Labor problems in Taiwan and Malaysia

The new senators may have to quickly review both our foreign policies and the kind of Foreign Affairs decisions that we make. Any faux pas in the handling of our foreign relations always results in a backlash against our Filipino migrant workers. Whenever our diplomats bungle a diplomatic row, it is our OFWs who are bound to bear the brunt of the host country and host government. In Taiwan today, OFWs are being hit with baseball bats and are subjected to a series of vengeful harassments that make their work life miserable and highly risky. In Malaysia, tens are being jailed, persecuted and charged with waging war against the King. What is the government doing? What are the diplomats' responses to these urgent challenges.

The current tensions in the relations between our country and Taiwan are causing a lot of labor problems to more than a hundred thousand OFWs in that northern neighbor. And the still unresolved diplomatic row between the Philippines and Malaysia continues to cause many labor-related issues that exacerbate the difficulties to about half a million Filipino migrant workers in our southern neighboring country. Political and diplomatic tensions both in the North and in the South may prove too much for our government to handle if we likewise consider the pestering conflict with mainland China on both Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys. In Taiwan today, our flag and the effigy of the President are being burned left and right and our people are being shouted at, berated and subjected to many forms of vexations.

The Taiwanese are raging with anger at the Philippines as a result of that unfortunate killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard near the Bangcaya Channel in the Babuyan Islands. In retaliation, Taiwanese employers are not renewing the work contracts of their workers from our country. They are not signing job orders and are not submitting duly approved contracts for the issuance of visas. The Taiwan government may send home our diplomats in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. And they are recalling their trade and economic representatives, their virtual ambassador and consuls in Manila.This problem can escalate with China declaring that it is on the side of Taiwan on this issue, notwithstanding their political conflicts with Taiwan.

The problems in Sabah are causing untold anguish to the Filipinos not only in Sabah, Sarawak, but also in the federal island territory of Labuan and in the mainland Malaysia, including those thousands of shop and factory workers in Kuala Lumpur, and the domestic helpers there, including those in Johore, Penang, Malacca and other states. I have my own sources in both Malaysia and Taiwan. I worked in Malaysia for three years as a labor diplomat. I also worked in Taiwan for two years also as a diplomat. I have people on the ground who tell me the facts, both Taiwanese friends and Filipino community leaders. I have many Malaysian friends both from the camp of Prime Minister NajibRazak and opposition leader Anwar. And Filipino community leaders in Malaysia always keep me updated. These problems both in the south and in the north can break us.

With all due respect to Ambassador Basilio, an ambassador par excellence and the best man that we could put in Taipei, and Chairman Amadeo Perez, who is a fine diplomat as well, this problem may demand another approach, not just the usual and standard operating procedure.The Taiwan government and the Taiwanese people are united against us. So are the Malaysians. We have a very fine career diplomat on the ground but this problem is way above him. That is why our government is always sending Ambassador Chito Brillantes, who is a non-career but a political appointee. The problem in Malaysia needs coherent, conscientious and comprehensive foreign relations policies and new approaches. I also salute our labor diplomats Rey Conferido in Taipei and Dr. Santos in KL. They need a lot of help and our prayers. Not for anything else, but for our OFWs. PNoy needs to act fast, and act wisely.This is hard nut to crack, two hard nuts, we should say.