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OFWs told not to lose hope despite lay-offs


Former Environment Secretary Mike Defensor urges OFWs to try investing on the mining sector amid the economic crisis. Mark Ubalde
MANILA, Philippines - Amid the recent layoffs of migrant workers in some countries, a manpower industry leader and a labor official on Tuesday told aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFW) not to lose hope in finding jobs abroad. “Hindi sila dapat mawalan ng pag-asa. Hindi dahil may bumabalik na workers, titigil ang mundo at mawawalan ng trabaho ang lahat (They should not lose hope. Not just because workers come back, it means that the world will stop and everybody will lose their jobs)," Victor E. Fernandez Jr., president of the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (Pasei) told GMANews.TV in an interview. An official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also said there should be no cause for alarm even as she noted that around 575,000 OFWs in at least six countries were at risk of losing their jobs. Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Soriano said during the annual Handog ng Overseas Filipino Forum held Tuesday at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) that the figure includes 268,000 factory workers from South Korea, Taiwan, and Macau. She said 130,000 cruise ship workers are also at risk, and so with 129,000 OFWs holding temporary work visas in the US, and 48,000 are household service workers in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque later described the figures presented by Soriano as "too big." In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, he said that only 10 percent from the four sectors identified are expected to be at risk. Roque, Soriano and Fernandez, however, were one in saying that new job opportunities could easily offset those affected by layoffs. Soriano noted that new labor markets for OFWs are also emerging in other countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Guam that are ready to welcome foreign workers, she said. DOLE data showed that as of Friday, only 1,423 OFWs in four countries have lost their jobs as a direct result of the economic crunch. Of the number, the bulk came from Taiwan, with 75 laid off in Australia’s shipbuilding industry, 69 in a Brunei garment factory, and 16 in a United Kingdom service telecommunications company. Fernandez pointed out that this figure is much lower than the number of Filipinos leaving the country daily for work abroad, which is more than 2,500. Moreover, he said, those laid off from Taiwan were supposedly given the choice of just working for three or four days instead of five in order to cushion the impact of the global crunch on the company. “Nasa thousands lang naman ang na-layoff, ang dinedeploy natin taun-taon ay milyon (The laid off are only in thousands while the deployed Filipinos are in millions)," he said. Moreover, he said that even though some businesses shut down, some still remain while some are just waiting for a chance to open. “Ika nga (As they say), as one door closes, another window opens," he said. Just don’t be choosy Fernandez said what’s saddening is that applicants dwell too much on applying with first-world countries. “Dapat mawala ang colonial mentality na Amerika ang gusto agad na puntahan. Sa Middle East countries tuloy-tuloy naman ang paghahire ng mga workers (We should lose our colonial mentality that makes us want to go to America right away even though Middle East countries are always hiring)," he said. And although there was a slowdown in the hiring of workers in the manufacturing sector, the industry leader said that construction, maintenance, and service workers are always in demand. He advised aspiring OFWs not to be choosy when it comes to applying for work. “Kahit mababa ang suweldo, mas-maganda ang may trabaho na stable (Even though the pay is low, it’s better to have a job that is stable)," said Fernandez. Direct hiring However, he warned Filipino workers to be weary of those claiming to be involved in direct hiring. “Never trust direct hiring, always pass through the licensed and legitimate agencies accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Department of Labor and Employment," he said. Meanwhile, he invited all aspiring OFWs to come to the third Pasei Overseas Employment Super Mega Jobs Expo on Friday 9 am to 5 pm at TMX, Prime Block Mall, 3/F Tutuban Mall, Manila. The event will reportedly gather around 50 Pasei-member agencies, all of which are POEA-licensed agencies with job orders. Applicants are advised to bring resumes, bio-data, 2x2 pictures, school credentials, training and employment certificate, NBI clearances, and passport (if available). No registration or entrance fee is required. Preparations Soriano, meanwhile, said the government is putting in place a program to cushion OFWs from the impact of the economic crunch should this worsen. She said the government is prepared to provide livelihood programs to 50,000 displaced OFWs under the contingency plan ordered by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in October. About P250 million was allotted under the National Reintegration Center under the DoLE for retrenched OFWs, she said. Soriano also told OFWs not to be alarmed by the economic crisis since employers would surely do everything to keep them employed. - GMANews.TV
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