as of june 1,2009/ 11:00pm-Korea extends amnesty to overstaying Filipinos

Korea extends amnesty to overstaying Filipinos
1 June 2009 | 11:00 PM


SEOUL: The South Korean government is amnestying undocumented Filipino workers here after President Arroyo appealed to President Lee Myung-Bak on their behalf at the weekend.

Lee granted Mrs. Arroyos request at the sidelines of the signing of a bilateral agreement renewing the Employment Permit System at the Blue House.

He granted her request even as Mrs. Arroyo secured more than $1.22 billion in investment and official development assistance from Korea for the Philippines agriculture, tourism and energy sectors.

The EPS will provide the legal pathway for Filipinos to work in South Korea, Mrs. Arroyo told members of the Filipino community at the Lotte Hotel before she left for Jeju Island.

This will especially benefit undocumented [Filipino workers], because I heard there are still a lot of undocumented Filipinos here in Korea.

Mrs. Arroyo said about 60,000 Filipinos were in Korea legally, but Foreign Affairs has estimated the number of undocumented Filipinos here at 30,000.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said he would meet his Korean counterpart, Minister Lee Young-Hee, on Tuesday to firm up the details of the amnesty.

They have committed to give us preferential treatment, but we still have to firm up the details, he said.

Undocumented [Filipinos] must go home to the Philippines first and then come back to Korea as documented workers. They [have] to go home to the Philippines and have their proper documents fixed.

Mrs. Arroyo told Filipino workers here that their government was doing everything to protect their jobs and create employment opportunities for those who would be displaced by the worldwide economic slowdown.

We have a program of full reciprocity for our workers, she said.

We have earmarked P1 billion under the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to provide livelihood support for displaced [Filipinos] who want to start their own businesses in the Philippines and retraining for those who want to look for new jobs abroad.

Mrs. Arroyo and Lee witnessed the signing of six agreements including a $12.97-million grant to create four modern rice processing facilities in the Philippines, a $50-million investment in wind power projects in Luzon, and a $150-million commitment from the Export Import Bank of Korea to finance other alternative energy projects.

She met representatives of the Korean firms Eco Solution Co. and EnviroPlasma, which are to invest $475 million in alternative fuel projects in the Philippines. She witnessed the signing of a $6.52-million investment to build roads to connect Donggwang Clark Corp. and Clark Development Corp.

CDC president Benigno Ricafort signed a deal allowing Donggwang to build two hotels and a golf course in Clark worth $515 million.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the Korea International Cooperation Agency had also committed $14.9 million to expand the Molinao Dam in Bohol to irrigate 5,000 hectares instead of 3,500.

Eco Solution, with its affiliate Eco Global Bio-Oils Inc., would invest $175 million in a jatropha plant in South Cotabato to produce 100,000 liters of bio-diesel daily, he said.

EnviroPlasma would invest $300 million in a plant in Clark, Pampanga, to produce 500,000 liters of sugar bio-ethanol daily.

thanks po for sharing. Godbless

wow...napakagandang balita n'yan para sa mga kababayan natin.at sana nga tuloy-tuloy na yan.salamat sa pag share.

talaga po, bale hanggang kailan po ang amnesty na yan n pano po ang dapat nilang gawin. thanks

good news po yan! sa mga undocumented nating kabayan,marami po tau mga kababayan na matagal ng nag hihintay ng amnesty galing sa korean government...malaking tulong po yan..but we're asking more information regarding this...sana po ma i post nyo kaagad kung kailan officially maiiplement ito?at the same time kung paano po procedure gagawin nila..sana po as much sa possible eh malaman po ng mga kababayan natin ang buong details tungkol po dito..para po mai desiminate po sa iba nating mga kabayan na may amnesty na...add ko narin poh hangat maari yung assurance nila makakabalik pa..kc po i have many frends here in korea na undocumented na nagtatanung kung kailan or mayroon ng amnesty para sakanila...at halos lahat sila ay nag hehesitate na baka paraan lang ito para mahuli lang sila kasi may insendente daw na nag karoon ng amnesty pero paraan lang pala iyon para mahuli ung iba frend nila..at mostly daw wla nakakabalik?sana po if u have more information or knowledge about this said amnesty paki share lang po...bcoz marami po kayong matutulungan na kababayan natin.30,000 napala ang undocumented dito.thanks for sharing this information...

tama ka kabyan pati rin mga kaibigan ko nag-aalinlangan gusto nila matiyak talaga na makakabalik pa sila dito

mrn nga amnesty pro uuwi ka din sa pinas how true nmn mkkabalik ka kaagad dba yun nga mga dati ksma ko na mga umuwi nun khit isa nde nkabalik d2...sna nlng gawin nla pra wla ng mag tnt renewal nalng ginagawa sa mga visa ntin pra maiwasan un mga tnt dba...

kindly info us nalang just incase na magkaroon nga amnesty i have friends na EPS b4 pero naging tNt na sila now gawa ng employer nila....sabi irerenew sila pero pinaexpire nila ang visa ng mga friends...sana naman magkaroon ng AMNESTY para sa mga KABABAYAN nating na tNt dahil sa employer...
thanks sa mga INFO nyo more POWER po sa inyong lahat at buong member ng SULYAP PINOY MABUHAY PO TAYONG LAHAT!!!