By EDU LOPEZ
April 9, 2009, 7:07pm
The number of displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFW) has bottomed out as the demand for Filipino workers abroad continues.
The
Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) noted that in Taiwan, where
the biggest number of displaced OFWs came from, has started to rehire
OFWs.
Citing data from the Manila Economic Cultural Office
(MECO), Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said that a total of 468 OFWs
found jobs in Taiwan in March this year. Another 851 displaced OFWs
were re-hired by their employers in Taiwan.
Companies
affected by the global crisis are keeping the OFWs to avoid losing
their quotas and in anticipation of improvement in the economy of
Taiwan in the fourth quarter.
MECO data also indicated that
displacements of foreign workers in Taiwan have been marginalized.
During this same period, no OFW in this country was laid off due to the
crisis.
Roque also noted that no additional OFW dislocation was
recorded, saying that the number of OFWs displaced by the global crisis
remained at 6,000 and not 12,000 as alleged by reports.
He said
the situation in many countries with OFWs appear to have stabilized as
the demand for Filipino manpower by foreign employers still continues.
The
Middle East (ME) countries remained the top countries of destination
for OFWs. For the first quarter of 2009, Roque said the Philippine
Labor Offices in ME have monitored 106,800 new job opportunities for
OFWs excluding the job orders registered with the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration (POEA). |