Bulk of work permits for foreigners issued to Chinese in online gambling work

Most of the 119,814 Special Work Permits (SWPs) issued by the Bureau of Immigration to foreign workers in the last three years went to Chinese individuals working in Philippine Offshore Gambling Operations (POGOs), while 51,980 of the 115,652 Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) issued by the Department of Labor in the same period went to Chinese persons as well, according to data from DOLE.

This was revealed on Monday during the Senate Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development Committee's inquiry into the influx of foreign workers in the Philippines.

The ease with which the Chinese can easily secure working permits, if they indeed secure working permits, irked committee chairperson Joel Villanueva.

“Iyan po [ang sistema]…ang ginagamit na accommodation ng mga POGO na karamihan po ay Chinese nationals na nasa mahigit 200,000 na po dito sa NCR. Nakakagimbal po ito. Eh kapag umikot ka nga po dito sa BGC, sa Eastwood, palagay ko hindi lang 200,000 [‘yan],” Villanueva, former head of the Technical Skills and Development Authority, said.

SWPs and AEPs

According to the Bureau of Immigration, a special work permit is issued to a "foreign national who shall engage in gainful employment for three to six months"—that is, an SWP is valid for three months and may be renewed for another three months.

According to DOLE, if the employment is for more than six months, the foreign national must apply for an AEP.

According to Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad at the hearing, DOLE has the authority to issue AEPs to foreign individuals who do highly technical, specialized, supervisory and managerial work that cannot be met by the Philippine market.

Tourist to work visas

Villanueva also cited data from the BI that from 2016 to the present, 3.12 million Chinese visited the Philippines.

“Sigurado ba tayo sa 3.12 million na Chinese na nandito, turista ba talaga sila? Kasi ang dami na nating nakita, personal kong nakita na bumibili ng condo at ang sabi [nila] dito sila nagtatrabaho. Parang napakadali sa turista ngayon umupa ng condo at napakadali sa kanila magkaroon ng trabaho,” he said.

Based on the records of the Department of Foreign Affairs, 1.6 million tourist visas were issued to Chinese individuals during this period.

"A lot [of Chinese] come in as tourists then later on convert their visas for work," said Lagunzad.

While tourists are welcome in the country, Villanueva underscored that foreign labor should not be prioritized over providing jobs for Filipinos, as stated in the Constitution.

"The 1987 Constitution made it clear, Article XII, Section 12: 'The State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino labor…and adopt measures that help make them competitive.' Hindi po dapat ninanakawan ng trabaho ang ating mga manggagawa," Villanueva said.

Illegal operations

Villanueva also expressed his displeasure over the several instances of illegal workers in the country, particularly Chinese nationals involved in illegal gambling operations. The most recent arrest occurred last week, when 78 Chinese were nabbed in Pasig.

“Kahit maka-ilang raid pa tayo ng marami pang illegal Chinese establishments na may illegal Chinese workers, kung hindi naman maresolba ng proper government agencies ang animo’y pagdagsa nila sa bansa sa mga ilegal na paraan, magpapaikot-ikot lang po tayo dito. It’s about time to put in place protective measures to ensure that Filipino workers are prioritized in their own country,” Villanueva added. — BM, GMA News