OFW Partylist Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino thanked the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for spearheading the review of the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Last January 11, 2024, DMW issued Advisory No. 1 s. 2024 and placed a moratorium on the employment and deployment of Filipino Seasonal Agricultural Workers to South Korea under the Seasonal Workers Program. This is in response to the documented reports of illegal recruitment and labor violations under the program.
DMW is midway in drafting the guidelines that will strengthen the rights of Filipino workers deployed under the SWP to South Korea. DMW committed to fasttrack the release of the guidelines this month in order to lift the moratorium in time for the harvest season in South Korea.
“While we acknowledge that the program provides livelihood opportunities to our countrymen, it should not come at the expense of the dignity and rights of our Filipino workers. We should always put the welfare and safety of our kababayans ahead of any other consideration. That is why I laud DMW for standing its ground and reviewing the mechanisms and guidelines of the program to ensure that once the moratorium is lifted, our Filipino workers will be clothed with the protection of our policies, which should be strictly followed by the South Korean employers if they want to continue benefiting from the diligence of our Filipino Seasonal Agricultural Workers.”, said Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino.
The ‘Foreign Seasonal Workers Dispatch Program’ was designed to address manpower shortages in South Korea, allowing Filipino workers a 3 to 5-month stint in Korean farms under MOUs between local government units. However, persistent concerns regarding subpar conditions, including inadequate meals, lodging violations, long work hours, and alleged mistreatment, necessitate a prompt resolution.
During the town hall meeting of the party list lawmaker with leaders of the Filipino Communities in South Korea last June 2023, Rep. Magsino received reports of labor violations against our seasonal workers. As the program primarily operates through LGU-to-LGU agreements, the implementation system lacks the stringent screening of DMW, thus they do not have the protection usually given to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) under standard contracts.
In response to the clamor against the program, Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino filed 1343, which seeks for an inquiry into the ‘LGU to LGU’ arrangement governing the recruitment and deployment of Filipino Seasonal Agricultural Workers to South Korea. She also delivered a privilege speech last July 31, 2023, which discussed the issues faced by OFWs in South Korea, including the labor violations under SWP.
“Naniniwala ako na binabalanse ng DMW, DFA, DILG, at BI ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan at ang kapakinabangan ng programa, at sila’y maglalabas ng mga matibay at malinaw na alituntunin sa lalong madaling panahon. The program may have been temporarily stalled, but this will eventually bring greater benefits in terms of the protection of our workers’ rights and clarity of their status as Overseas Filipino Workers in order for them to be covered by existing laws,” said Magsino.
