MANILA - Taiwan is reopening to Filipino migrant workers starting Feb. 15, Taiwan's Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) announced on Monday.

Recruitment agencies and OFWs to ensure that they strictly comply with all the requirements set forth by the government of Taiwan on the redeployment of OFWs, said MECO Resident Representative and Chairman Wilfredo Fernandez.

He said these include the documentary requirements on vaccination cards, RT-PCR test results, and quarantine compliance.

“Make sure all the documents you’ll submit are genuine and in order. Please do not do anything that would jeopardize the chances of thousands of other OFWs from working in Taiwan again,” Fernandez said.

Earlier, MECO labor official and lawyer Cesar Chavez, Jr. reported that Taiwan authorities have discovered fake vaccination cards submitted by incoming migrant workers from another country.

Recruitment agencies should shoulder the pre-deployment pandemic fees of the OFWs returning to Taiwan as mandated by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

“Any infraction will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law,” Fernandez said.

At least 35,000 OFWs are awaiting for jobs in Taiwan with roughly 11,000 new hires and 24,000 replacements, MECO said.

Taiwan labor officials, Fernandez said, also vowed a continuing review of its labor rules to protect migrant workers’ rights, including those of the Filipinos, and to promote policies that would improve not only relations but also other benefits such as health care.

“We want to thank the Taiwan officials, as well as their business leaders, for their continuing trust and confidence in the world-class skills, competence, and work ethics of Filipino workers,” he said.

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