Monday, February 21, 2011

News Update Taiwan seen to ease rules on OFW hiring

MANILA, Philippines - Taiwan is expected to ease rules on the hiring of Filipino workers with the Philippine government’s decision to send a delegation and discuss the rift between the two countries.

Recruitment leader Jackson Gan said they expect the early resolution of the row with Taiwan after the meeting with the Philippine delegation led by former Sen. Mar Roxas.

"With the visit of Roxas we expect the bilateral ties between Taipei and Manila to be re-connected and the restrictions imposed by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) on new visa applications will be lifted,” Gan said.

Gan further expressed hope that the more than 5,000 OFWs scheduled to leave for Taiwan for this month and March can immediately fly and work in factories there.

Special envoy to Taiwan Mar Roxas is reportedly flying to Taiwan tomorrow to meet Foreign Minister Timothy Yang and possibly Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou to explain the issues surrounding the hasty deportation of 14 Taiwanese to mainland China.

Acccording to Gan. electronic and manufacturing factories in Taiwan have been expecting the arrival of the new workers for the past weeks to help them cope with the increasing demand for Taiwan’s electronic goods.

Earlier, the Social Security System (SSS) opened a courtesy lane for Filipinos seeking employment in Taiwan and help them comply with the new hiring requirement of the Taiwanese government.

Under the new rules, visa applicants must present an SSS identification card, thus making the deployment process a little longer than the past. - By Mayen Jaymalin