Filipinos warned against looking for jobs in Macau

Filipino jobseekers, especially those with only tourist visas, were warned Tuesday against seeking work in Macau as the special administrative region is giving priority to local hires. It is no longer easy to get jobs as walk-in applicants in the region, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said, citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Macau. In an article on the Labor Department website, Roque also warned Filipino jobseekers against falling for unscrupulous individuals or entities who may bring them to Macau as tourists with promises of jobs. Instead of finding jobs, he said these jobseekers may find themselves in dire straits due to the new Macau restrictions against foreign workers. Roque advised workers to verify first with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the legality of jobs being offered in Macau. In 2009, POEA deployed 6,729 OFWs to Macau, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector. But the Macau government passed the Law for the Employment of Non-residential Workers, or the Law on Imported Labor, to safeguard the employment of local workers and restrict the hiring of migrant workers there. The new law took effect last April 26. In its report, the POLO in Macau said the draft administrative regulations complementing the new law have already been submitted to the Macau government’s Executive Council. In view of the new law, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) presented 10 demands to the Macau Department of Transportation and Public Works to protect local workers and prevent the illegal employment of foreign workers. The union asked the Macau government to, among others, prevent the hiring of foreign workers in occupations such as drivers and floor supervisors in casinos, and in the industrial and construction sectors as well. As this developed, the POLO-Macau has consulted the Macau Labor Affairs Bureau for a symposium aimed at orienting the OFWs in Macau on the new law. Macau, a former Portuguese colony, is one of the two special administrative regions in China, the other one being Hong Kong. Its economy is based largely on tourism, gaming, and hospitality industry which contribute more than 50 percent of its gross domestic product. Other chief economic activities in this administrative region are export-geared textile and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services. - JMA, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV