Taiwan's OFWs: Anxieties and hopes

The current problem between our country and Taiwan necessarily brings anxieties to the 77,795 OFWs in this country, and a considerable measure of worries and uncertainties on the part of their families back home. But because Filipinos have that indubitable spirit of never-say-die, and that much known resiliency, the OFWs still hope that, after all shall have been said and done, and after all these political rhetorics and diplomatic posturings, the leaders of these two nations shall find a mutually-acceptable solutions to the problem at hand, and that something good may yet come out from all these.

Of course, the OFWs are intelligent enough to understand that they are just an innocent group that finds itself caught amidst the sounds and fury of a love triangle, among China, Taiwan and the Philippines, and that whenever big decisions are made by big powers, they are the small guys who would stand to suffer collateral damages, even as these damages are unintended.

They may not be politically astute enough to comprehend the deeper ramifications of this diplomatic row, but the OFWs have enough common sense to realize that when this problem is not attended to with a sense of precision and urgency, there shall be far-reaching implications on them and their loved ones. And so, it can be said truly that there is today a lingering atmosphere of deep anxieties among our migrant workers here.

The figures are beyond rhethorics. The 77,795 documented OFWs in Taiwan earn no less than 2.015 billion pesos a month or 24.181 billion a year, without overtime pay. If they remit only a half of their income, that still translates to 12.090 billion annually or more than a billion pesos every month. This money are paying home mortgage amortizations, sending students to universities, paying hospital bills and being used to capitalize micro and medium-scale industries that keep the economy going.

Of the 77,795 OFWs in Taiwan, 54, 489 or 70% are working in high tech electronics factories, while 23,306 or 30% are working in Taiwanese households as caretakers for the old, the sick and the disabled. Each Filipino working in a high tech factory as machine operator and the likes, earn a minimum monthly basic pay in the equivalent amount of 26,820 while the caretaker earns a basic of 23,760 a month. Most of their income are sent home to their families.

We are not the market leader in Taiwan anymore. We used to be, as the OFWs have superior knowledge and skills, but over the years, the Indonesians (with 154,596 or 41%) and the Vietnamese (with 79,796 or 21.5% ) outflanked us. We are number three and Thailand (with 65,885 or 17% ) closely catching up.

If this problem is not addressed with urgency, and precision, we shall most probably lose out in the competitive drive for the new 5,000 jobs in 2011 in Taiwan. For the moment, the recruiters are very much worried to the point of being angry. The brokers in Taiwan are also having sleepless nights. But the worst hit, if at all, should be the workers themselves. They have paid a lot in order to get these jobs and if renewals of work contracts are going to be delayed, derailed or altogether stopped, it will be the end of the road for many of them. They have large debts to pay to the usurers and lending companies. They have house rentals to pay, children to send to school, and scores of other obligations to meet.

The recruiters can refocus to other foreign labor markets, the brokers can turn to Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia to fill in the void. But where shall the OFWs go? Surprisingly, in my interactions with them, they are worried, yes, but they are far from being desperate, still hoping against hope, that at the end of the day, this too shall pass.

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