Recruiters want one-stop center for Taiwan-bound OFWs

A group of recruitment agencies is asking the government to set up a one-stop authentication center to speed up the processing of documents of Taiwan-bound overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the apparent rift between Taiwan and the Philippines. The row, stemming from Philippines’ deportation of 14 Taiwanese nationals to China, resulted in stricter visa application rules for migrant Filipino workers in Taiwan. In a statement, the Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT) said a one-stop center is needed following the new requirements imposed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) for OFWs. PILMAT president Jackson Gan said some 5,000 OFWS are scheduled to depart in February and March, but the processing of their papers has been put on hold when TECO issued new visa rules on Feb. 10. According to Gan, TECO rejected on Thursday all visa applications filed by members of PILMAT and issued a new set of requirements lengthening the processing of visas to two to four months. PILMAT said TECO also imposed additional requirements for OFWs, such as a “red ribbon" or authentication from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for documents like National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, birth certificate and marriage contract. These documents, PILMAT said, will also have to be authenticated by TECO with an additional fee of P700 for each document. Applicants will also have to present original identification cards issued by the Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth and Commission on Elections (Comelec). PILMAT is asking the DFA, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), NBI, National Statistics Office, SSS, Comelec and Philhealth to set up a center where required documents can be procured and authenticated faster than the usual processing period of five to seven days. “This one-stop shop will also benefit new applicants for Taiwan and will facilitate the issuance of the authenticated documents, saving them money since all the documents needed by the TECO can be issued (there)," PILMAT said. According to PILMAT, factory owners requested new workers right after the Chinese New Year, but are now disappointed upon learning that will have to wait longer than expected. Taipei is demanding an apology from the Philippines after the latter deported 14 Taiwanese citizens to mainland China instead of Taiwan. The 14, along with 10 others from China, were arrested by the NBI on December 27 last year on charges of fraud. They were consequently deported to mainland China on Feb. 2, despite attempts by TECO officials and lawyers — who maintained that the 14 were Taiwanese citizens — to have them deported to Taiwan. Special representative in Manila Donald Lee was subsequently recalled by Taipei, with the threat that the “inhumane" deportation of the 14 may negatively impact on some 80,000 Filipino workers there. Malacañang has maintained it will not apologize over the incident, saying the deportation of the 14 to China was the “proper" thing to do and that it was “based on [the country’s] national interest. TECO could not be reached for comment as of posting time. There are some 80,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, most of whom are in electronic assembly and manufacturing factories, while some 20,000 workers as caregivers earning about P30,000 a month. Last year, OFWs in Taiwan sent home over US$91 million in remittances. — KBK, GMA News