Preventing Domestic Worker Exodus! ... Philippine Lubao Mayor Visits Gyeongbuk Seongju-gun to Encourage Seasonal Workers

The Mayor of Lubao, Philippines (right), and Lee Byung-hwan, the County Governor of Seongju (left), are discussing countermeasures on the 12th to prevent further departure of their workers and to encourage them.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yeo Jong-gu] On the 12th, the Mayor of Lubao City, Pampanga Province, Philippines, visited Seongju County to prevent further departure of Filipino workers and to encourage the workers.

On that day, the Mayor of Lubao City visited the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Assembly to discuss fundamental countermeasures against the departure of seasonal workers.

Previously, Seongju County and Lubao City, Pampanga Province, Philippines, held a non-face-to-face video conference during the COVID-19 period in December last year and signed an MOU for mutual development and coexistence in the agricultural sector.

As a result, 124 foreign seasonal workers were first introduced on April 9 this year, and they have entered the country in four phases, performing various agricultural tasks (such as harvesting and sorting chamoe) at local farms.

However, there have been difficulties due to frequent departures after the introduction of seasonal workers, and to resolve this, the county held a seasonal workers' workshop and a video conference between the Mayor of Lubao and the workers on May 10.

A Seongju County official said, “We expressed our gratitude to Lubao City for sending workers amid the severe labor shortage caused by COVID-19,” and added, “When implementing the foreign seasonal worker program next year, we will strive to establish a system with no departures through various administrative measures and support policies.”

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