Koreans opt out of hiring scheme

Kinks have appeared in the launch of a caregiver program in Seoul that aspiring overseas Filipino workers hoped would open up a high-paying market.

A total of 24 households in Seoul have backed out of a pilot program that hires Filipino caregivers, according to officials.

The initiative, designed to address South Korea’s childcare needs amid the declining birth rate, initially assigned 100 Filipino workers to 142 households.

Several families who participated in the new scheme had opted out, citing scheduling conflicts and other issues.

Korean families have praised the initiative but others voiced concerns. A major issue is the delayed payment of training allowances by the government.

The caregivers who completed 160 hours of specialized training were supposed to receive an upfront payment of 950,000 Korean won (approximately P39,000) from two agencies in charge of recruitment, with the reimbursements coming from the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

However, the payments were delayed, with the Filipinos receiving only two weeks’ pay amounting to 500,000 Korean won (P21,000) on 20 September.

P100K per month

Other concerns included the long working hours and the commute, a 10 p.m. curfew, and dissatisfaction with the cost of the service.

Reports said the Filipino workers would be paid 2.38 million Korean won (P100,000) a month for an eight-hour workday.

Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon recommended lowering the foreign workers’ pay under a separate wage system but he faced opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea.

Concerns about the sustainability and long-term viability of the program were also raised when two of the 100 Filipino workers became unreachable on 15 September.

Mayor Oh, however, said foreign labor was essential for boosting the city’s competitiveness and addressing the low birth rate.

Comply with rules

Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac said the agency is working with Korean authorities to resolve the situation.

He also warned that penalties, including a possible employment ban, could be imposed on the two workers.

“We may prohibit them from further employment in the future,” Cacdac said.

He also called on the Filipinos in the pilot program not to violate Korean immigration rules.