The head of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz wants returning Filipino workers from Korea to take advantage of the benefits that they can avail thru the “Happy Return Program” of the Korean Ministry of Labor and Employment.  

The said program entitles returning workers from Korea to many services such as free skills training that would ensure their successful reintegration in the Philippines.

Baldoz said, “The Happy Return Program offers EPS workers returning to the Philippines free business and skills training such as Business Startup Training, Computer Repair, Beauty and Aesthetic Program, Basic Welding, Basic Korean Language Training, Automobile Repair, and Excavator Operation, among others, for their successful reintegration to their country of origin.” Her statement is based on the report from the Labor Attache to South Korea, Atty. Felicitas Bay.

Under the “Happy Return Program,” Filipino workers can also apply for a certificate of employment which will indicate the employment history of the person in Korea. This employment certificate is expected to facilitate the application of workers who wish to work again in Korea through job matching or job fairs and on-and off-line job placement service.

To get an employment certificate, one can personally request it at any Employment Stability Centers (ESC) or regional branch of HRD Korea. One can also apply for a certificate online, just go to www.eps.go.kr

The DOLE chief said, “I encourage our OFWs to avail of these programs and training on entrepreneurial and livelihood skills being offered by the South Korean government to open businesses and other livelihood opportunities, if they so desire, when they come back to the Philippines.”

To inform the Filipino workers in Korea, Baldoz instructed the POLO Korea to disseminate this information to the Filipino communities in that country.

“These training and other programs could complement our very own national reintegration program for OFWs being implemented in the Philippines,” she added.

In 2010, 222 OFWs participated in the Korean HRD training program. Similarly, the Philippine Embassy in Korea together with POLO conducted five seminars on financial literacy, serving 179 Flipinos.

The Korean government likewise reminded foreign workers against the risk of illegal stay in their country. The punishment for working in Korea without the necessary residence permit is imprisonment of less than three (3) years, or fine of not more than twenty (20) million won. The punishment will be for the worker and the employers. The employers shall also be stripped of the right to hire a foreign worker.