OFW Party List Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino filed House Resolution 1343 urging the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the recruitment and deployment of Filipino Seasonal Agricultural Workers to the Republic of Korea under a ‘Local Government Unit to Local Government Unit (LGU to LGU)’ arrangement.
Under the existing partnership between LGUs in the Philippines and LGUs in the Republic of Korea, the ‘Foreign Seasonal Workers Dispatch Program’ selects seasonal agricultural workers from Philippine LGUs for deployment in partner LGUs in Korea. It aims to address the acute manpower shortage in the agriculture and fishery sectors in South Korea.
Foreign seasonal workers are allowed to work in fruit, vegetable and fishing farms for 3 to 5 months, provided they are under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between local government units. The program includes provisions for housing and basic needs, as well as the supposed guarantee of labor and human rights for the workers during their employment.
However, concerns have arisen regarding the working conditions and treatment of these Filipino seasonal workers in Korea. Reports indicate occasional provision of decent meals, undesirable lodging facilities that violate contractual terms, excessive work hours, and allegations of inhumane treatment.
“During our town hall meeting with leaders of the Filipino Communities in South Korea last June 2023, we were informed of labor standard violations against seasonal workers. And since the program stems mainly from LGU-to-LGU agreements, the implementation system does not go through the stringent screening of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).” Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino said.
The party list lawmaker also pointed out that while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and DMW have confirmed their knowledge of the existence of the seasonal workers program, and while DILG has reported the participation of forty six (46) Philippine LGUs in the program, there is no issued guidelines by any of the agencies concerned to govern the deployment of Filipino seasonal workers under the program, nor any clear-cut delineation of functions and responsibilities among them, which are critical to preclude and address abuses committed against the Filipino workers.
