at one of four Taiwanese boats poaching off Balintang Channel near Batanes, a province on Philippines’ biggest island of Luzon.

PCG said its personnel acted in self-defence during a confrontation in Philippine waters that brought the death of 65-year-old Hung Shih-chen.

Taiwan has issued a freeze order on the hiring of OFWs, as well as a ban on its domestic travel agencies in sending tourists to the Philippines.

Valte, citing statistics from the Department of Labour and Employment, said the official estimate of OFWs in Taiwan is just over 85,000, 72 percent of whom are working in the manufacturing sector, 26 percent in the personnel and social services, and 2 percent in the fishing sector.

Manila is hoping to iron out this irritant with Chinese Taipei, with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III sending Amadeo Perez, chief of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), to Taiwan to relay his apologies over the accident.
 

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