Pinoy scholars seek to improve welfare of int'l students in S.Korea

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Migrante sounds alarm against illegal deportation of OFW trade union leader from South Korea By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO

The global alliance of overseas Filipinos and families Migrante International expressed strong condemnation against what it said was the South Korean government’s illegal deportation, political harassment and manhandling of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and union leader Michel Catuira last April 30. Catuira is the current president of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union (MTU). He has been active in the movement for migrants’ and human and labor rights in South Korea since 2007, and has served as president of the MTU since 2008. MTU is a union founded for and by migrant workers in South Korea in 2005.

In 2010, Catuira was issued a G1 visa (miscellaneous visa for those involved in legal proceedings) as a replacement for his E9 (working) visa because a then ongoing case he filed against Korean immigration authorities. He won the case in the lower court, but Korean immigration did not reinstate his E9 visa, prompting him to file an appeal. Catuira’s case is now being heard in the higher court. His G1 visa was valid up until May 2012.

Based on reports, Catuira arrived at the Incheon Airport from the Philippines via flight 5J-194 last April 30 at around 9:30 p.m.. Upon arrival, he was immediately accosted and questioned by immigration officials and was made to wait in an immigration room for several hours.

At some point, he was told that he was prohibited from entering South Korea because his name had been black-listed since February 2011. He immediately complained that he could not be banned from entering Korea because he is a G1 visa holder and therefore should not be in the blacklist. Finally, after hours of negotiations, Catuira was forcefully and physically dragged to board a plane back to the

Philippines despite his pleas that he be allowed to file an appeal after the May 1st holiday. He arrived in the Philippines on May 1 aboard Cebu Pacific flight number 5J-190.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have previously submitted case files of Catuira’s immigration battle to the International Labor Organization (ILO). Amnesty International in the United States has already issued a statement against Catuira’s illegal deportation.

Government retaliation

According to a report posted on the South Korean web newsmagazine Hankyoreh by reporter Park Tae-woo, Catuira had already won his case against the Seoul Immigration Office in September 2011. The Seoul Administrative Court said the court concluded that there was no conclusive evidence to indicate that Catuira had received a residence permit under false pretenses or violated immigration law.

It also said its decision that “MTU officials have been forcibly deported in the past, and there are concerns that the Seoul immigration office’s decision in this case was motivated by the plaintiff’s labor union activities.”
The Seoul Immigration Office appealed the first trial’s ruling when Catuira returned to the Philippines in January 2012 to visit his family.

In reaction to the controversy, Hankyoreh reported that a Justice Ministry official in South Korea said Catuira was denied entry by law because he was suspected of acquiring employment under false pretenses. “We had no choice but to deny him entry until the court confirmed the verdict,” the official said.

The MTU, for its part, has already decried what was done to its chairman, saying that the ministry’s reasoning was faulty.

Jung Young-sup, secretary-general of the Migrant Worker Campaign Support Association told Hankyoreh that given that Catuira’s visa is set to expire on May 7, he was unable to attend the trial, and the suit may end up being dismissed.

Hankyoreh also cited the statement of the Combined Action to Eliminate Discrimination Against Migrant Workers and Observe Human and Labor Rights calling the entry refusal “retaliation for Catuira’s fight against the government’s anti-migrant policies and racial discrimination during his stay in South Korea.” The statement also blasted the government for “deporting Mr. Catuira on Labor Day, a day of international solidarity for workers the world over.”
Violations against human rights

Migrante International chairman Garry Martinez said that what the Korean immigration authorities did to Catuira constituted violations against his human rights.

“They did him physical harm when they dragged him to the plane, and evidently they also caused severe emotional and mental stress. We have every reason to believe that his black-listing is politically motivated,” Martinez said.

Martinez said that as president of the MTU, Catuira has been at the forefront of work to address violations of the rights of migrants in South Korea.

“He has spoken out against restrictions placed on migrant workers’ freedom to change workplaces and other problems under the Employment Permit System (EPS) that lead to human and labor rights violations. He has also vocally criticized the South Korean government’s policy of immigration raids, crackdowns and deportation of undocumented migrant workers, which has caused injuries, deaths and other rights abuses,” he said.

In 2010, Catuira led a sit-in protest in opposition to the government’s concentrated crackdown on undocumented migrant workers carried out in preparation for the G20 Summit that was held in November that year in Seoul. Catuira then carried out a month-long hunger strike.He also participated in protests and other activities organized by MTU and other migrant rights organizations in response to the death of a Vietnamese migrant worker, who fell from

a second story window while fleeing immigration officers during a raid. These activities included a protest visit to the Immigration Service, during which immigration officers told Catuira that, as a migrant worker, he had no right to raise a complaint with them.

“We support Catuira’s case against South Korean immigration authorities. We also call on the Philippine government to immediately release a statement of condemnation and file a diplomatic protest against this injustice against a Filipino national and migrant trade union leader. This is yet another result of the South Korean government’s criminalization of and unjust crackdown on migrant workers,” Martinez said.

Intensified crackdown

Migrante International and its allied migrant organizations in South Korea have long been supporting the struggle of the Filipino community and migrant communities of other nationalities in South Korea against worsening attacks of the South Korean government against undocumented migrant workers. The crackdown is a result of the government’s labor policy, the Employment Permit System (EPS). Martinez said the EPS has been proven flawed and anti-migrant and should be scrapped.

The Philippine and Korean governments signed an agreement on the EPS in 2006. Since then, the rules concerning the status of some 500,000 workers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and Indonesia deployed in South Korea have been under the EPS. The EPS basically allows Korean employers who have failed to hire local workers to legally employ migrant workers.

Martinez, however, pointed out that the EPS has failed to ensure the benefits and protect the rights of migrant workers.

“Instead, since its implementation seven years ago, cases of labor and human rights violations against OFWs and other migrant workers continue to run rampant,” he said.

One of the objectives of the EPS was supposedly to increase transparency of sending and receiving workers, and consequently protect migrant workers’ rights and prevent discrimination. Martinez argued that for all the EPS seeks to accomplish, there appears to be no monitoring system, and companies and employers violate migrant workers’ rights without being held accountable.

“More Korean employers have been hiring undocumented migrants to be able to evade compliance on minimum wages, benefits and leaves. As a result, undocumented workers are being targeted by the Korean government’s violent and intensified crackdowns,” he said.

Martinez, himself an undocumented OFW in South Korea for 12 years before he was deported to the Philippines, said the present global economic crisis has unleashed so-called “protectionist measures” that, in practice, constitute crackdown operations and harsher immigration policies that bear down on irregular or undocumented workers, at the expense of their human rights.

“Undocumented migrants, who inevitably provide the solution to labor shortages or the clamor for cheap labor in host countries, are marginalized and exploited. They are less able to assert their claims and are more vulnerable to abuses because of their ‘illegitimacy,’” he said. “Being undocumented is never reason to be stripped of one’s fundamental human rights.”

According to records of Migrante International, the number of undocumented Filipino workers deployed in different countries has reached approximately 900,000 in 2007.

“This number has continued to increase over the years, especially in the light of continued unemployment and landlessness here in the Philippines. The growing number of undocumented OFWs worldwide is indicative of the ongoing crisis of forced migration and systemic economic crisis in the country,” Martinez said.

The migrant rights leader called on the Korean and Philippine governments to ensure the protection of undocumented OFWs in South Korea and to work for their legalization.

“Our call is for legalization, not criminalization. Human rights, regardless of status, should not be violated. Undocumented migrants worldwide contribute greatly to the economies of their host nations and to the domestic economy as well in terms of their remittances,” he said

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Korean Visa for Filipinos

UPDATED VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR TOURIST

Updated 2012 January 27 (Added “Reasons for Denial” at the bottom)

The submission of false or misleading document will be one of the reasons of refusal of a visa.

Please be reminded all the responsibility is on the applicant even if applying for a visa through a travel agency or agents. Please reconfirm all the documents before applying a visa.

(e.g. wrong TIN number in Income Tax Return, no office number in the certificate of employment, etc.)

VISA REQUIREMENTS
FOR EMPLOYEES
- Employment Certificate (original)
- Personal Bank Certificate (original)
- Individual Income Tax Return (photocopy)
- ACR and ICR (for foreign nationals who are resident in the Philippines)
If personally invited to Korea: Original Invitation Letter and passport copy of the Korean invitor
If invited by a company in Korea: Original Invitation Letter and photocopy of the Korean Company Business Permit

FOR BUSINESSMEN
- Business Registration from SEC or Registration from DTI and Mayor’s Permit (photocopy)
- Personal Bank Certificate (original)
- Individual Income Tax Return (photocopy)
- ACR and ICR (for foreign nationals who are resident in the Philippines)
If personally invited to Korea: Original Invitation Letter and passport copy of the Korean invitor
If invited by a company in Korea: Original Invitation Letter and photocopy of the Korean Company Business Permit

FOR STUDENTS WHO WILL TOUR KOREA
- School certificate (original)
- Photocopy of School ID
- Birth certificate (photocopy)
- Copy of parent’s passport first page
- Parents bank certificate (original)
- Parents Employment certificate (original)
- Parents Income Tax Return (photocopy)

FOR STUDENTS WHO WILL STUDY IN KOREA
- Admission Letter from the University in Korea (original)
- Copy of Last School Record, e.g. Diploma and Transcript of Records
- Copy of Birth Certificate
- Employment Certificate (if employed)
- Bank Certificate (if the student doesn’t have full scholarship)

FOR SEAMAN/SEAFARERS
- Original Letter of Guarantee from the shipping company in the Philippines
- Copy of the Guarantee letter from Korea
- Copy of Korean Company Business Permit
- Copy of Seaman’s passport and seaman’s booklet
- Copy of E-receipt (from POEA)
- Copy of Employment Contract
- Copy of Medical Result

FOR SEAMAN’S WIFE (TO JOIN HUSBAND IN KOREA)
- Copy of Marriage Certificate
- Copy of Husband’s Passport (first page)
- Copy of Husband’s Employment Contract
- Guarantee Letter from the Philippine Agent
- Copy of Guarantee Letter from the Korean Agent
- Personal Bank Certificate (original)

FOR RELIGIOUS WORKERS/MISSIONARIES
- Philippine Church Registration from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (copy)
- Member’s Certification from the Church (original)
- Personal bank certificate (original)
- The Korean Church registration form (photocopy)
- Invitation letter notarized in Korea
- Invitor’s ID photocopy
- If employee, submit employment certificate and ITR

FOR HOUSEWIFE
- Husband’s Employment Certificate or Business Permit (SEC or DTI and Mayor’s Permit)
- Husband’s Copy of ITR
- Personal or Husband’s Bank Certificate
- NSO Marriage Contract (copy)
- Original and copy of US, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Australia and Canada visa (if there is)

FOR PARENTS OF A FILIPINO NATIONAL MARRIED TO KOREAN
- Korean marriage history certificate issued within the last 3 months (original)
- Korean’s passport photocopy
- daughter’s passport photocopy
- daughter’s NSO marriage certificate
- Invitation letter from the Korean national

FOR KOREAN’S SISTER/BROTHER-IN-LAW
- Birth certificate of the applicant
- Korean marriage history certificate (issued within 3 months)
- Korean’s passport photocopy (first page)
- Married Filipino’s passport photocopy (first page)
- Married Filipino’s NSO Marriage certificate
- Invitation Letter from the Korean national
If applicant is employed, submit Employment Certificate, Bank certificate and ITR

FOR SPOUSE OF A U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL STATIONED IN KOREA
- Invitation Letter notarized in Korea (original)
- Photocopy of Invitor’s Military ID and/or passport photocopy of first page
- Photocopy of Military Order
- NSO Marriage Certificate (photocopy)
- USFK Form 166
- CFO Certificate

FOR CHILD/PARENTS WHOSE MOTHER/DAUGHTER IS MARRIED TO A U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL STATIONED IN KOREA
- Birth certificate (photocopy)
- Invitation Letter notarized in Korea (original)
- Invitor’s passport photocopy of first page
- Photocopy of Invitor’s Military ID and Military Order
- Mother’s passport photocopy
- Mother’s visa page photocopy
- NSO Marriage Certificate (photocopy)

FOR FILIPINO MARRIED TO FOREIGNER WHO IS WORKING IN KOREA
- Invitation letter from Husband’s company in Korea (original)
- Copy of husband’s passport
- Copy of husband’s alien registration card
- Copy of husband’s contract or certificate of employment
- Copy of marriage certificate

FOR SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT VISA (IN SHIPYARD/SHIPBUILDING)
- Guarantee letter/invitation letter from Korea
- Shipbuilding contract between the buyer and the seller
- Dispatch letter from company
- Copy of employment contract

FOR APPLICANTS WHO HAVE A CONFIRMATION OF VISA ISSUANCE (CCVI) FROM THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IN KOREA:
- Filled application form
- confirmation of visa issuance number
- 1 passport sized picture
- 2,250 pesos visa fee
- Employment contract (for E6 and F1 visa applicant or domestic helpers)

Effective: 2011 April 01

To attract more tourists from South East Asian countries, the Ministry of Justice in Korea has simplified the Korean tourist visa requirements and has started issuing double entry visa and extended multiple entry visa category and validity from 1 year to 3 years.

Basic requirements are as follows:
- Application form
- Passport sized photo
- Original passport (6 months valid)
- Copy of passport first page

Short-term Visas (C-3) for Tourists: SINGLE ENTRY
- For short term visitors to Korea
- Visa Requirements:
–Employment Certificate or Business Registration issued by SEC or DTI.
–Personal Bank Certificate
–Individual ITR or Form 2316 Copy (the previous year).

Notes:

- In case the applicant cannot submit one of the above mentioned requirements, he/she can submit additional documents such as Land Titles, vehicle registration, Country Club or Golf Membership , and Pension Certificates

- For an applicant who has travelled or has valid visa to any one of the OECD member countries within the last 5years, applicants are only required to submit the requirements number ⑴ & OECD countries visa copy and arrival stamps

- If applicants are students, applicants are required to submit their School Certificate, Birth Certificate and Parents’ Documents (1,2,3).

- In case of incentive tours supported by a company that is listed in the Philippine stock exchange market, applicants can submit only the guarantee letter from the company.

DOUBLE VISA
- For visitors who plan to visit Korea 2 times within 6 months
- Visa Requirements: Same requirements with single entry visa
- Issuance Details: Status (C-3), Validity (6 months), Entry (Double)

SHORT TERM MULTIPLE ENTRY VISA

- Qualified Applicants

1. Applicants who have obtained a permanent residency in any OECD member countries (except Korea) or people who visited OECD member countries more than 2 times within the last 4 years, or people who visited Korea more than 4 times within the last 2 years.
- Required document: Original and photocopy of visiting records in the applicants’ passports (visa and arrival stamps)
- OECD member countries

2. Group Tour Guides who has traveled to Korea more than once for the last 2 years.

3. Philippine Government Officials
- Required document: Employment Certificate

4. High Rank Officials/employees of International Airline Companies to Korea

5. Applicants who earn more than $10,000 annually or has Platinum international credit card
- Required document: Official documents proving the financial status of the applicant and original and photocopy of platinum card

6. Applicants who are invited for contract and consultation by Korean public agencies in connection to resources and energy development
- Required document: Employment certificate, related contracts or guarantee letter from invitors

7. Applicants who are invited by the Korean Government to attend international forums, international conferences, international conventions.
- Employment certificate, Invitation letter

8. Executive or high ranking staff of a company that is listed in the  Philippine Stock Exchange market
- Business Permit or Employment Certificate, Individual ITR

9. Reporters, PD, journalists, news editors, etc. people who works in major company for more than one year
- Required document: Identification card and Employment certificate(the period of employment should be indicated), ITR

10. Professionals: i.e. lawyers, doctors, accountants, professors (PRC or IBP card holders)
- Required document:  Employment Certificate, PRC ID copy or IBP copy

11. Popular celebrities, artists/athletes/writers who can be searched or viewed in Philippine major media websites
- Required document: A membership card or an ID, Media records or Records of concerned activity

12. Retired workers aged 55 years above who are receiving pensions of more than P20,000 monthly
- Required document: Any supporting document which proves he/she is a Pension receiver

13. People who obtained a two year college degree or bachelor’s degree, master’s and doctorate degree from Universities in Korea
- Required document: College diploma from Korea

14.  Spouse, minor aged children and parents’ in law of a Korean national
- Required document: Korean couples marriage contract and Korean Marriage History

15. Spouse, children, parents and parents in law of multiple visa holders
- Multiple visa copy and proof of relationship documents, i.e, birth certificate, marriage certificate

VISA FEES
- 59 days or less stay in Korea – FREE
- More than 59 days stay in Korea
—- Single entry PHP 1,500
—- Double visa PHP 3,000
—- Multiple entry PHP 4,000

APPLICANTS COULD BE ASKED TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS AS PER CONSUL’S EVALUATION.

ALL VISA APPLICATIONS ARE SUBJECT FOR APPROVAL.

REASONS FOR DENIAL (from the Korean Embassy website)

The reasons of the denial of visa application are as follows:
- Your passport is invalid;
- You are prohibited to enter Korea as per Korean Immigration law no.11 sec. 1 (Prohibition of Entry);
- Our record shows that you have previously violated the Korean law;
- You failed to submit the required document completely;
- The documents you have submitted cannot be verified;
- You failed to prove the purpose of entry to Korea;
- You failed to prove strong economic and family ties to the home country;
- Your inviter is not qualified to invite you;
- You failed to prove the relationship with your inviter.

※ In addition, the reasons of the denial of spouse visa application are as follows:
- You failed to give prima facie evidence of your marriage validity according to the
Philippine law and regulation;
- You failed to give the correct information about your spouse;
- You and your spouse failed to prove keeping a normal marital life.

The Korean Embassy in the Philippines is located at:

Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines
122 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Town Center
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634

And their contact numbers:

Phone number: 02-856-9210
Fax number: 02-856-9024
Extension numbers:
260 – for passport
240 – for family registration and other related documents
220 – Visa 1
230 – Visa 2
302 – Visa 3 (Filipino)

Office hours for visa application: 9AM to 11AM ONLY

Release of passport: 2PM to 4PM

Korean Embassy website: http://embassy_philippines.mofat.go.kr

Call the consular office at 856-9210 (Local no.302)

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ATTN: To All FILIPINOS IN SOUTH KOREA

This is inform you that the ABS-CBN TV Station and DZMM Radio Station will be having a CARAVAN Tour for GLOBAL PINOY SINGING IDOL COMPETITION to be held on July 8, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. , Kyunghee University, Seoul City.

Here are the requirements for GPSI Contest:
1. Contestants should be 18 years old and above.

2. Contestants must have visa like EPS Workers/Entertainers and/or FILAM and FILKOR Naturalized citizen.

3. Need to undergo the singing audition before he/she will officially join the singing contest. The audition will be held in the Philippine Embassy on May 13, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. We will choose 10 contestants as official joiner to this event.

Benefits:
1. If he/she will win the GPSI contest in Korea. he/she will send to the Philippines for final competition and meet with other Overseas Filipino winners from different countries.

2. Free round trip plane tickets for two (2) winners. (PAL or CEBU PACIFIC)

3. The two winners shall receive Cash Prize amounting to One Thousand US Dollars (1,000 USD) each;plus trophy courtesy of ABS-CBN/DZMM.

4. The hotel accommodation will be provided by ABS-CBN/DZMM Management during their stay in Manila.

5. TV guesting to all final contestants in ABS-CBN and DZMM radio.

If you have good voice and talent in singing, please come and join the GPSI contest 2012. You might become a singing contract star in ABS-CBN/DZMM, if you will win the final competition.

For further information, please contact the undesigned:
(Mrs. Fe Kim) - C.P. No. 010-9799-2921 and/or email add: iron_lady0503@yahoo.com

Thank you.

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Attention to all friends in Korea:
What: SMDC Presentation (Investment Opportunity)
Where: Chapel of St. Benedict Parish Church (located at the basement of Hyehwa-dong Church)
When: Sunday, 29 April 2012
Time: 4:00 ~ 6:00 pm

There will be snack and some freebies for attendees. Hope to see you there!

Please contact us for more information:
Matet Solis 010-2258-0377 <mtdsolis888@gmail.com>
Jojo Geronimo 010-5850-6151 <jojogeronimo@gmail.com>
Precy Niebres 010-3212-3100 <mp_pasalubong@yahoo.com>
Eden Peralta 010-4836-8705 <eden64us@yahoo.com>
http://smresidences.com/ smresidences/?p=1184

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		South Korea Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) signed an MOU with Philippines Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Seoul, South Korea - The Philippines, through the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), and South Korea, through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today regarding Cooperation in Developing Capacities for the Resettlement and Adaptation of Filipino Marriage Immigrants and Promoting the Empowerment of Immigrant Women. The MOU was signed by CFO Chairperson, Secretary Imelda M. Nicolas and Minister Kim Kum-lae of the MOGEF at the office of the Ministry in Seoul Korea. Among those present at the signing were Director In Sook Kang of MOGEF, Consul General Sylvia Marasigan of the Philippine Embassy in Korea and Cherry Joy Veniles of the CFO. "There are over 9,000 Filipinos, mostly women, married to Korean nationals in Korea today. Both the Philippines and Korea see the integration of Filipino marriage migrants into Korean society as a way to ensure the protection of their human rights and to support their empowerment. The less they adapt into Korean life, the less empowered they become as migrants, workers, wives and mothers. This needs to be addressed comprehensively and creatively. This agreement demonstrates the strong partnership between our nations and emphasizes our joint commitment to respond to this challenge," said Secretary Nicolas. "By seeking to develop new ways of providing information among marriage migrants through on-site multi-cultural orientation and language programs, we hope to be able to build the confi-
(From left to right) Director General Im Gwan Sik of the MOGEF Youth and Family Policy Office Bureau, Director Sun Hye Kang of the Multicultural Family Division, Minister Kim, Kum-Lae of MOGEF, Secretary Imelda Nicolas Chairperson of CFO, Consul General Sylvia Marasigan of the Embassy of the Philippines in Korea and Ms. Cherry Joy Veniles of CFO during the signing ceremony of the MoU on the "Cooperation in Developing Capacities for the Resettlement and Adaption of Filipino Marriage Immigrants and Promoting the Empowerment of Immigrant Women" at the MOGEF Hall in Seoul, South Korea on March 13, 2012.

dence of partners in intermarriages and more effectively address issues related to domestic violence and human trafficking."

Since 1989, about 10,000 Filipinos have attended the CFO's Guidance and Counseling Program for Filipinos marrying Korean Nationals. They represent the growing number of intercultural marriages in Korea that have, in recent times, grown to about 120,000 based on a Chosun Ilbo (Korean Times) survey in 2010.

The MOU between the two countries is expected to give greater access to information especially for newly arrived migrants; to increase the development of programs and projects for their welfare and protection; to result in more joint research and exchange of learning modules and to facilitate dialogues on various issues on intermarriages among experts, frontline service personnel and the marriage migrants themselves.

(For further inquiries, please contact Ms. Ivy Miravalles and Ms. Cheng Veniles of CFO, (632)552-4700, at imiravalles@cfo.gov.ph and cveniles@cfo.gov.ph, respectively.

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		Filipino Jasmine Lee makes history, wins in South Korea election by JONATHAN M. HICAP MANILA, Philippines – Call her Representative Jasmine Lee. Filipino-Korean actress and civil servant Jasmine Bacurnay-Lee, 35, has been elected as a proportional representative in South Korea’s National Assembly election following her party’s majority victory in the polls held on April 11. With her win, the Davao City native has made history in South Korea as the first Filipina and naturalized Korean to become a lawmaker. Lee’s win is a result of the stunning victory of the ruling Saenuri Party, to which she belongs.
Jasmine Lee (Photos courtesy of her Facebook profile, www.sportsseoul.com and www.edaily.co.kr)

According to Korean media, the Saenuri Party won 152 seats including 25 proportional representation seats out of the 300 positions that needed to be filled.

The opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) won 127 seats including 21 in proportional representation, while the United Progressive Party won 13 seats (6 in proportional representation), Liberal Forward Party with five seats (2 in proportional representation) and independents won three seats.

In the election, voters chose 246 district representatives and 54 for proportional representation. On the ballot, a voter chose a district representative and a political party.

The proportional representation seats have been allocated to political parties that have garnered at least 3 percent of the total valid votes.

Lee is No. 15 on the Saenuri Party’s proportional representation list and will be one of the party’s 25 proportional representatives in the 19th National Assembly.

She was active in the campaign, supporting her party’s district representative candidates in cities and provinces.

An actress, TV host and public servant, Lee is also an advocate of multiculturalism and migrant women in Korea.

On her official Facebook page, Filipinos began congratulating Lee on her victory.

With her win, Lee overcame a barrage of criticisms pertaining to her education. An Internet café forum called “Antimulticulture” on Korean portal Daum.net raised questions on Lee’s academic background. This was immediately picked up by the Korean media.

In an email last week to this writer, Lee said the press “can sometimes exaggerate things, not to mention being 'lost in translation,' specially when Korean reports are translated in English. Also differences in the educational system do exist, as well as culture-related misunderstandings.”

Lee completed three years of the four-year Biology course at the Ateneo de Davao University.

She met Korean Lee Dongho in Davao in 1994 and they got married in 1995. She moved to South Korea in the same year and became a naturalized Korean in 1998. Her husband died in 2010 in an accident. They have two children.

Lee worked as a panelist on TV and is very active in helping foreign migrants in Korea.

Last year, she starred as the Filipino mother of Korean actor Yoo Ah-in in the hit Korean film “Wandeuki” (international title “Punch”).

She is also the executive secretary of Waterdrop Korea and works at the Seoul government’s Foreign Residents Assistance Division.

Last January, Lee became the first Filipino to receive the Korea Image Millstone Award from the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) for

her contribution to promoting multiculturalism in South Korea.

source: www.mb.com.ph

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Filipina Bridges Cultural Gap in Korean Musical By Katherine Deen Filipinos have yet another reason to be proud. Their kababayan, theater actress Cherish Maningat-Bae stood out in the lead role of the recently-concluded tour of “Arirang Fantasy” a Korean musical staged in Korea. “Arirang Fantasy” features the ups and downs in the life of a young Filipina widow ............... .read more

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Ministries split over plan on Filipino babysitters By Lee Hyo-sik

Many Korean women quit their jobs after giving birth in the face of a range of difficulties in raising children while working at the same time. A shortage of decent childcare facilities, among other factors, makes working moms refrain from having more babies or end up staying home to raise their children.

To boost the nation’s falling birthrates and encourage more women to participate in economic activities, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance is considering bringing Filipino women into the country to employ them as babysitters.

Many working mothers seem to welcome the government’s latest move, saying it will help them find suitable babysitters at lower costs.

Lukewarm attitude from other ministries

However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Ministry of Justice have shown a lukewarm response, arguing there are already plenty of foreign and Korean women willing to work as babysitters.

The labor ministry said if the country brings in Filipinos, it will take away jobs from those employed in childcare. To allow Filipinos to work as babysitters, the government will issue them new types of visas, according to officials from the ministry.

The finance ministry said Tuesday that it has begun looking into the issue. “We have just started studying the introduction of babysitters from the Philippines as part of efforts to raise Korea’s record-low birthrate and prompt more married women to take part in economic activities,” said Kim Jae-hwan, director of the ministry’s competitiveness strategy division. “Hong Kong and Singapore have invited hundreds of thousands of women from the Philippines and allow them to care for babies of their citizens. This has helped women there keep their jobs while raising young children.”

About 300,000 Filipino women currently reside in Hong Kong working as babysitters. They are known to receive around $500 a month and are given a day off each week.

“Filipino babysitters are credited for helping women in the two city states continue to work after giving birth. But in Korea, many married women were forced to make a choice between work and childcare, due to a lack of decent and affordable facilities,” the director said. “If the government provides a pool of decent babysitters from overseas, this could encourage more Korean women to continue their professional careers.”

In 2011, only 53.7 percent of women here aged between 30 and 39 were found to be employed, substantially lower than 89.8 percent for men in the same age bracket. Currently, about 200,000 middle-aged Koreans and ethnic Koreans from mainland China with H-2 visas are estimated to work as babysitters. Families raising one child pay Korean babysitters up to 2 million won per month and Chinese childminders nearly 1.5 million won, putting a heavy financial burden on working mothers.

“I pay my Korean babysitter 1.5 million won a month for looking after my 4-year-old daughter, accounting for about half of my monthly salary. If she lived with us, I would have to pay more,” said Kim Hye-na, a 33-year-old working mother in Seoul. “If Filipino women come here and work as babysitters, it would certainly bring down the childcare costs. They could also help my daughter learn English. The plan seems to be a good idea.”

Despite this, the labor ministry expressed concerns, claiming that it will not likely help raise the country’s birthrate nor encourage more women to find jobs.

“There are plenty of people who are already working as babysitters or willing to become one,” said Yoon Young-soon, director of the ministry’s foreign workforce policy division. “Tens of thousands of ethnic Korean women from China are caring for babies of working families. On top of that, a growing number of middle-aged Korean women are looking to become babysitters amid the tightening labor market conditions.”

It won’t help ease working families’ childcare burden, she said, arguing wages will not drop much from the current levels even after an influx of babysitters from the Philippines.

“The measure will only backfire as it would take away jobs from Koreans and ethnic Chinese babysitters. It could also aggravate the already-dire illegal alien problem” the director said. “If the government wants to raise birthrates and help Korean women keep working, it should make more efforts to build more decent and affordable childcare facilities and make workplaces more friendly for working mothers.”

The justice ministry said it has not yet seriously looked into the issue, only saying it will make its position public after due consideration.

source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/02/117_105390.html

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LA COMEDIA “A variety comedy concert” by: Benjie del Mundo The Filipino E.P.S Workers Association, in cooperation with Hyewa-dong Filipino Catholic Community will hold a benefit concert which will be held on April 08, 2012 at Tongsong High School Auditorium, Hyewa-dong, Seoul . The show will start at 2:00 in the afternoon. The concert will feature Starstruck winner Aljur Abrenica and Diego of the hit gag show in the Philippines, BUBBLE GANG. As on overview, SULYAPINOY is the official publication of Filipino E.P.S. Workers Association (F.E.W.A.). F.E.W.A. is a Non-government; Non-profit Non-stock, people and God centered, and well established association of Filipino workers in South Korea , under Employment Permit System (E.P.S.) and was the first officially registered Filipino OFW association by the Philippine Embassy through its office known as Philippine Overseas Labor Office (P.O.L.O.) with registration number OFW-Korea-2006-001. F.E.W.A.’s main objective is the general welfare of all Filipino migrant workers in South Korea . Under this objective, the organization launched its own publication to serve as the voice of the modern living

heroes and aims to unify all EPS and other Filipino migrant workers in South Korea considering the fact that its population has been gradually

increasing every year.

The objectives of the show are the following:

1) To raise funds for FEWA’s official publication, Sulyapinoy Newsletter for its monthly printing;

2) To raise funds for the medical assistance for Filipino workers here in Korea;

3) To raise funds for the Hyewadong Catholic Filipino Community (HFCC) Charity projects; and

4) To showcase the talents of Filipinos.

There will also be a raffle draw for those who will watch. To those who want to laugh to the max, be entertained and also help, please watch the show. Tickets are available at FEWA office 2nd floor Woori bank Hyewa-dong branch.or contact 010-8999-1612.

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South Korea amends policy on rehiring of foreign workers South Korea recently granted two of the four concerns included in a petition signedby 2,355 Filipino workers and their 633 Korean employers requesting changes in the Employment Permit System (EPS) as the Korean Parliament promulgated Act No.11276 (Revisions on the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers) on February 1, 2012.

Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the new law, which will take effect on July 2, 2012, reduced the waiting period of foreign workers who have finished their contracts and who wish to return to South Korea from six months to three months. It also allowed the return of the foreign worker to the same employer where they used to work before departure without having to undergo a Korean language proficiency test or employment training.

Cacdac also said the Philippine Embassy in South Korea endorsed the petition to the Ministry of Employment and Labor in March 2011, which was also discussed during the negotiation for the renewal of the memorandum of understanding on the Employment Permit System (EPS) between the Philippines and South Korea.

At present, a returning foreign worker who wants to be re-employed under EPS after completing 4 years and 10 months employment in Korea can apply after a waiting period of at least six months and is still required to go through another Korean language test and employment training.

The POEA administrator clarified that the new policy applies to foreign workers whose employment period of 4 years and 10 months expires after July 2, 2012.

Cacdac also emphasized that EPS workers can return to their former jobs if they meet all of these criteria:
1) a new contract prior to reentry to South Korea;
(2) no record of transfer during the employment period except for justifiable causes such as revocation of employment permit issued to an employer, or any violation of the required working conditions;
(3) the sector they were engaged in is still experiencing labor shortage.

source: http://www.poea.gov.ph/news/2012/PR_Feb2012_EPS_amendments.pdf

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Pinaalalahan ang mga Pilipino sa South Korea na gumamit lamang ng mga lehitimong remittance agents sa pagpapadala ng pera sa Pilipinas. Ang mga sumusunod na problema ay madalas mangyari dulot ng hindi paggamit ng lehitimong remittance agents: 1. Walang kontrol o kasiguruhan sa padala. Minsan ay nawawala ang padala o kaya ay nauuwi sa pautang; 2. Kawalan ng resibo na magpapatunay ng transaksyon;

3. Para sa nagdadala, pagiging delikado ng pagbitbit ng malaking halaga; at

4. Money laundering. Kailangang ideklara ang higit sa USD10,000 na ipapasok sa Pilipinas. Mahigpit din ang customs ng South Korea sa mga

inilalabas na pera, lalo na kung ang pinagmulan ay sa iligal na transaksyon.

May mga bangko sa South Korea na hinahayaang magbukas ng bank account ang foreigner, may visa man o wala. Sumangguni sa mga bangko at iba pang lehitimong remittance/ money transfer agents para maiwasan ang problema.


ADVISORY ON REMITTANCES

The public is reminded to use only legitimate remittance agents when sending money to the Philippines.

The use of illegitimate agents commonly leads to the following problems:

1. Lack of control or security over the remittance. Remittances are sometimes �lost� or become debts owed to the remitter;

2. Lack of receipts and other documentary evidence of the transaction;

3. Security risks for those carrying large amounts of cash; and

4. Money laundering. Amounts greater than USD10,000 need to be declared upon entry to the Philippines. The South Korea Customs Service also implements strict regulations pertaining to exiting money, especially if obtained through illegal means.

Some South Korean banks allow foreigners to open bank accounts regardless of whether one has a valid visa or none. Please consult with the banks and other legitimate remittance / money transfer agents to avoid complications in the future.

courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Korea

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Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Luis T. Cruz reported to the Department that the Korean Parliament recently adopted measures to ease the

rehiring of foreign workers who are about to finish their contracts with Korean SMEs under the Employment Permit System (EPS).

Representative Kang Sung-chun of the ruling Grand National Party, together with nine other parliamentarians, introduced amendments that created Act. No. 11276 (Revision on the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers). It was promulgated on 01 February 2012 and will take effect on 02 July 2012.

The new amendments will reduce the waiting period of foreign workers who wish to return to South Korea after completing their contracts from six months to three months. It will also exempt them from taking the Korean language test and employment training. They should meet however, certain criteria such as no record of transfer during the employment period except for justifiable cause; the sector they were engaged in is still experiencing labor shortage; and a new work contract prior to reentry to South Korea.

On 8 February, Ambassador Cruz, together with diplomats from six other embassies, met Representative Kang to thank him personally for the passage of Act. No. 11276. He recalled that the amendments were two of the four petitions signed by 2,355 OFWs and their 633 Korean employers, requesting changes in the EPS law. He added that the Philippine Embassy positively endorsed their petitions to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) in March 2011.

However, Ambassador Cruz remarked that the EPS law could stand further improvements in order to address the disruption of the operation of Korean SMEs at the end of the employment contract of their foreign workers, and the need to retrain their replacements. He suggested that the contract period of four years and ten months be reviewed and that measures be introduced in the process that will not violate the law on permanent residency and naturalization. He also suggested that the age limit of 38 years should be raised accordingly. He argued that beyond that age, the foreign worker would still be physically capable to contribute his services to the company, and would have gained invaluable experience at the jobsite by then.

Deputy Director Jang Jeong Seo of MOEL clarified that the current age limit requirement was arrived at after considering the provisional demands of domestic companies for temporary workers and the global trend of filling in the shortage of local labor in certain sectors with foreign workers who are hired on a short-term basis. He added that this matter has to be consulted with the Ministry of Justice. Representative Kang said that he would consider the age issue in future discussions at the National Assembly. He added that he would also consider related issues raised by other diplomats, particularly labor conditions in the agricultural sector, and the possibility allowing foreign workers in this sector to transfer to the manufacturing sector.

Representative Kang requested the diplomats of labor-sending countries to remind their foreign workers to abide by the laws and regulations of the host country. He also requested them to assure their workers that wages, labor standards and working conditions in Korea are at par with other advanced countries like the US. He promised to continue advocating improvements to the working conditions of foreign workers, as he believes that they should have fond memories of Korea upon the completion of their contracts.

As of last year, Korea has employed more than 278,000 foreign workers from 15 countries including 24,000 from the Philippines under the seven-year old Employment Permit System. They were employed in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and fisheries sector.

courtesy of POLO - Philippine Embassy, Korea

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Employment Policy: Hard-working foreign workers can be reemployed in Korea after 3-month stay in their home countries

Foreign workers who have worked with integrity in Korea for 4 years and 10 months and then return to their home countries will be allowed to re-enter and find work again in Korea after a lapse of three months since their return. They will also be able to work in the same workplace where they used to work just before departure without having to undergo a Korean language proficiency test or employment training.

<Employment System for Foreign Workers>

- Currently, if a foreign worker goes back to his/her home country after the end of his/her employment period, he/she can be re-employed in Korea under the Employment Permit System after six months. In such cases, the foreign worker is not guaranteed a job in his/her previous workplace, let alone re-employment, and is required to go through a Korean language test, employment training and other procedures again.

The new amendment requires departing foreign workers to stay in their home countries for at least three months. This requirement is imposed in order to avoid inadvertently meeting the general naturalization requirements (staying in Korea for five consecutive years or more) under Article 5 of the Nationality Act.

To re-enter and find employment again in Korea, a foreign worker will have to have worked in a workplace of the type and size determined by the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee in accordance with the amendment for 4 years and 10 months without a change of workplace.

(The size and type of business will be determined in a way that will cover workplaces having difficulties in employing native Korean workers, such as those in agricultural, livestock and fishing industries and small manufacturers. A separate public notice will be given of such size and type.)

The government promulgated the amendment to the Act on Foreign Workers Employment, etc., containing these features, on February 1. The amendment will come into effect on July 2, 2012.

The amendment will apply to foreign workers whose employment period (4 years and 10 months) will expire after its enforcement date (i.e. Jul. 2, 2012). Any employer who wants his/her foreign worker to re-enter Korea and continue to work in his/her workplace should make an application to the competent job center before the foreign worker leaves Korea.

* The application procedure and other details will be prescribed in the subsequent amendments to the relevant Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Regulations.

The number of foreign workers who have to return to their home countries as their employment period expires is expected to reach 67,000 this year.

Businesses are complaining of losing skilled workers, and some foreign workers are overstaying in Korea illegally. Against this background, the amendment was pursued as a practical alternative.

So far, once the quota for foreign workers to be allowed into Korea is set at an adequate level each year, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has brought in new workers to fill the entire quota. However, from now on, it will fill some of the quota with foreign workers whose integrity has been verified under the new system.

The new system is intended to bring in quality foreign workers and encourage those workers to work hard during their employment period without increasing the total number of foreign workers to be introduced.

It also aims to help companies keep skilled foreign workers and to reduce the number of illegal foreigners.

Meanwhile, the amendment contains changes regarding foreign workers' change of workplace.

Up until now, even in case a foreign worker moves to another workplace due to the revocation of an employment permit issued to the employer or any violation of the required working conditions, it has been counted towards the total number of workplace transfers. However, from now on, such a transfer will not be added to the total.

* A foreign worker cannot move to another workplace more than three times during his/her three-year initial employment and more than twice during his/her two-year re-employment.

The specific criteria a foreign worker should meet if his/her transfer to another workplace is not to be included in the total number of workplace transfers will be announced by the Minister of Employment and Labor.

Lee Tae-hee, the Director General of the Manpower Policy Bureau, predicted, "This revision will contribute in part to the availability of skilled workers among firms and a fall in the number of illegal foreigners." He also said, "To ensure the smooth application of the amendment in the workplace, the government will take stronger measures to counter illegal stay and employment of foreigners, and actively provide job placement services so as for native Korean workers to be employed in companies with relatively better working conditions."

source: http://www.moel.go.kr/english/topic/employment_policy_view.jsp?&idx=896

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Rules on rehiring migrant workers eased

Measure aimed at helping companies retain skilled workers

By Kim Rahn

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a revision to the Law on Foreign Workers’ Employment Wednesday, which will allow migrant workers who leave Korea after their visa expires to return after three months if a former employer wants to rehire them.

The revised law will take effect on July 2 and is designed to help companies retain skilled workers, while preventing those with expired visas from staying here illegally.

Under the current law, migrant workers with E-9 visas can work here for four years and 10 months, but then have to leave — they can only return after six months.

“Currently, migrant employees can return to Korea if they receive a new visa. But it is not easy because the authorities in their countries tend to give chances to other people. Even if they manage to return, it is unlikely that they can go back to their previous workplace. They also have to take the Korean language test and receive job training again as newcomers,” a ministry official said.

With the visas of some 67,000 foreign workers expected to expire this year, there have been lingering worries that companies may lose skilled employees and such workers may refuse to return home and stay here illegally.

Now the revision will allow foreign employees to have new visas and return to work after only three months, and without having to take the language test or job training.

“The new rule will enable migrant workers, whose return was almost impossible in reality, to come back, benefiting both the employees and the employers,” the official said.

Employers who want their foreign workers to return should apply to regional job centers before the workers leave Korea.

The measure will benefit employees who have stayed at one workplace without changing site, which about half of all migrant workers have done so, the official said.

“If we permit all such workers’ return, the number will be too large. So the ministry’s committee for policy on foreign workforce will soon designate businesses where such returns will be allowed,” he said.

The revision will also ease the restriction on changing workplaces.

Currently, migrant workers are allowed to change worksites up to five times, and when they change site because companies close or employers violate contracts such as with payment delays, this counted as a move. But that will not be the case under the new law. The exact standard on what is a valid change will be announced later.

source: rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

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Announcement of Test of Proficiency in Korean [EPS-TOPIK]

In relation to the MOU on the Sending of Workers between the Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea (MOEL) and the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines, the 8th Test of Proficiency in Korean [EPS-TOPIK] in the Philippines is to be conducted as follows:
All job seekers who want to work in Korea under the Employment Permit System must pass EPS-TOPIK, implemented by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) authorized by the MOEL in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and only those who passed the test will be uploaded for transfer to the roster of available workers by submitting the job application for the EPS. Passing the EPS-TOPIK does not guarantee employment in Korea but only inclusion on the available list of job seekers available for employment.

 Test Date and Time: March 18, 2012 (Sunday)
-10:30~11:40 (Session 1), 15:00~16:10 (Session 2)
-All examinees must be in the designated test room until the designated time (09:30 for the session 1, 14:00 for the session 2) for the orientation.

 Available Type of Industry: Manufacturing
All applicants of 8th EPS-TOPIK can only choose ‘Manufacturing’, for selection of the type of industry. Choice of other type of industry is not allowed.

 The Expected Number of Passers: will be announced on March 6, 2012 on POEA website.
※ Passers of each industry will be selected based on the test result (from the top scorer) among those who scored 80 or higher. (Full Score: 200 points)
※ Expected number of passers can be changed according to the circumstances of EPS.

 Test Venue : Test venues will be announced on March 6, 2012 on POEA website (www.poea.gov.ph )

 Qualifications for EPS-TOPIK Registration
1)Must be between 18 and 38 years of age
(Born between March 18, 1974 and March 18, 1994)
2) Must not have any record of conviction or imprisonment for a heinous crime
3) Must have no record of deportation or departure orders from the Republic of Korea
4) Must not be restricted from departure from the Philippines
5) Must be physically and mentally fit

 Registration Procedure
1) Period: February 6(Mon.) ~ 9(Thu.), 2012 (For 4 days)
- Registration Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
2) Registration Region: Metro Manila, Bulacan, Tarlac, Baguio, Iloilo and Davao
※ Registration venue per Region will be announced later on POEA website.
※ Applicant must register only in the registration venue where he/she wants to take the test.
3) Registration Method : Personal appearance
4) Required documents
-EPS-TOPIK Registration Application form (To be distributed at the registration venue)
※ Application numbers are written on each application form. Each applicant receives and submits one application form only, use correction tape in correcting errors.
-Valid passport or valid government-issued ID card such as SSS, GSIS, Driver’s License or Voter’s ID (a copy of passport or ID card must be attached on application form)
※ If an applicant’s personal information on the passport is not exactly the same as the one on the application form, their entry to Korea will not be permitted in any case, and the applicant is fully responsible for any problem caused by the differences in their personal information.
※ We will use the personal information (name, date of birth, and gender) written on the application form and the applicant’s photo attached on the application form for their future employment in Korea, and these are not changeable in any case.
-2 pcs. passport size (pictures taken within 6 months)

5) Test fee: P1,044 (local currency equivalent to US$24)

※ No refund will be entertained after registration period. (However, re-application after cancellation is not allowed.)

 Test Details:
1) Test Structure & Scores
Question Structure Number of Questions Total Score Time Given
Reading 25 100 40 min.
Listening 25 100 30 min.
Total 50 200 70 min.

 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ)

 Listening and Reading test are done continuously without a break.

2) Items to prepare on the test day
 Admission Ticket (which is issued during registration)
 Passport or ID card (must bring the same passport submitted during the registration)
※ No applicant is allowed to take the test without passport or ID card and Test
Permit
 Felt tip pen or ball-pen (only black ink)
※ Except the above mentioned pen, marking an answer sheet with other pens
(pencil or blue color ball-point pen etc.) can be regarded as wrong answer.
※ One answer sheet will be distributed to each applicant only once and any replacement or correction is not allowed. Besides, correction of answers on the answer sheet with correction fluid or tapes can be regarded as wrong answer.
' Announcement of Test Result
1) Announcement Date: March 30, 2012
2) Method of Announcement of Passers:
- Internet website of DOLE: www.dole.gov.ph
- Internet website of POEA: www.poea.gov.ph
- Internet website of EPS Korea: www.eps.go.kr
- Internet website of EPS-TOPIK : http://epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr
3) Method of Announcement of Test result
- Home Page of the Employment Permit System (http://www.eps.go.kr)
4) Period of Validity of test score (for passers): 2 years from the date of test result announcement
 Other Information
 mobile phones, cassette players, PDA, MP3 player, electronic dictionaries, and other electronic devices are not allowed in the test venue.
 If caught cheating, test will be void, and examinee will NOT be allowed to take the test for two years.
 The questions and answers for the test may change partially to improve foreign works' proficiency in the Korean language
 Personal information written on application form must be the same as passport(or ID Card) and If ID Card copy attached on the application form, full name on the application form should be used on passport in the same way.
 If an applicant’s personal information on the passport is not exactly the same as the one on the application form (name, date of birth, and gender), their registration to the EPS job seekers’ roster and entry to Korea is not permitted in any case, and the applicant is fully responsible for any problem caused by the differences in their personal information.
◈Passing the EPS-TOPIK does not guarantee employment in Korea but only inclusion on the available list of jobseekers available for employment.
Those who fail to pass the medical examination, has record of illegal stay in Korea, cannot be selected as job seekers.

◈According to the MOU between Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea and the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines on the Sending and Receiving of Workers under the Employment Permit System of Korea, only the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has the legal authority to send Philippine workers to the Republic of Korea.
Only the job seekers who passed EPS-TOPIK and registered on the roster by POEA can be hired by Korean employers.
If any other private sectors are found to be involved in the procedure of sending workforce, there will be the legal punishment for those acts.
Held by: Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea
Implemented by: Human Resources Development Service of Korea
In cooperation with: Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines (DOLE)
and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

source: http://epsklt.hrdkorea.or.kr/eps_klt/servlet/ContentManager

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KPTII 2012 Foreign Workers Free Forklift and Backhoe Training
The Korea Port Training Institute-Incheon
2012 외국인근로자 굴삭기실습훈련 및 지제자 교육생 모집 (무료)
2012 Foreign Workers Free Forklift and Backhoe Training Apprentice/Trainee Wanted

Enterprising Objective / Purpose:
After the free Development of Vocational Skill Training Programs. Foreign workers upon period of sojourn expired through the Working Permit

System (EPS) who are looking for work at home returning from Korea.

Can have this rare opportunity to avail of this Job Capacity Development Training for high productivity of the Small and Medium Size Business Companies, thereby foreign worker�s can return to their native country safely and can apply their skills acquired here, therefore Korean National Brand will be also upraise.

Qualifications:
* Foreign workers through the Employment Work Permit System (EPS) E-9

* Completed the 3 years period of time and do no want to be re-employed.

Classes: 9:00AM - 5:30PM (Free Lunch)
Every Sunday (6 Sundays)

Address: #1-31, 7-Ga Hang-dong, Jung-gu
Incheon, South Korea
Telephone: +82-32-885-8011

How to get there:
Metro (Bus, Taxi):
- Line: Get off at Dongincheon Station - Line 1 (Blue)
- Bus: Walk across the station (using underground) and head to McDonalds. Take Bus No. 12 or 24
- Get off at the bus stop in-front of Incheon Immigration Office (landmark: front of the office is the CJ Building)
- Facing the office, on your left hand side, there is a way to KPTII Building.

If you are interested, please fill up the form below and submit.

For more details, please contact these persons:

Ms. Gennie Kim
HP: +82-10-2760-7319

Mr. Jason Seril
HP: +82-10-7913-7788

Thank you!


courtesy of Gennie Kim

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MINIMUM WAGES FOR THE YEAR 2012

Dear FilCom,

Please refer to the attached announcement from the NLCC on the Minimum Wage rate for 2012.

Please be guided accordingly.

Thank you.

Atty. Felicitas Q. Bay
Labor Attache
Philippine Overseas Labor Office
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
5-1, Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-Ku, Seoul, 140-857 Korea
Tel: 82 2 3785 3634/5; Fax: 82 2 3785 3624
labor@philembassy-seoul.com
www.philembassy-seoul.com

MINIMUM WAGES FOR THE YEAR 2012
2012년도 최저임금 안내

1. Period of application: Jan. 1 2012 ~ Dec. 31 2012
적용기간 : 2012.1.1~2012.12.31

2. Minimum wage
최저임금액
○ Hourly wage rate : 4,580 won, daily wage rate( on a 8-hour basis): 36,640 won
시급 4,580원, 일급(8시간 기준) 36,640원
○ In the case of 40 hours per week(209 hours per month) the monthly wage will amount 957,220won.
주40시간제(월 209시간)의 경우 월급 957,220원

3. Target of application: every business or workplace employing workers
적용대상 : 근로자를 사용하는 모든 사업 또는 사업장
○ Workers whose minimum wage can be reduced
감액 적용 근로자
- Apprentices: his/her minimum wage may be reduced as much as 10% up to 3 months(hourly wage rate :4,122 won)
수급근로자 : 최장 3개월간 10% 감액 적용 가능(시급 4,122원)

4. Workers who are not applied the minimum wage
적용제외대상
- A person who has remarkably low abilities to work due to a mental or physical handicap (when approved by the Minister of Labor).
정신, 신체 장애로 근로능력이 현저히 낮은 자(노동부 장관 인가시)
- An employee who works for the workplace which employ only relatives living together or domestic workers.
동거의 친족만을 사용하는 사업의 종사자 또는 가사사용자
- A sailor who is subject to the seamen law or an owner of ship employing sailor.
선원법 적용 받는 선원 및 선원을 사용하는 선박의 소유자

5.Liability of the employer
사용자의 의무
○ Liable to pay above the minimum wage to the employee.
최저임금액 이상 지급의무
- An employer shall pay the workers at least the minimum wage rate or more. And no employer may lower the previous wage level on the ground of the minimum wage.
- 사용자는 적어도 최저임금액 이상의 임금을 지급하여야 하고 최저임금을 이유로 종전 임금수준을 저하하여서는 안됨
- If a labor contract provides for a wage that is less than the minimum wage rate, it shall be considered to stipulate that the same wage as the minimum wage rate shall be paid.
- 최저임금액에 미달하는 임금을 지급하기로 근로계약한 경우, 최저임금액과 동일한 임금을 지급하기로 한 것으로 간주

6. Obligation of notice of the minimum wage to the worker
근로자에 대한 최저임금 주지 의무
- An employer shall inform the workers of minimum wage rate, wages not included in the minimum wage, effective date, and workers being excluded from the minimum wage Act.
사용자는 최저임금액, 최저임금 미산입 임금, 효력발생일, 적용제외근로자에 대하여 고지하여야 함

7. In the cases of the following, a contractor shall take responsibility for violating Minimum Wage Act jointly with the subcontractor.
도급인이 최저임금법 위반의 연대책임을 지는 경우

- As for determining the unit labor cost lower than the minimum wage at the time of the signing of the contract;
도급계약 체결시 인건비단가를 최저임금액 미만으로 결정한 경우

- As for lowering the unit labor cost to below the minimum wage in the middle of the contract period.
도급계약 기간중 인건비단가를 최저임금액 미만으로 인하한 경우

※ HOW TO ESTIMATE IF THE MINIMUM WAGE IS FULFILLED
최저임금이행 여부 판단
1. Convert the total wages excluding the below wages and allowances into hourly wage rate and compare it with hourly minimum wage( 4,580won).
아래 임금 및 수당을 제외한 임금총액을 시간급으로 환산하여 시간급 최저임금(4,580원)과 비교
① Wage which is not paid regularly more than one time per month (such as bonus)
매월 1회 이상 정기적으로 지급되지 않는 임금(상여금 등)
② Wage which is paid for the non-contractual working hours(such as extended work allowance, holiday work allowance, etc)
소정근로시간에 대하여 지급되지 않는 임금(연장근로수당 등)
③ Allowances paid for an employee's living support or welfare
생활보조 또는 복리후생적으로 지급되는 수당 등 (meal cost, etc)

2. How to calculate the monthly salary based on the hourly pay:
월급의 시급 환산법
40-hour work week ⇒Wages regularly paid a month for contractual working hours ÷ 209 hours
주40시간제⇒ 계산된 입금(소정근로시간에 대한 매월 정기적 임금) ÷ 209시간

※ EVEN THOUGH THE STATUTORY WORKING HOURS ARE REDUCED THE PREVIOUS MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE GUARANTEED
법정근로시간단축시 종전 최저임금 수준 보장
If working hours are reduced to 40 hours per week, the minimum monthly wage may be calculated at 902,880 won. However, it should be paid at 976,320 won which is the minimum wage for the previous working hours (44 hours per week),
근로시간 단축후(주40시간) 월급 최저임금은 902,880원으로 계산되나, 근로시간 단축전(주44시간) 최저임금인 976,320원 이상을 지급해야 합니다.
When minimum wage is raised, the minimum monthly pay may be calculated at 957,220 won. However it should be paid at 976,320won which is the minimum wage for the previous working hours (44 hours per week).
(However, in case of a worker who was employed on July 1, 2011 and onwards, minimum wage shall be calculated based on 209 hours<209x4,580won>)
최저임금 인상적용(12.1.1)에도 월급기준 최저임금은 957,220원으로 계산되나 근로시간 단축전(주44시간) 최저임금인 976,320원이상을 지급하여야 함. (단, 2011.7.1이후 고용된자는 최저임금이 209시간을 기준으로 계산되어야 함)

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MINISTRY TO EASE BURDEN ON RE-ENTERING FOREIGN WORKERS

"Should these workers pass the test - a requirement to obtain their employment permits - they will be allowed to return to Korea right away."

The re-entry process for some foreign nationals previously employed in Korea should become easier due to changes announced by the Ministry of

Employment and Labor yesterday.

The ministry said it would begin offering Korean exams at least four times a year for foreign nationals who came to Korea on certain employment permits and then returned to their home countries after their employment authorizations expired. Should these workers pass the test - a requirement to obtain their employment permits - they will be allowed to return to Korea right away.

Currently, these foreign workers must leave Korea at the end of their employment, which cannot exceed four years and 10 months, and wait six months before returning. Re-entering workers have also been required to take the same Korean test as workers looking to come to Korea for the first time, a time-consuming process since the test is administrated irregularly.

The ministry will begin administering the exams to returning workers starting from next month in Vietnam and Thailand and will expand to other countries from next year. “We expect that the number of foreign nationals who are sojourning in the country illegally will decrease and it will become easier for businesses to recruit skilled employees,” said Lee Jae-gap, who works on employment policy at the stry.

Sarah Kim, Yonhap [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]

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Speech delivered by Ambassador Luis T. Cruz during a round table seminar on ROK�s Immigration Policy Viewed from Inside and Outside :

Transition to Multicultural Society, Jeju Island, 3 December 2011.

By: Philippine Embassy

Distinguished guests, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me, at the outset, congratulate the CIFAL Jeju for organizing this seminar. Immigration policy is a matter that, I believe, needs to be treated with both urgency and care given the sensitivity of issues attendant to migration.
I also wish to express my sincerest thanks for inviting me to be one of the speakers today. Yesterday�s session was very candid and informative, and I hope to be able to add to the wealth of ideas that has already given us greater platform upon which to pursue our respective migration-related goals.

I will divide my 30-minute presentation into two main topics: first, I will talk about my impressions of South Korea�s immigration policy in general, after which I will discuss some of my thoughts on how we can better protect our respective citizens while ensuring the integrity of our borders.

To provide context into these two topics, I will focus on the two sectors in South Korea that are most crucial in our formulation of relevant policies and work programs: workers under the Employment Permit System, which for the Philippines account for roughly 53% of Filipinos in South Korea; and foreign spouses of Korean nationals, whose growing number has forced an introspection by the Korean society on the impact that such multicultural families will have on its immediate future.

Allow me to begin.

I. Impressions of Korea�s general immigration policy

A. Workers, particularly those under the EPS

I will start by categorically stating that the Employment Permit System is among the best government-to-government arrangements on labor that I have encountered. Since the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and the HRD-Korea began the EPS seven years ago, thousands have benefited from its orderly, accessible and systematic implementation.

It therefore comes as no surprise that the EPS was selected as the 1st place winner of the UN Public Service Awards on June 23, 2011, in the category of �Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service.�

As an EPS sending country, the Philippines has approximately 26,000 EPS workers throughout South Korea. The EPS is so efficient and holistic as to include all processes from selection and deployment to feedback, skills upgrading, and contract termination; and yet it is so accessible and open-minded as to be able to adjust to, and improve with, the demands of the times.

The EPS, I therefore believe, deserves emulation. Let me elaborate:

With the entry of foreign workers come various issues related to immigration. Adjustments are made not just by the worker, but also by the employer and the community that shelters the foreign worker. The adjustment, in fact, is not made just by the workforce alone but by the entire Korean society. The presence of both locals and foreigners leads to a dynamic interaction that inevitably shapes the way of life and thinking of the people. Multiculturalism is a societal trend that is made possible not only by foreign spouses and expatriates, but also by the thousands of EPS workers who have found a second home in South Korea � no matter how short their stay is.

Through all these, the EPS makes sure that the foreign worker is able to adjust as smoothly as possible.

 For instance, EPS workers are required to study Korean prior to deployment. This makes sure that they hit the ground running as language skills help minimize communication gaps.

 The workplace is not a perfect setting, and anywhere in the world, there are problems related to possible worker maltreatment, abuse or discontent. In South Korea, common complaints we receive from EPS workers pertain to delayed salaries, misrepresented contracts, and physically or verbally abusive sajangnim or colleagues. It is important that we become aware of these issues but it is even more important that we address these issues. The EPS is unique in that the system has established several centers nationwide that are specifically tasked to handle the grievances of workers. For example, an EPS worker can get his or her delayed salary and transfer to a better workplace through MOEL Job Centers and HRD branch offices. South Korea helps make the job of embassies to protect the rights and welfare of their workers easier, because South Korea itself has placed labor contact points in strategic places nationwide, in areas that are far from where embassies are located.

 The EPS is not only concerned about the stay of the workers here, but also about the future of the workers once their tenure ends. The HRD offers various training programs to current workers that will help them gain employment in their home countries or start a business. Such reintegration programs are essential, because their focus on capacity-building gives workers greater confidence to pursue other exploits.

Towards these ends, the policies of South Korea as a receiving country and the Philippines as a sending country are in perfect harmony. The Philippines understands very well the need for reintegration programs. There are more than eight million Filipinos working abroad, and it is our desire to continually strengthen our economy to generate, in turn, more local employment. We want our nationals to bring back their experience abroad and share their skills in the Philippines. At the same time, we want to give them every reason and opportunity to return.

Here in South Korea, the Philippine Embassy, through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, regularly conducts regular sessions on skills and knowledge enhancement for Filipino workers. Last year, for example, the embassy conducted one course on PC assembly; six seminars on financial management; two three-weekend classes on entrepreneurship; one seminar each on franchising and the business climate in the Philippines; and one forum about housing options for foreign workers. All in all, around 800 workers have taken part in our reintegration programs.

In the Philippines, workers and their families can take advantage of various similar reintegration programs. The Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, for example, has several other skills and knowledge programs that range from SME development to scholarship opportunities for talented but needy children. The Philippine Department of Labor has recently announced the availability of non-collateralized loans for those who wish to start a business. Budgeted at around US$47 million, the loan includes a program for business matching and entrepreneurship training.

Perhaps the reason why EPS workers are in a position of greater flexibility and decision-making compared to foreign workers in other countries is because the EPS has inherent processes that do not restrict themselves with sole deployment; the system oversees and prepares for the stay and eventual return of the worker. South Korea and the Philippines definitely share a common goal: the rights and welfare of the workers.

B. Multicultural Families

We received substantial information yesterday regarding multicultural families. For the Philippines, the rate of Filipinos marrying South Korea is steadily increasing. There are now 8,000 Filipinos married to Korean nationals and living in South Korea, many of whom are in rural areas.

For the sake of brevity, I will no longer belabor the point on the increasing number of interracial marriages � the fact that 10% of marriages in South Korea last year involved a foreign spouse is adequate to support this claim � and will instead focus on my perceptions about South Korea�s policy on multiculturalism.

The Korean government started implementing multicultural policies in April 2006 when the government announced the Social Integration Support Measures for Marriage Migrant Families. In 2007, the Basic Act for Treatment of Foreigner Residents was passed, followed by the Multicultural Family Support Act in 2007.

Several types of support are given to multicultural families. For instance, the law covers the following:
 Measures against social discrimination and bigotry;
 Social adaptation and vocational training;
 Family counseling, marriage education, parenting education, and family life education;
 Prevention of domestic violence, in cases of which the government MAY provide translation, legal counseling, and administrative support services;
 Childcare support;
 Language services; and
 Support centers, among others.

I find that the policies have a very wide range and are implemented in all levels, from the national government to the local government. The Korean National Police, for example, has a Mentoring Program whereby police officers establish networks with foreign spouses in an effort to reach out to them and prevent instances of domestic violence.

Flexibility is also inherent in the law. Recent amendments expand the term of �multicultural family� to include families by nationalized Koreans. The fact that multicultural policies are revised regularly shows how responsive the Korean government is. I therefore look forward to the full-scale implementation of the F-6 visa, which will give more reliable statistics about foreign spouses, all of which are now lumped together with other dependents under the F-2 visa.

It is noteworthy that such programs do not focus on the foreign spouse alone � the families of the foreign spouses are also invited to South Korea by various institutions so they can better appreciate the new role that the spouse has assumed in South Korean society.

II. Areas for Improvement

A. Workers

No system is, however, perfect. This is why forums like this are important, because they provide opportunities to further improve existing programs.

In the case of EPS, there are recurring issues that are raised not only by the Philippines, but also by other EPS-sending countries. For instance:

 For workers who have completed their sojourn, it may be best if they no longer have to retake the Korean Language Test and other exams. These are people who already passed the tests once and who have lived in South Korea as EPS workers. Requiring them to take the same test to be included anew in the roster is a redundant process that only consumes time and resources. This requirement can be waived without damaging the reason behind the exams, which is to ensure that the workers are able to adjust to Korean society and perform their jobs. Returning workers have already proven that.

 The waiting period of six months for EPS workers who have completed their sojourn translates to a period when productivity risks a dip. Employers who wish to retain the same people have to deal with the costs of retraining and adjustment while waiting for the period to lapse, while EPS workers who are still qualified to apply have to contend with half a year of untapped potential.

 Attention can perhaps be given to further improvements in the agricultural and construction sectors, which appear to have less defined parameters of operation than the manufacturing sector.

 I am very pleased to note that South Korea has begun implementing a computer-based exam for re-hired workers from Vietnam and Thailand. This is certainly a positive step forward and will greatly contribute to the convenience of returning workers from Vietnam and Thailand. It does not, however, address the basic issues of continuity and stalled productivity.

It is my understanding that the EPS is developed in such a way that it prioritizes the infusion of new blood � meaning that workers can only stay up to a certain period and up to a certain age. The idea is that they will go back to their home countries and they will be replaced by other individuals, thereby giving others a chance to become part of the system. Now may be a good time to re-examine this arrangement.

The bond between an employer and an employee who have developed mutual trust and confidence is sacred. Such a relationship needs time and nurture. It is a relationship that can be viewed as a long-term investment because it leads to greater productivity and can expand operations.

The current system only allows up to a maximum of four years and ten months of sojourn for the EPS worker. The worker then has to wait out six months in the home country. Upon return, he or she can only work up to around 38 years old. An EPS worker who joins now at the age of 22, for instance, can only work three times or a total of approximately 14 years with six-month breaks in between.

Assuming that the worker goes to the same employer each time, the bond between them will have to be broken once the worker�s age ceiling is reached. In a typical workplace, the benefits of 14 years of experience are immeasurable.

I respectfully wish to propose a system where, for as long as the employer is willing to take in the worker, the worker can be allowed to stay legally. The employer is in the best position to judge the skills and resourcefulness of the worker. Once either employer or worker wishes out of the contract, the worker can find employment elsewhere � assuming that another SME is willing to receive the transfer.

We are not even talking about permanent residence. We are talking about giving the employer and the employee who have formed a bond the opportunity to let the working relationship flourish � such bonds cannot be aptly captured or maximized by designations of age ceilings. Short-term employment visas that have to be periodically renewed can be used.

Under this arrangement, the worker will still be under the EPS and will still be counted in the quota. In the long term, this arrangement may be more feasible than a regular turnover of workers. It will also be cost-effective for the MOEL / HRD when handling its operations. We can expect more workers to violate the provisions of their visa for every turnover that takes place. Over time, the number of undocumented workers may increase. The age ceiling may thus be counterproductive in the long run if one overriding purpose is to encourage workers to stay legally.

I wish to highlight the importance of the employer in this set up. Oftentimes, when we talk about the EPS, we think about the foreign worker. In reality, several other stakeholders exist, such as the government and, of course, the employer.

And many employers themselves like to retain their workers regardless of their age. Employers, in fact, are among those who signed a petition last year requesting improvements in the EPS, which the Philippine Embassy positively endorsed to the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I believe that their voices should also be heard in forums like this, because they are the ones who directly deal with the foreign workers.

By abolishing the age ceiling, workers can have the opportunity to stay legally. Certain conditions should of course be put in place, first and foremost of which is what I have discussed regarding the willingness of the registered employer.

This leads me to my next point. In the Philippines, we do not call workers who have violated the terms of their visa as �illegal� workers. Instead, we call them �irregular� workers for a number of reasons.

The term �illegal� is such a loaded word that connotes crime and even violence. To be branded as �illegal� is to be labeled in the most negative sense. It minimizes the person and practically puts him or her in the same league as others who have committed arson, rape, murder or white-collar crimes.

Irregular workers, however, have done none of the above. In fact, irregular workers are the ones who choose to lie low and not be involved in any dangerous activities because their only goal is to send remittances to their families. Irregular workers are not criminals, and they should not be treated or labeled as such. Calling them �illegal� is one step closer to completely pushing them out of the boundaries of society and away from social safety nets.

Irregular workers are honest people who have decided to violate the terms of their visas for economic or humanitarian reasons � they must not be subjected to the same stigma that accompanies those who have committed arson, rape, murder or white-collar crimes. Acknowledging this fact is the first step towards a more open-minded immigration policy.

On this note, I humbly state my hope that, at an opportune time, the Korean Government can also study the possibility of providing amnesty to overstaying workers and find a way for them to become eligible to apply to the EPS. This is a proposal that may warrant serious attention given the implications of South Korea�s ageing society, which will one day need more and more human resources to drive its dynamic industries. The EPS is such an excellent system to deny, and I sincerely hope that it will cover as many workers as possible. It is a system that I sincerely believe should be emulated by other countries and in other sectors.

B. Multicultural families

A question that South Korea must confront is whether it plans to have an assimilative or an acculturative immigration policy. Foreigners can either become assimilated into Korean culture, or they can play a greater role in further opening the cultural mindsets of a country that proclaims homogeneity like South Korea.

I have noticed a tendency towards assimilation in many multicultural programs. Many are about how the foreign spouse can learn and be accustomed to Korean culture. I happen to believe that the relationship has to be two-way: the foreign spouse should learn Korean culture, but the Korean spouse and the Korean in-laws should also be receptive to the foreign spouse�s culture. This ensures that the benefits of a multicultural family � a family that is naturally predisposed to the wealth of cultures of the two nationalities involved � are fully harnessed. More often than not, I meet families where the child is allowed to only learn Korean and not the native language of the foreign mother. It is sad to know that the child is deprived of an ability to become multilingual at an early age and to have a mindset that is naturally global in outlook.

This interaction � an �exchange� in its truest sense � will also mean that the foreign spouse is never alienated. No matter how much people learn another culture, they cannot fully suppress their own. A healthy relationship is one that allows both spouses to grow and mature in their own terms and styles, and this need is more pronounced in the case of interracial couples.

This question not only has practical implications but legal ones as well. For example, the dual citizenship law of South Korea stipulates that those married in the latter half of 2010 are eligible to gain dual citizenship � but not those married before. The law is not retroactive, which then leads me to thinking: why cannot those who became Korean citizens in 2009 be given the same rights and privileges that those married in 2011 possess? What�s the difference between a previously naturalized Korean and a recently naturalized Korean? Why cannot the law be more comprehensive?

It is my hope that South Korean immigration policy will allow dual citizenship even for those who were naturalized before the cut-off date of July 2010 prescribed by the dual citizenship law.

Having said that, there are still many areas that our governments can cooperate to assist multicultural families. For instance:

 Those who are separated or divorced need a more comprehensive support system from the Korean Government, especially if they are victims of domestic violence. They should be given free legal services. Counseling services offered by multicultural centers often focus on the reconciliation by the husband and wife; room must be given for marriages that are truly problematic.

 Many shelters for women have able staff. Unfortunately, not everyone can speak English. Language barriers must be addressed if these shelters are to be truly effective. In addition, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should consider putting up additional shelters to accommodate the growing number of marriage migrants in need of help.

 Children from multicultural families tend to be economically vulnerable. They are also prone to teases and taunts, to discrimination and alienation. This affects their learning curve, as they tend to be weighed down by the stresses that come from simply being different. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is doing an excellent job of helping these students, and I hope that other agencies can follow suit.

To close my presentation, let me take this opportunity to reiterate some of the recommendations of the International Forum on Multicultural Policies in the Global Era, held in Daegu on 28 October 2011. These are recommendations that came from the migrants themselves and are therefore worth noting:

 Increase in the number of multicultural centers and emergency support centers with foreign counselors and staff;
 Working opportunities for foreign spouses, including lower interest loans;
 Marriage counseling also for the Korean nationals;
 Multicultural education that is more geared towards second-generation multicultural children. Some schools organize separate classes to accommodate them, but the effect is that they feel more excluded from the other students. A program on Korean as a Second Language (KSL) may be effective;
 Children who are allowed to communicate to their mothers in the mothers� native language; and
 Medical insurance for young marriage migrants, especially when the Korean husband cannot afford the cost of insurance.

The issue of immigration is a very vast and difficult topic, and I hope that my presentation has somehow helped shed light on the issues that we face. We are, I am sure, only scratching the surface of this challenging but interesting subject made more relevant by today�s freer borders.

Thank you very much. I hope to answer your questions during the open forum.

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Labor update at leaders forum about eps korea by labor attache felecitas Bay at phil embassy in seoul.(Dec. 3, 2011)	Consul Marasigan of Philippine Embassy in Seoul update at DFA (Dec. 3, 2011)

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Designation of Women’s organizations that can issue certificate of reason for failed marriage

Through changes in immigration duties guidelines, Ministry of Justice now allows foreigners whose marriages with a Korean national has failed to apply for acquisition of Korean nationality. However, in order to do so, they would need to provide a certificate from an authorized women’s organization, and through careful examinations of the candidates, Ministry of Justice has selected 197 such women’s organizations throughout the country. Traditionally, in such cases, only court rulings which state that the divorce was considered valid.

In order to be completely objective and unbiased in selecting such “authorized women’s organizations,” the Ministry of Justice took in a number of advises recommendations from multiple related sources (such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, members of the MOJ’s women’s policy committee, and foreign women). Finally, a total of 197 organizations were selected, including the Korea Legal Aid Center For Family Relations, Migrant Women’s Hotline 1366 Center, and Domestic Violence Protection Center.

They were chosen for being recommended, previous record of counseling foreign wives, and accessibility. It should also be mentioned that this is a growing list, and any organization may be added to the list in the future if they are found to have public trust.

The Ministry of Justice said “through this change, women whose marriages didn’t work out can still apply for Korean nationality if they can prove that the divorce was due to no fault of their own through certificate from authorized women’s organization. However, it must be noted that certificates that they submit will be very closely examined by the Ministry of Justice, and the fact that they applied for Korean nationality does not necessarily mean that they will actually acquire Korean nationality. In addition, providing a court ruling will speed up the process considerably.” source: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/index.html

HiKorea Portal
www.hikorea.go.kr

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Workers in workplaces with 4 workers or less can receive retirement benefits from December 1

From December 1, workers retiring from workplaces with four workers or less can receive retirement benefits.

* There are 963,366 workplaces ordinarily employing four workers or less, and 1,618,923 workers employed in such workplaces.

According to the Enforcement Decree of the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act amended on September 29, 2010, the Retirement Benefit

System expanded to cover workers in workplaces ordinarily employing four workers or less on December 1, 2010.

* The coverage of retirement benefits was extended from workplaces with 30 workers or more in 1961 to those with 16 workers or more in 1975, and then to those with five workers or more in 1989.

However, retirement benefits are paid to workers who have worked for at least one consecutive year. Therefore, actual payments are made on or after December 1, 2011 when one year has passed since the amendment came into effect.

The level of retirement benefits will stay at 50% of the statutory retirement pay of the worker concerned until December 31, 2012, and then be raised to 100% at the beginning of 2013.

This gradual increase in the level of benefits is intended to soften the impact on workplaces with four workers or less given their small business scale, their employers' weak ability to pay, and negative employment effects that might be caused.

Under the current law, an employer should introduce either the retirement pay system or a retirement pension plan (defined benefit type or defined contribution type).

In the case of workplaces with four workers or less, which tend to have a short cycle of creation and extinction and frequently delay payment of wages, introducing a retirement pension plan is desirable in terms of a stronger guarantee of workers' right to receive retirement benefits.

* Under a retirement pension plan, an employer puts aside contributions each year into an account at a financial institution, etc., outside the company, and retirement benefits are paid in a lump sum or in annuity payments if a worker retires. Retirement pension plans encourage workers' long consecutive service, and thus help to lower job separation rates and boost productivity.

Many workplaces with four workers or less are introducing a retirement pension plan to avoid the burden of raising a large sum of money temporarily to cover retirement payments. Retirement pension plans are well received by workers, resulting in fewer job separations and higher satisfaction.

* Among workplaces with four workers or less, 36,233 or 3.8% have adopted a retirement pension plan with a total of 98,088 workers covered.

MOEL has publicized the expansion of retirement benefits for workplaces with four workers or less through the mass media, such as radio campaigns, newspaper and subway ads, and surveys on social networking sites.

MOEL carries out publicity activities focused on policy target groups to ensure that no one fails to pay or receive retirement benefits because of his/her ignorance of the coverage expansion. For instance, it develops and distributes related posters and leaflets, sends direct mail to all workplaces employing four workers or less, informs target groups of the institutional change in collaboration with industry- or regional-level associations of small business owners, and operates a relevant PR booth at job fairs.

Park Jong-gil, the Director-General of the Working Conditions Improvement Bureau, said "Now that retirement benefits have been expanded to cover workplaces with four workers or less, they will greatly contribute to promoting the welfare of workers in these workplaces by helping them to provide for their retirement."

He also said, "In light of their small business scale and relatively weak ability to pay, many workplaces with four workers or less would fail to pay retirement benefits on time. So we will conduct thorough guidance and inspection activities
through labor inspectors, along with active publicity campaigns."

Source: Ministry of Employment and Labor
(www.moel.go.kr/english/topic/working_view.jsp?&idx=876)

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NEW REQUIREMENT FOR FILIPINOS MARRYING FOREIGNERS
By: Philippine Embassy, South Korea
Source: http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/ann_details.asp?id=457

Effective 04 July 2011, Filipinos applying for a Legal Capacity to Marry a Foreigner or a Report of Marriage to a Foreigner are required to watch a short video presentation on the situation of Filipino spouses in South Korea. The Embassy will release the documents only after the applicants have seen the video, which talks about life in South Korea and lasts for only twenty (20) minutes.
The video is part of the Embassy’s educational / awareness campaign to help marriage migrants to South Korea. The video covers the family culture in South Korea, including stories about the experiences of other Filipinos and advice to ensure the welfare of Filipino nationals married to foreigners.

The applicant may choose from the following weekly schedule:

Tuesday - 11:30am -11:50am; 2:00-2:20pm

Thursday - 11:30am -11:50am; 2:00-2:20pm

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Revised Requirements for Reports of Birth
By: Philippine Embassy in Korea
Source: http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/ann_details.asp?id=475

A child born in the Republic of Korea with Filipino parent/s should be reported to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul , not later twelve (12) months from the date of birth, for transmittal to the Office of the Civil Registrar-General, National Statistics Office (NSO), Manila. Report of the birth of a child after one year is considered late and an Affidavit of Late Registration shall be required.

Requirements for ROB

1. Duly accomplished ROB form in 4 original copies

2. Birth Certificate issued by the Korean hospital where child was born ( with English translation)

3. If child is legitimate, marriage contract of parents. If marriage was in the Philippines, marriage contract must be authenticated by NSO. If abroad, copy of Report of Marriage duly received by the Philippine Embassy with jurisdiction to register the marriage. 

4. If not married, NSO authenticated birth certificate of mother. If the surname of the father will be used, Affidavit of Admission of Paternity and Authority to use surname of Father will be required from the father. Republic Act 9255 allows illegitimate children to use the surname of their father. (Notarization fee of affidavit is Won 33,550) 

5. Valid passports/ travel documents of the parents

6. If parent/s are naturalized Filipino/s, naturalization documents are required

7. If reporting is done after twelve (12) months from occurrence, Affidavit of Late Registration of Birth. (Notarization fee of affidavit is Won 33,550)

8. Consular Fee: Won 33,550

Processing period: two (2) working days

Original documents will be required upon processing together with four (4) photocopies. Photocopy of a document will be accepted provided they are authenticated/ certified true copy (CTC) by DFA or the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate.

The Consulate may require additional requirements , if necessary.

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Foreign workers will have easier access to reentry to Korea

Ministry of Employment and Labor will give a special Korean test for the foreign workers who volunteered to return before expiry of their

employment permit

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is going to offer special tests on the Korean language for the foreign workers who want to reenter Korea after having volunteered to leave the country before maturity of their employment permit, starting from December this year.

In accordance with the anti-settlement principle under the Employment Permit System, a foreign worker who has arrived in Korea with an employment permit must leave the country upon maturity of the permit (lasting up to 4 years and 10 months). The System, however, offers no preference to the foreign workers who want to reenter the country, simply requiring them to wait at least 6 months and go through the same entry process as the first-time comers.

The Korean language tests for newcomers are given on an irregular basis and even those who have passed the test have to wait a long time before entry. This is why the foreign workers who want to work for additional years in Korea are reluctant to return to their mother country. Moreover, the employers of foreign workers have demanded that they should be allowed to retain skilled foreign workers.

In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has decided to improve the Employment Permit System by resolving the barrier to reentry and accommodating employers demand for skilled workforce. The consequence is that foreign workers who want to reenter Korea will be able to take a fast track right after the end of the reentry limit period, although the statutory limit period will remain in force.

The special Korean tests will be available only to the foreign workers who have left Korea before expiry of their employment permit and want to reenter the country, and will be regularly given once or more per quarter at the designated CBT (computer-based test) sites in the sending countries. The special tests will be first conducted on a pilot basis in Thailand and Vietnam in December this year, and then will be extended over to other sending countries in next year.

The successful applicants of the tests will go through a faster process of reentry than the ordinary process, be exempted from pre-employment training, and be allowed to work in the workplace where they had worked before departure so long as they had worked for one year or longer at the last workplace and the employer wants to rehire them.

The number of foreign workers who are supposed to leave Korea due to expiry of their employment permit is estimated at 5,000 in 2010; 34,000 in 2011; and 67,000 in 2012.

Director General LEE, Jae Gap of the Employment Policy Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor expects that the revised provisions will help reduce the number of illegal foreign workers sharply and secure skilled workforce for employers, adding that the government will expand the preferred reentry measures for the foreign workers who have chosen to leave Korea instead of staying illegally in the country.

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OAV Registration Ongoing at the Philippine Embassy

Filipinos in South Korea who intend to vote here for the senatorial and party-list elections in May 2013 are reminded to register as overseas absentee voters at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.
Registration started on 2 November 2011 and will continue until 31 October 2012. Registration is available from Monday to Friday during regular office hours, except during declared holidays. Filipinos may also register every first and third Sunday of the month, coinciding with the special service for passport renewals in the morning.
“Although the registration period is for one year, I encourage everyone to register early and not to wait until the last minute to have their names included in the roster of those eligible to vote in 2013,” said Amb. Luis Cruz.
“This will prevent potential problems associated with rushed applications,” he added.
Registrants only need to present a valid proof of Philippine citizenship, such as a passport. Those who intend to change their voting places in 2013, such as those returning for good to the Philippines, can also have their records transferred by the Philippine Embassy.
Mobile registration services, done alongside with mobile passport services, to other parts of South Korea will be announced later on.
For inquiries, please email seoulpe@philembassy-seoul.com.

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A Message from POLO/OWWA - Phil Embassy - South Korea

To all EPS:

Please be reminded that based on existing guidelines in the issuance of Balik Manggagawa Certificate / OEC, EPS workers on release are not eligible to be issued an Overseas Employment Certificate or OEC.

This reminder is issued to avoid any confusion in the issuance of an OEC.

Thank you.


Atty. Felicitas Q. Bay
Labor Attache
Philippine Overseas Labor Office
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines