The government of Taiwan is planning to amend a program on direct hiring foreign workers that aims to help ease the processing fees that are being collected by linking agents.

“The Taiwan government is pushing for a program on direct hiring of foreign workers, which could benefit thousands of Filipino workers here,” Deputy Minister/Political Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) Dr. Shih-wei Pan said that the Taiwan

Pan added that the new program will benefit both employers and employees in Taiwan.

“Basically, we reduce the cost and it is beneficial to both the employers and employees in cost savings. When you go through an agent, you have to pay some fees to the agency, not only the domestic agent but also the foreign agent, the Filipino agent and the Taiwanese agent. A foreign worker can save about NT $30,000 to NT$60,000 by adopting the Direct Hiring Program,” Pan told Filipino reporters in an interview.

In 2008, about 4,700 foreign workers have worked in Taiwan via the Direct Hiring Program. 721 OFWs were deployed in Taiwan from January to August of this year while 733 Filipino workers fled to Taiwan last year under the same program.

“This is only the first stage. So the direct hire is being implemented only to those who have served the same employer, or is rehired,” said Pan.

“For example, one employee who has served back an employer during the last three years requested to return to the Philippines. When he or she wants to go back to Taiwan, his original employer can hire him directly and he doesn’t have to go through an agency,” he added.

The minister also noted that companies who are merely affected by the global recession last year and laid off workers, are now back on track and start hiring again.

“But basically we have some restrictions for foreign workers. You cannot hire foreign workers in the service industry,” said Pan.

This month, hiring increased by 2,000 to 3,000. If the economy would get better this would continue to increase, he said.

There are about 68,000 registered Filipino workers in Taiwan. 47,000 OFws are working n manufacturing or electronics while 21,000 Filipinos are working for family care as domestic helpers or caregivers.

Ambassador Antonio Basilio, managing director and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office based in Taipei, said direct hiring has not picked up but MECO has been trying to encourage employers in Taiwan to adopt direct hiring through the Council of Labor Affairs, which has set up offices in Taipei to process direct hiring.

This year they expanded the program to cover new hires.

Basilio also noted that there is again a demand for workers in electronics companies that have always preferred Filipino workers because of their proficiency in English.

Last year, only domestic workers benefited from the Direct Hiring Program but for this year, Pan said they are going to apply direct hiring in other industries, such as manufacturing.