DAVAO CITY (February 15) — The influx of illegal foreign workers in the country is alarming, a reason why Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development is set to hold a hearing on February 21.
Records from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) shows of the 167 foreigners arrested, 157 are Chinese nationals, and they are charged before the court of various violations.
Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, expressed concern over the growing number of Chinese nationals working in the country.
In other areas of the country, specially in Surigao Province, Chinese nationals are seen working in a mining industry and they arrived via the cargo vessels.
In DInagat Islands, residents also noticed the increasing number of Chinese in the area.
Villanueva said most of the arrested foreign nationals were involved in online gambling.
The Senate Committee Hearing, according to Villanueva is not to single out out national but to determine the influx of illegal entrants in the country.
He said he wants to know the real situation involving foreign tourist who were issued working visa, because it might be at the expense of the Filipino workers.
“We recognize that our country benefits from the transfer of knowledge and technology which are brought in by foreign workers,” he said.
“We do not oppose their entry for as long as they come to our country with proper documentation and undergone the right process as required by the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment),” he added.
The panels will tackle Senate Resolution (SR) No. 243, which calls for a congressional inquiry into the reported presence of alleged illegal Chinese workers in Clark, Pampanga and other parts of the country.
Senate Bill 1508 seeks to amend the Labor Code of the Philippines by inserting a new provision, which compels Filipino employers to ensure that at least 80 percent of their collective work force are Filipino citizens. ezc with report from PNA
