Association: Suspension of employment certificate will not halt illegal work

Nedie Palcon (fourth from left) during the union’s clean up drive

Some fear that the suspension of the Filipino government’s issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates will affect domestic helpers in Macau.

Last week, The Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment announced the suspension of acceptance and processing of new Overseas Employment Certificates for land based overseas Filipino workers (OFW), saying the government must investigate allegations of illegal recruitment activities.

These certificates are required for Filipinos who identify themselves as working abroad when passing through Philippine immigration.

However, seafarers hired by manning agencies, workers hired by international organizations and members of the diplomatic corps are excluded from this requirement.

Returning workers and government-hired workers are also excluded from the suspension.

Based on the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s estimates, some 75,000 aspiring OFWs may be affected by this suspension – which will be in place until December 1.

Greens Philippines Migrant Workers Union, a Filipino migrant group in the region, lamented the move, noting that the measure will not halt illegal recruitment in the Philippines.

Speaking to the Times, chairperson of the migrant group, Nedie Palcon, condemned the measure even though she believed that the move will not affect domestic workers in the region.

Palcon expressed that it is significantly affecting those set to leave the region for other countries within these two weeks.

“Many workers already have their flights scheduled so it really affects them. What if the employers abroad could no longer wait for them?” she questioned.

The chairperson also noted that the suspension of the document is not an effective measure to lessen and solve illegal recruiters.

“Even here in Macau we encounter a lot of illegal recruiters. If we have illegal recruitment agencies back home, we also have them here in Macau. So suspending the document will not help, ” said Palcon.

Meanwhile, the Macau Overseas Worker Employment Agency Association explained that the measure is highly unlikely to affect the local market as only a low percentage of domestic helpers in Macau are hired through official agencies in the Philippines.

Speaking to TDM, chairman of the association, Ao Ieong Kuong Kao, explained that majority of Filipino domestic helpers found employers during their 30-day travel visa.

“It’s not going to affect Macau much because looking at previous records, most of the Filipino domestic helpers didn’t come to Macau in an official way. Only maybe less than 20 to 30 cases, so this figure is very low,” Ao pointed out, continuing, “as we can see in the market, many of them came to Macau under a travel visa because the number of them getting official documents through the Philippine Consulate is very low.”

The Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) also issued a statement noting that the measure has not been implemented to specifically target the local market, noting, “according to the information obtained currently, it is understood that the measure is not aimed at Macau.”

However, the bureau pledged to follow up on relevant issues and make further announcements if further information becomes available.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the Immigration Department pledged to be flexible with work permits for its domestic helpers in its region.

The HKSAR also acknowledged that the requirement was not targeting Hong Kong. LV

Rally outside the PHconsulate in HK

MEMBERS OF the United Filipinos of Hong Kong, a workers union of about 6,000 domestic workers in the city, staged a rally outside the Philippine Consulate yesterday. They are calling for the government of the Philippines to reimburse people affected by the ban and for Hong Kong authorities to push for it to be lifted. Some 210 workers bound for Hong Kong are believed to have been affected, while the city’s Secretary for Labor and Welfare Law said it could impact as many as 1,000 local families.