Participants from government agencies, CSOs and international organizations, academia and the private sector attended the research forum on “The Philippines-Korea and Philippines-Taiwan Migration Corridors: A Comparison of Recruitment Systems and Their Outcomes,” which was held on 14 March 2019, 1-5 PM, at the Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center.

The forum shared findings of the research conducted by the Scalabrini Migration Center in cooperation with the Migration Research and Training Center in Korea and the Taiwan Action Research Association in Taiwan. The research compared the Employment Permit System (a government-to-government agreement between Korea and the Philippines) and the mostly private recruitment agency-mediated recruitment of overseas Filipino workers to Taiwan.

Director Levinson Alcantara opened the program with a message from Administrator Bernard Olalia. Dr. Maruja M.B. Asis and Dr. Seori Choi presented highlights and recommendations suggested by the findings. The discussion was enriched by the views and perspectives provided by Mr. Zack Robles, an EPS returnee; Atty. Rosemarie Duquez of the POEA’s Government Placement Branch; Labor Attaché Cynthia Cruz, who was previously assigned in Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Dr. Jorge Tigno, University of the Philippines. Labor Attaché Reydeluz Conferido, who was posted in Korea and Taiwan, gave thoughtful closing remarks. The study found that both arrangements pose pros, cons and dilemmas on different aspects from the standpoint of policymakers, employers and workers. The research was funded by the Korea Foundation.