PHL looks for options to Taiwan's threats not to hire OFWs

Malacañang over the weekend reassured jobseekers it is looking for other job openings in other countries to make up for the hiring freeze that Taiwan labor officials claimed can be implemented anytime against Filipinos, as the Philippines refused to say sorry for deporting 14 Taiwanese to mainland China. President Benigno Aquino III has instructed Labor Secretary Roslinda Baldoz to find alternatives that can neutralize Taipei’s latest move connected to the deportation row, said presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte. Taipei said the Philippines tends to lose about $336 million in remittances with the hiring freeze now in place. “Maraming ibang bansa na nagbubukas ng employment opportunities sa OFW natin, so naghahanap tayo for additional deployment sa naaapektuhan ng freeze hiring (Many other countries are opening up employment opportunities for our OFW, so we are looking for additional deployment opportunities for those being affected by the freeze hiring)," Valte said. Late Friday, Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) Minister Wang Ju-hsuan claimed the Philippines risks losing some $336 million (P14.699 billion) in remittances if Taiwan implements a full freeze on the hiring of OFWs, saying some 70,000 Filipinos now working in his country are paid nearly NT$20 billion (P29.37 billion) a year “Deducting living expenditures, it is estimated that there is still nearly NT$10 billion (P14.688 billion) left," Wang said in a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CAN). Valte said that Filipinos in Taiwan get a basic salary of NT$17,880 (P26,262) per month. Earlier, Wang said the council was ready to freeze hiring Filipino workers should the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided on it. “As long as MOFA is certain on adopting more stringent measures against the Philippines, the council will be ready for related measures to freeze Filipino laborers," Wang said in a report posted Friday evening on CAN. “The council has also obtained a consensus from the industrial sector and received its support. We can take action at any time," she added. Such a move would definitely make the Philippines “feel the pain," Valte said. The Philippine economy relies on the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), which last year totaled $18.76 billion or about 10 percent of GDP (gross domestic product). — VS, GMA News