If you’ve been following the news, President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent trip to Japan has secured the commitment of Japan to offer jobs for overseas Filipino workers as the country transitions to an economic period, marked by a change in its immigration policies concerning foreign entry.
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However, Japan is not the only Asian country looking to hire OFWs, as there are many others, such as the likes of China, Thailand, and this time, even South Korea, which is opening its doors to Filipino talents to contribute in the growth of its industries.
Returning OFWs to be Offered Jobs by Firms in South Korea
In line with this, Korean and Filipino companies have offered 500 jobs for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Koreans in the Philippines in celebration of the bilateral relations between the two countries, as shared in the report of ABS-CBN News.
At present, many Korean firms are looking to hire factory workers, machine operators, service crew, customer service representatives, and IT specialists, among others.
Hiring was recently facilitated at a job fair in a hotel in Makati City on Saturday (June 1), where at least 42 companies participated.
According to the update, returning OFWs may apply under the Employee Permit System, a government-to-government arrangement that allows small and medium Korean companies to outsource foreign workers in partner countries such as the Philippines.
Regarding this development, Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique Tutay said, “The Philippines and Korea will help each other. Korean companies in the Philippines will hire Filipinos. At the same time, Filipino companies will hire Koreans.”
For his part, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Dong-man Han said, “There are many returning [Filipino] workers from Korea. They are very dedicated and devoted that I am sure participating companies would want to employ them here in the Philippines.”
The partnership which the Philippines and South Korea have long maintained has benefited both countries in terms of provision of manpower and employment, through the establishment of Korean firms in the Philippines and through the deployment of skilled workers and professional talents to Korea.
The government-to-government setup, known as the EPS (Employment Permit System), has created opportunities for many Filipinos to work overseas in the fields of education, retail, manufacturing, engineering, and the sciences. This direct agreement between the two countries will also benefit young Korean nationals who have stayed in the Philippines to study, and to find work in the long-term.
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