THE PHILIPPINE STAR
news MONDAY
'Prioritize Pinoy workers in Chlna-funded proiects'
i
By PAOLO ROMERO
Senators are working on
lrafting amendments to the
)fficial Development As-
;istance Act in an effort to
:nsure local jobs are protected
rmid growing concerns on the
nflux of Chinese workers in
he countrv.
Sen. Slierwin Gatchalian,
:hairman of the Senate com-
nittee on economic affairs,
,aid the panel is working on
he provisions of the ODAAct
o ensure local employment
)rotection.
"We will not just work on
)rioritizatiorL but ensure em-
)loyment protectiory" Gatch:
Llian said.
He added Transportation
iecretaty Arthur Tugade
hould not crow about his
lhinese counterparts commit-
ing to limit their locals lrom
ietting tobs in China-funded
liojects.
"We should not be request-
ng that (job protection for
tilipinos), we should not be
alking about that anymore
recause that's in our laws and
ve have to enforce them,"
latchalian said.
Sen. Nancy Binay, on the
I APRIL 29,2019
other hand, reiterated her call
to prioritize Filipino construc-
tion workers for iobs in the
admiriistrafion's "Buil4 Bqild,
Build" projects, particulaily
those funded by China.
"I hopebefore the contracts
were signed, it was made
clear that they're 100 pelcent
Filipino construction work-
ers in our Build, Build, Build
proiects." Binay said.
She added contracts should
specify that Filipinos wouldbe
preferred for the jobs.
In the supplemental guide-
lines for the issuance ofSpecial
Working Permits (SWP) to
those applying for jobs in.the
Philippines, foreigners are not
allowed to work as construc-
tion workers, cashiers, waiters,
janitors, household workers,
carpenters, garlage collectors,
se{urity guards, warehouse
caretakers.
Binay said under the sup-
plemental guidelines for the
issuance of SWPs, foreigners
are not allowed to work as
blue collar workers, including
construction laborers.
The inYestments China
committed during the Belt
and Road Forum include in-
frastructure, energy, petro-
chemical and industrial park ing the contracts, including
projects. which ur" protecting iobs meant for
"*p"tt"d
to create more than 21,000jobs Filipinos.
for Filipinos. "We're happy because of
Binay denounced moves by the reported $12 billibn in new
goveffment agencies allowing investments but the govern-
employment of foreign r.r.ork- ment must also be transparent,
ers as part of loan agreements immediately upload in their
wiih China. websites what were the deals
"The agreement to accom- that we have entered into,"
modate Chinese construction Gatchalian told dzBB.
workers in the Philippines is Vice President Leni Robre-
unJair and disadvantageous to do also called on Malacaflang
local workers. They might be to be transparent regarding
able to find a way to circum- the new agreements it signed
vent the law," she said. recently with China.
"From Day 1 we have been
Be transparent demanding for transparenry.
Binay and Gatchalian in In fact. this was the third
separate statements welcomed visit of ihe President to China.
the signing of the investment Since his first visit we have
and financing deals witnessed been demanding to see the
by President Duterte, who copies of these agreements,"
altended the Belt and Road Robredo said.
Initiative forum last week in Robredo said the Filipino
Beijing. people must know the reasons
Both senators however why the government signed
urged Malacaflang to disclose these agreements with Beijing.
the full details of the various "First, we are interest-
billion
agreements totaling $12 ed on the terms of agreements.
signed between the Philip- Second, of course we need to
pines and China. know why the government
They said economic manag entered into these agreements.
ers should assure the public How many have started al-
that the country's interests ready, how maly have com-
have been upheld in sign- plied? Because entering into
\P4Q,6 -6ttr
an agreerndrrt is the easiest
part " she said.
Gatchalian, for his part,
pointed out among the sensi-
tiYe issues for Filipinos are
the oil and gas exploration
agreements that the Dpterte
adrninistration may have en-
tered into with state-owned
Chinese firms as these would
surely impinge on the coun-
tly's claim over the West Phil-
ippine Sea.
"If the govemment is trans-
parent, there'll be less suspi-
cion from our countrymen,"
he said.
Gatchalian added the panel
mav soon come orrt with its
inidal findings on its inquiry
into the various loan deals
between the Philippines and
China that many fear are
onerous, disadvantageous,
and plunge the country into a
debt hap.
On the other hand, Speaker
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said
the government should exert
all efforts to rid umecessary
irritants in the implernentation
of Chinese-funded loans to
boost further the administra-
tion's massive infrastructure
program.
"Clearlu the economic ard
trade cooperation between ou.r
two cor.mtries is as good as it has
ever been, better than it has ever
been in fact. The main thing to
focus on now, is on the imple-
mentation sidg" Arroyo told
delegates of Boao Forum for Asia
recently held here in Manila.
The former president and
now leader of the 292-mem-
ber House of Representatives
said the country has to "exert
maximum effort to remove
on-the-ground bottlenecks
that impede implementation
o{ projects that involve trade
and investment groups from
Lnlna.
"Bilateral ties between the
Philippines and China have
reached new heights in recent
years, and this is evident in the
jump in China's investment in
dre Philippines and in China's
becoming the Philippines' No.
1 partner in trade," Arroyo
maintained.
"We (also) need the hard-
ware, and this is where the
Belt and Road InitiatiYe comes
in to providebrick and mortar
in{rastmctures without which
intemational trade and invest-
ments cannot operate," she
added. - With Helen Flores,
Delon Porcalla