DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac has instructed the Migrant Workers Office in Osaka to provide all the necessary support to affected OFWs, including immediate medical and financial assistance onsite.

“We are closely monitoring the situation of OFWs, especially those who are in the Ishikawa and Toyama Prefectures to guarantee their safety. Also, we are ready to provide necessary medical and financial assistance to OFWs onsite,” Cacdac said.

There are 1,194 Filipinos living in the two prefectures of which 447 are in Ishikawa and 700 in Toyama. The majority of them are working in the manufacturing, welding, and carpentry sectors.

As of today, January 4, 2024, there are no Filipino casualties have been reported in the latest update received by the department in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, and the Philippine Consulate General Office in Osaka and Nagoya.

Meanwhile, all supervising organizations and principals are directed to monitor the safety of their deployed OFWs and report their conditions to MWO-Osaka for necessary assistance and support.

OFWs in Japan and their families may contact the DMW-OWWA Japan Helpline at Hotline 1348 or +632-1348 (from abroad) for any updates and immediate assistance. The DMW Japan Desk may also be reached through +632-86630445.

OFWs onsite may also contact the DMW-MWO-Osaka Hotline numbers at: +81-7022756082 and +81-7024474016 and MWO Tokyo at +81-7036300167.

Credits: https://www.dmw.gov.ph/news-releases/DMW-extends-aid-to-OFWs-affected-by-Japan-earthquake

Image: https://tribune.net.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386506900_629386426028493_4313127245935642670_n-1536×1025.jpg

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) says thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan and Hongkong stand to benefit from new wage orders starting this fourth quarter 2023 to January 2024.

“We thank Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor and the Hongkong Special Administrative Region Labor Department respectively for enacting wage legislation that recognizes the work of our OFWs and their contribution to the economic development of their host countries,” said DMW Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Hans Leo J. Cacdac.

The Taiwan Ministry of Labor’s (MOL) new wage order mandates a 4.05% increase in the monthly minimum salary from NT$ 26,400 (P46,378.70) to NT$27,470 (P48,223.43). The same wage order also increases the minimum hourly wage by NT$7 from NT$168 (P295.14) to NT$183 (P321.48).

The Ministry of Labor reports 151, 562 Filipinos are working in Taiwan as of October 2023. Of these 123,768 who work in the manufacturing sector stand to benefit from the new wage order once it takes effect on January 1st. The DMW projects another 17,721 workers in this category to be hired by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, OFWs working as foreign domestic helpers (FDH) or household service workers (HSWs) in Hongkong will benefit from similar wage legislation set by Hongkong’s Labor Department.

OFWs working as FDHs will receive a minimum allowable wage (MAW) of HK$4,870 or P38,010.35. This is a HK$140 increase from the previous rate of HK$4,730 or P36,917.65.

The Hongkong wage order also mandates an adjustment in the allowable food allowance for FDHs raising it to HK$1,236 or P9,649.98 from the previous rate of HK$1,196 or P9,334.78.

These wage increases in Hongkong shall be applicable only to FDH contracts signed on or after 30 September 2023.

The Migrant Workers Office in Hongkong (MWO-HK) reports that as of August 2023, there are 196,364 OFWs working as HSWs or FDHs in Hongkong. MWO-HK estimates some 40,000 HSWs representing new hires and those with renewed contracts will directly benefit from the new wage legislation.

Additionally, by January 2024, MWO-HK estimates there will be around 205,000 Filipino HSWs working in Hongkong.

Credits: https://www.dmw.gov.ph/news-releases/DMW-notes-wage-hikes-in-Taiwan-and-HK-to-benefit-thousands-of-OFWs

Image: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/files/2022/02/253196-hongkong-ofw-02222022.jpeg

Marcos issued the directive during a meeting with the DMW, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Information and Communications Technology, Malacañang said in a release Sunday.

All departing OFWs are required to secure an OEC, which shall serve as exit clearance, and as an exemption from payment of travel tax and airport terminal fees.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said the department is just waiting for the DICT’s approval of the DMW Mobile App to ensure its cybersecurity features.

His only order is for the department to make sure that our OFWs will not pay anything for using the mobile app, and downloading the OFW Pass –

Ople said in Filipino

The DMW App will contain the OFW Pass—a digital and secure version of the OEC that will serve as the digital identity of Filipino migrant workers.

Malacañang said the OFW Pass will completely replace the OEC after a two- to three-month transition period upon activation.

The OFW Pass is QR-code generated and can be acquired only through the mobile app, while the OEC requires onsite processing with a P100 charge.

The OFW Pass is valid until the expiration of the migrant worker’s work contract.

First-time OFWs, migrant workers returning to the Philippines temporarily but will be returning to the same employer, and OFWs who have transferred to a different employer or whose contracts need to be registered and verified by the Office of the Labor Attaché can avail of OFW Pass.

BI earlier flagged fake OECs that are usually procured online. In June, the bureau intercepted six individuals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga for presenting bogus OECs. All of the victims said they secured their documents through recruiters online.

Credits: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/07/10/2280017/dmw-ordered-make-overseas-employment-certificate-free-charge

Image: https://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2020/12/ofw_2020_12_17_13_15_40.jpg