MANILA — Filipino migrant workers will be able to enter Taiwan beginning Feb. 15, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) announced on Monday.

In a statement, MECO Resident Representative and Chairman Wilfredo Fernandez said this was confirmed by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Manila.

“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,” Fernandez said.

The official told OFWs and recruitment agencies to strictly comply with all requirements set forth by Taipei such as 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.

“They have suffered long enough as a result of the pandemic.”

Thousands of OFWs last month were unable to leave the Philippines after Taiwan and Hong Kong implemented an entry ban on migrant workers.

• Libo-libong Pinoy apektado ng entry ban sa Hong Kong, Taiwan

Fernandez emphasized that recruitment agencies should cover the pre-deployment pandemic fees of OFWs returning to Taiwan as mandated under Memo Circular 1 of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued in January 2021.

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

According to MECO, at least 35,000 OFWs are waiting for job positions in Taiwan, with roughly 11,000 new hires and 24,000 replacements.

Around 160,000 Filipinos in Taiwan are earning P8 billion to P9 billion a year, it said.

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