MANILA, Philippines — A party-list lawmaker is seeking stricter rules on the hiring of Chinese and other foreign workers.
“The influx of workers from other countries will continue to increase if we do not protect the Filipino laborer,” Rep. Jericho Nograles of Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta said yesterday.
“There should be stringent rules on the employment of foreigners and harsh penalties for those who will prefer them. That is my proposal,” he said.
He said employers should recruit foreign nationals “only if no Filipino applicant is qualified.”
Foreign workers who are issued employment permits should transfer their skills and technology to Filipino understudies within a prescribed period, he added.
His proposed rules are contained in a bill he and his brother, former Davao City congressman and now Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, filed in 2018.
The House of Representatives approved the measure on final reading in November and promptly forwarded it to the Senate, whose labor committee is conducting an inquiry into the influx of Chinese workers here.
Nograles urged senators to act on the bill. He said under the proposed law, an employer who illegally hires a foreign worker would face imprisonment of six months to six years or a fine of P50,000 to P100,000, or both penalties upon the discretion of the court.
The foreign worker will also be deported.
The Department of Labor and Employment will be mandated to issue implementing rules and regulations.
Lawmakers have complained of the presence of large numbers of Chinese workers in the country, even in areas like retail and construction where jobs do not require technical or specialized skills.