Home Crime Two runaway OFW caregivers in South Korea arrested in Busan

Two runaway OFW caregivers in South Korea arrested in Busan

Philippines-South Korea pilot caregiving program v2

MANILA – Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) deployed to South Korea under a government-to-government hiring program have been arrested after failing to return to their caregiver jobs following a holiday break.

The incident has raised concerns about the pilot program, but officials remain confident the partnership with South Korea will continue to thrive.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the two caregivers, part of the initial batch of 100 deployed in August, were found by Korean immigration authorities in Busan on October 4 and are now under investigation.

“We are providing legal assistance to them to secure the best possible defense…and make sure that they are not under duress or under any form of pressure in the course of the investigation,” Cacdac told reporters on Monday.

The caregivers had completed a three-week training program upon arrival in early September, but disappeared during the Chuseok holiday on September 15 and failed to return to work on September 18.

Despite the setback, Cacdac expressed confidence in the long-standing labor relationship between the Philippines and South Korea, stating the incident was “an isolated case” that would not affect the broader program.

“We will make the corresponding adjustments to perhaps better inform our workers prior to departure about the implications of skirting or violating Korean immigration laws,” he said, adding the pilot nature of the program allows for such challenges to be addressed.

The Employment Permit System that facilitated the caregiver deployment is a two-decade old bilateral agreement, and Cacdac said both governments are committed to its success.

“That’s the beauty of the longstanding bilateral labor relationship between Korea and the Philippines. So we are so equipped to address these issues and concerns as we have for the last 20 years of the employment permit system,” he said.

The Philippines sees the caregiver program as a way to provide employment opportunities for its citizens abroad, while addressing labor shortages in South Korea’s eldercare sector. Officials will now work to ensure stronger safeguards are in place before the next batch of workers departs.