OFFICER-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) acknowledges receiving complaints related to illegal recruitment and other labor cases faced by Filipino seasonal workers in South Korea. These include unsafe labor conditions, inadequate wages, overwork, and the unfortunate deaths of two Filipino workers.
Recently, the DMW announced the implementation of a moratorium on the employment and deployment of seasonal workers to South Korea. This means temporarily suspending Filipino workers as seasonal workers in the said country.
Cacdac stated that they would formulate overseas deployment guidelines under existing DMW regulations, involving various government agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Bureau of Immigration. They are also coordinating with Local Government Units.
According to the DMW advisory, the moratorium on sending Filipino seasonal workers to South Korea is effective immediately.
OFW Party-list supports moratorium on deployment of seasonal workers to South Korea
Meanwhile, the OFW Party List supports the moratorium imposed by the Department of Migrant Workers on sending seasonal workers to South Korea. Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino filed House Resolution 1343, calling for an inquiry into the recruitment and deployment of Filipino Seasonal Agricultural Workers in South Korea under the ‘LGU to LGU’ arrangement.
Following her visit to Korea in June 2023, Rep. Magsino expressed the concerns of overseas Filipino workers in a town-hall meeting regarding labor violations under the program.
The OFW Party-list, after a meeting with Filipino workers in South Korea, conducted a review involving the Philippine Embassy in the Republic of Korea, DMW, DILG, and DFA to ensure stronger protection for Filipino workers under the SWP.
The OFW Party-list believes that the moratorium will allow the mentioned agencies to create more robust mechanisms for employer screening, pre-deployment seminars on workers’ rights, the establishment of fair and equitable working conditions, and rigorous monitoring of deployed workers.
To recall, The Seasonal Workers Program allows Filipino workers to stay for 3 to 5 months on Korean farms under a memorandum of understanding between local government units in South Korea and the Philippines.
