De Lima wants to probe influx of Chinese nationals into PHL

Senator Leila De Lima has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry on the influx of Chinese nationals into the Philippines.

In Senate Resolution 751, De Lima urged the appropriate committee to assess how effective the implementation of the existing immigration and labor laws are in making sure that Filipinos are protected against the detrimental effects of immigration surge.

De Lima claimed that the influx of Chinese nationals in the Philippines not only steals jobs from Filipinos but also triggers poverty increase in many developed areas.

“The increasingly lax control mechanisms over the influx of Chinese nationals in the Philippines have led to concerns on whether we have enough capability to properly enforce our immigration and labor laws to the detriment of our national interest,” she said.

According to the Department of Tourism's Annual Visitor Sample Survey, the number of Chinese travelers to the Philippines increased by 54.43 percent last year, bringing about 371,429 visitors in the first quarter of 2018 alone.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment has noted a growth of 33.4 percent in the Alien Employment Permit (AEP) granted to foreigners who want to engage in employment in the country —from 28,371 in 2015 to 41,993 in 2016.

Most of those who hold AEP are Chinese nationals, De Lima said, from 23.7 percent in 2013 to 45 percent in 2016.

She added that more than 50 offshore gambling companies catering to overseas Chinese punters have received permits to operate in Manila, giving employment to about 200,000 predominantly Chinese workers.

“The surge of AEP issuance means there is a number of available jobs in the Philippines, even while Filipinos continue to seek opportunities abroad and unemployment remains a concern,” she said.

De Lima pointed out that the need to review the government's capability to enforce immigration and labor policies aimed at addressing labor constraints by providing Filipino competency and discontinuing those that do not cater to the national interest.

“With the influx of Chinese nationals employed and residing in the Philippines, there is a dangerous possibility of the real estate market pricing out Filipinos out of their homes, especially in areas near businesses that heavily employs Chinese nationals, like casinos and resorts,” she said.

“There is also the danger of our economy being too dependent on Chinese tourists and clients where any change in policies by the China government could effectively stall, if not cripple, our local economy,” she added. —Erwin Colcol/LBG, GMA News