RUNAWAY. Migrant Staff Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac (2nd from left) leads a press briefing on Monday (Oct. 7, 2024). He mentioned the 2 abroad Filipino staff underneath the Philippines-South Korea pilot caregiving program who didn’t return to work on Sept. 18 after the Chuseok Pageant had been arrested in Busan on Oct. 4. (PNA picture by Marita Moaje)
MANILA, Philippines – The 2 abroad Filipino staff (OFWs) who had been deployed to South Korea as caregivers underneath the Pilot Overseas Caregiver government-to-government hiring program, however did not return to work after a vacation break, have been arrested.
Division of Migrant Staff (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac mentioned in a press briefing on Monday that they’re ready for the results of the investigation.
“Final October 4, they had been discovered by the Particular Investigation Group of Korean Immigration and so they had been arrested in Busan and are actually being investigated,” Cacdac mentioned.
READ: Overstaying OFWs imperil jobs deal in South Korea, says Pampanga guv
The caregivers had been among the many 100 deployed to South Korea in August underneath the Employment Allow System pilot venture that gives caregiving help to Korean households with younger youngsters, expectant moms, single dad and mom or working {couples}.
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Cacdac mentioned the primary batch arrived in South Korea on Aug. 6.
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They’d a three-week specialised coaching and orientation seminar upon arrival, which ended on the primary week of September.
The 2 caregivers left their quarters on Sept. 15, the second day of the five-day Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) vacation, however didn’t return to work on Sept. 18 and went off the grid.
READ: 1st batch of Filipino farmworkers despatched to Korea
Cacdac assured the 2 OFWs are nonetheless being assisted by the Philippine authorities.
“We’re offering authorized help to them to safe the absolute best protection for them and be sure that they aren’t underneath duress or underneath any type of strain in the middle of the investigation, that they’re adequately suggested by authorized counsel through the investigation,” he mentioned.
“However on the identical time, we’re additionally advising them and others to be accountable by way of their obligations as OFWs to complete their contracts kung hindi naman sila inaabuso (if they aren’t being abused), and to not violate the host nation’s immigration legal guidelines,” he added.
Regardless of the incident, Cacdac stays assured of the nice relationship with the Korean authorities and its Ministry of Labor.
He mentioned they’re intently monitoring and assessing the implementation of the pilot program and that they are going to make corresponding changes in accordance with the challenges in the middle of employment.
In a latest dialog with a Korean official, Cacdac mentioned they each agreed that the incident was an remoted case and wouldn’t have an effect on the general program.
“That’s the great thing about the longstanding bilateral labor relationship between Korea and the Philippines. So we’re so geared up to deal with these points and issues as we have now for the final 20 years of the employment allow system,” he mentioned.
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“We are going to make the corresponding changes to maybe higher inform our staff previous to departure concerning the implications of skirting or violating Korean immigration legal guidelines. And in addition to be sure that they’re adequately ready previous to departure. So once more, the purpose of a pilot program is to count on challenges comparable to this.” (PNA)
