Muan-gun Welcomes 54 Seasonal Workers from the Philippines

Published 06 Apr.2023 09:43(KST)

Fifteen Farms Assigned for Labor Support in Onion and Sweet Potato Cultivation

54 Filipino workers participating in the first half of the foreign seasonal worker program arrived at Incheon Airport on the 5th, announced Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Kim San).

According to the county on the 6th, the foreign seasonal worker program is a system that allows foreigners to work for 90 days or 5 months in industries that require intensive labor for a short period due to seasonality, aimed at alleviating labor shortages in rural areas.

On the 5th, 54 Filipino seasonal workers arrived through Incheon Airport. <br>[Photo by Muan-gun]

On the 5th, 54 Filipino seasonal workers arrived through Incheon Airport.
[Photo by Muan-gun]

In Muan-gun, 54 workers arrived in the first half of this year following 107 workers last year through a business agreement with Silang City, Philippines.

The 54 foreign seasonal workers assigned to fifteen farms this first half are expected to greatly help ease labor shortages during the busy farming season, such as onion harvesting and sweet potato planting.

On the 5th, the seasonal workers received training on labor standards, human rights protection, and compliance requirements together with their employer farms at the Seungdal Culture and Arts Center, and will then be deployed to farms to engage in agricultural work.

Accompanying the arrival were the mayor of Silang, Philippines, and five officials who inspected and encouraged the working conditions of the seasonal workers, showing great interest. Going forward, both parties agreed to expand various exchange and cooperation projects beyond agricultural personnel exchanges.

Governor Kim San stated, “The seasonal workers from the Philippines will greatly contribute to the agricultural development of Muan-gun,” adding, “We will strictly adhere to labor standards and human rights protection to ensure the foreign seasonal worker program is well established and sustainable.”

Meanwhile, Muan-gun is preparing to introduce a system in the second half of 2023 that invites family and relatives of marriage immigrants residing in the area, based on applications from farms. Additionally, the county plans to further expand the foreign seasonal worker program, having signed an MOU with Mongolia in the first half of the year.