The Philippine labor representative offices in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung in Taiwan are set to conduct in the first quarter this year marketing missions in the country to entice more Taiwan companies to use the special hiring program for Taiwan (SHPT) under the International Direct E-Recruitment System (T-IDES).
The T-IDES is a web-based system for directly hiring foreign workers, including OFWs. The scheme is aimed to streamline the hiring process of OFWs bound for Taiwan; make the process simpler and more attractive to Taiwanese employers; and ensure there is no participation of private recruitment agencies or brokers, thus reduce the costs of recruitment and deployment.
Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, citing a report of Labor Representatives to Taipei and Kaohsiung and Taichung, said they are already firming up the list of companies they expect to join the marketing mission to the Philippines.
According to Labor Attaches Perez and Cruz in their report, the 15 companies in the initial list joining the mission are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) compliant; adhere to the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) Code of Conduct and, at the moment, evaluating and preparing to utilize the Special Hiring Program for Taiwan under the International Direct E-Recruitment System.
The POLO-Taipei’s targeted companies to implement the T-IDES program are I-Mei Foods Co., Ltd; Unimicron Technology Corporation, AU Optronics, Chipbond Technology Corporation,, Innolux Corporation, Career Technology (Mfg.) Co., Ltd; Coretronics Corporation, Unitech Printed Circuit Board Corporation, Chungwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.; Xintech Company, Nagase Electronics Technology, Co.; Sigurd Microelectronics Corporation, and Mektec Corporation. The POLOs in Taipei and Kaoshiung and Taichung are also targeting the subcontractors and suppliers of IKEA, a big brand in housewares, furniture, and household supplies, as their target companies for the specialized hiring program for Taiwan.
Two companies, the NXP Semiconductors, Inc. and Powertech Technology, Inc, according to Labor Attaches Perez and Cruz, were the first to enrol in the program.
“When they come, they will be using the traditional interview recruitment at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as well as the rehire system through the Direct Hiring Service Center in collaboration with the Taiwan’s Workforce Development Agency of Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor,” Baldoz explained.
Labor Attaches Perez and Cruz of Kaohsiung said they expect the target companies to use the Special Hiring Program for Taiwan within the next six months.
In Taiwan, the Philippine labor representative offices have been conducting marketing visits and orientations to private companies who are potential employers, mostly those engaged into electronics and semiconductor technology manufacturing.
It can be recalled that the implementing guidelines of the International Direct E-Recruitment System was signed during the 6th Philippines-Taiwan Joint Labor Conference in August 2015.
During that conference, the Taiwan Ministry of Labor and the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment had agreed, among others, to strengthen the promotion of the Direct Hiring Program for Filipino workers, through an extensive information campaign.
“I was emphatic in saying during the occasion that we will only allow the participation of quality workers; and the Taiwan Ministry of Labor likewise agreed to allow participation of only quality employers based on mutually agreed requirements. Towards this end, we have ensured that the agreement will not only provide employment opportunities, but safeguard as well the interests of our OFWs,” Baldoz said.
