MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are working to establish a joint agreement governing the deployment of Filipino seasonal workers to farms in South Korea.
The initiative comes in response to complaints from some 40 workers who said they faced labor issues like unsafe conditions and unpaid wages after being sent to Korea through arrangements between local governments.
“We don’t want to constrain cooperation between localities, but what’s important is that workers go through the DMW for protection,” said DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac.
Under the agreement being discussed, the DMW aims to better document and monitor Filipinos’ situations abroad. Contracts would be processed, certified and verified by Philippine embassies, increasing government accountability, Cacdac explained.
The departments expect to finalize the joint circular by year’s end through technical working groups. The goal is to guarantee migrant rights while preventing exploitation overseas, officials said.
As Filipinos comprise a significant share of foreign farm laborers in South Korea, the new requirements could have significant impacts on workers’ welfare and the countries’ bilateral employment programs. (Isabel Almonte)
