Labor department expanding services in Taiwan

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma announced yesterday that the labor department will expand its services in anticipation of increased volume of placements following the lifting of the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in Taiwan.

The Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan, Inc. (PILMAT), which is composed of agencies accredited to place workers in Taiwan, has finalized plans to open another office in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, to serve more OFWs.

Laguesma said PILMAT has an existing office in Taipei.

The Taipei-based office and the soon-to-be-opened PILMAT office in Kaoshiung will supplement the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) welfare office.

The offices do not intend to establish another welfare office. The government has already established enough welfare mechanisms for OFWs which PILMAT would support and supplement.

Laguesma said he was informed by PILMAT president Raul de Vera that the group would continue working closely with the Taiwan-based MECO in assisting OFWs in the island nation.

PILMAT, De Vera said, has been accepting referrals from MECO which were immediately coursed by the group to their Taiwanese counterparts.

Laguesma said these efforts contributed substantially to industrial peace among parties concerned in Taiwan.

He cited labor officers and staff at MECO and PILMAT for their contributions to the success in negotiating for the lifting of ban and in facilitating assistance to OFWs in Taiwan.

Officers of the Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung Associations of Manpower Agencies also cited the MECO officials and Filipino welfare officers for their mediating in disputes between the concerned parties.

Taiwan lifted the ban on the hiring of OFWs in major investment and public construction projects last Dec. 1. — Sandy Araneta