Spies? DOLE revises rules on foreign workers

MANILA, Philippines —  Amid concerns over the presence of suspected Chinese spies, regulations on the employment of foreigners in the country have been revised by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The new Alien Employment Permit (AEP) guidelines will rationalize requirements and streamline the processing of work permits for foreigners, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said.

In the past three years, the DOLE has issued 192,573 AEPs to foreigners working in various local industries.

In 2023, AEP issuances rose to 69,912 from 62,349 and dropped to 60,312 last year.

Chinese nationals accounted for the bulk or 73,518 of total AEPs issued in the past three years.

Vietnamese, Japanese and South Koreans are in the top five nationalities given AEPs.

The DOLE cannot screen and determine if foreigners applying for AEPs are spies or not, Laguesma said.

“The DOLE will not be able to vet application of ‘spies’ since it is not among jobs or occupations identified to be eligible for AEP,” he said.

Under the new guidelines Laguesma signed on Monday, the conduct of the mandated labor market test has been simplified and integrated into one publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

“This move effectively reduces cost and waiting period for the employers and foreign nationals,” he noted.

Skills transfer and knowledge-sharing between foreigners and their Filipino counterparts will be ensured through the Understudy Training Program and Skills Development Program, which will be implemented by employers hiring foreigners.

The training programs shall ensure Filipino counterparts acquire expertise and competencies to eventually assume the roles held by foreign employees, thereby reducing dependency on foreign labor in the long term.

An Economic Needs Test will also be introduced to assess the necessity of hiring foreigners based on the availability of qualified Filipino workers.

“This measure aims to safeguard local employment opportunities and will undergo public consultations in the coming months to ensure inclusivity and relevance,” Laguesma said.

The new AEP guidelines, he said, align with the national government policy of attracting foreign direct investments by ensuring ease of doing business.

“Employers in priority investment sectors will benefit from these reforms through expedited processes, reinforcing the Philippines’ position as a competitive and investor-friendly destination in the region,” he noted.

Laguesma said the new guidelines would reduce red tape and expedite transactions with the government through the adoption of unified and simplified requirements.

Meanwhile, suspected Chinese “sleeper agent” Yuanqing Deng has been traveling to the Philippines since 2015, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Deng, 39, is reportedly married to a Filipino.

Deng and his two Filipino cohorts were arrested on Jan. 17 in Makati, facing espionage charges for allegedly frequenting vital military installations.

“We will ensure that we will identify any foreign cohorts that might be in the country assisting him,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said yesterday. — Evelyn Macairan