Press Release
February 26, 2019

STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS

In light of Malacanang's clarification that there is an alarming number of Filipinos working illegally in China, we ask the Department of Foreign Affairs and other concerned agencies to further intensify their efforts to protect the welfare of our citizens working there and other locations around the world.

While fulfilling their obligation to extend consular assistance, our foreign posts should also keep a proper accounting of Filipinos within the territories they serve and maintain an open line of communication with our citizens there.

Likewise, we encourage our Philippine Overseas Labor Office and our foreign posts to continue helping Filipinos working illegally overseas to legalize their employment there. Legal employment means that an individual is afforded protection by a country's labor laws and prevailing regulation.

We continue to urge agencies of government such as the Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Immigration to strengthen the enforcement of laws on immigration and employment of foreign workers in the country.

We reiterate that the Constitutional provision on the preferential treatment of Filipino workers should be paramount. Hindi po natin hahayaan na manakawan ng trabaho ang ating mamamayan sa sarili niyang bayan.

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