Recruiters to Taiwan appeal for sobriety

MANILA, Philippines - With job prospects in Taiwan dimming for Filipinos, a group of recruitment agencies is appealing to Manila and Taipei for sobriety, saying both sides should stick to dialogue and avoid taking drastic actions like imposing travel and employment restrictions.

“As per what we read, the issue is enforcement of our laws against foreigners doing illegal fishing in our Philippine waters. Both sides should sit down and adopt measures to prevent similar cases in the future,” Angelo Tong, president of Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT), said in a statement.

Relations between Manila and Taipei soured following the fatal shooting on May 9 of a suspected Taiwanese poacher off Batanes.

Tong said PILMAT hopes that the incident would not completely ruin the cordial cultural and economic relations between Taiwan and the Philippines.

“Specially, we hope that freezing of hiring of our workers should not be resorted to, because both sides need each other,” PILMAT said.

There are over 80,000 registered Filipino workers in Taiwan employed mainly in electronic enterprises and in households or hospices as caregivers for the territory’s elderly. Filipinos in Taiwan remit some $2 billion annually to their families in the Philippines.

In 2011 alone, the Philippines deployed 32,000 workers to Taiwan, making the territory the 7th top destination for Filipino workers.

Fisheries deal shaping up

As the government struggles to repair damaged relations with Taiwan, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said a technical working group composed of fisheries officials from both countries had been created to discuss a possible fisheries agreement. 

The development came on the heels of President Aquino’s statement that a fisheries deal with neighboring countries may be key to resolving maritime disputes in the region.

Alcala said the technical working group is expected to begin meetings in June or July.  With Czeriza Valencia