Less Jobs For Ofw's ?

[stef]

MANILA, Philippines - After the Manila hostage fiasco, Filipinos aspiring to work in hong kong face a new crisis.Employment agencies in Hong Kong are now threatening to stop the recruitment of workers from the Philippines due to the mandatory insurance requirement.According to Alfredo Palmiery, Society of Hong Kong Accredited Recruiters in the philippines president, their counterparts in Hong Kong have expressed their intention to stop the processing of the contracts of Filipino household workers.Palmiery said recruitment agencies in Hong Kong are strongly opposed to the insurance scheme since it would just be a “redundant cost” for Hong Kong employers.“At this time Hong Kong employers are already providing insurance coverage to their housemaids that far exceeds the coverage given by the new law,” he pointed out.Palmiery noted domestic helpers deployed to Hong Kong are covered by a HK$200,00 insurance which amounts to P1.2 million, which is definitely higher than the US$15,000 life insuranceoffered by local insurers.“Thus Hong Kong agencies refused any additional insurance expense,” he said.Palmiery said Hong Kong hires more than 30,000 Filipino workers annually.Local recruiters also reported that agencies in the Middle East are also opposed to the insurance scheme since they are already giving $25,000 insurance coverage.The Philippine government is set to enforce a new hiring regulation that would require recruitment agencies to provide insurance for departing workers.But recruitment leaders said they could not afford the fixed tariff rate of $144 or $72 per year for the compulsory insurance policies offered by various consortiums.

[ekimswish]

Interesting... wonder if the new government will stick to its guns for the protection of workers, and risk less people going abroad, or if they'll cave?

[Genius]

Interesting... wonder if the new government will stick to its guns for the protection of workers, and risk less people going abroad, or if they'll cave?

Guarantee you, those consortiums are the force behind the regulations in the first place. I would not be surprised if they force the additional costs on the OFWs themselves if the overseas hiring bodies dig their heels in. Never ceases to surprise mehow the connected parties in the ph continually find new ways to reduce the standard of living of ofws whilst feathering their nests. Shameful.

[mcchow]

Wait a minute. The report said that Hong Kong employers are already providing insurance to their housemaids. This is required by a Hong Kong law.And with better coverage than this mindless scheme.

[Jake]

Interesting... wonder if the new government will stick to its guns for the protection of workers, and risk less people going abroad, or if they'll cave?

Guarantee you, those consortiums are the force behind the regulations in the first place. I would not be surprised if they force the additional costs on the OFWs themselves if the overseas hiring bodies dig their heels in. Never ceases to surprise mehow the connected parties in the ph continually find new ways to reduce the standard of living of ofws whilst feathering their nests. Shameful.

Sounds to me like very strong insurance lobbyists in bed with the "law makers". Jake

[Old55]

I think you guys are right. The Philippines crocodiles are at it again and will stick the OFW’s with inflated insurance coverage. This is pathetic and worse nothing will be done because the government stooges will get their cut and the insurance middlemen will get theirs. Perfect crime.

[stef]

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has rejected a proposal by recruitment agencies to suspend the implementation of the law providing insurance coverage for overseas Filipino workers, which since its implementation this month has resulted in a 52 percent drop in deployments abroad, POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili said Friday.In an interview with Radyo Inquirer’s Marvin Javier and Hannah Señeres on their program “Bantay ng OFW,” Manalili said this was the decision reached by the governing board of the POEA Thursday, a day after representatives of recruitment agencies and the Insurance Commission met to discuss concerns about Republic Act 8042, which took effect last November 8.