The Senate is probing the presence of allegedly illegal Chinese workers at the former Clark Airbase in Pampanga who were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration last November 25.
The public hearing starting Wednesday will be conducted by the Senate Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Committee chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva who expressed alarm over the rising number of illegal foreign workers in the Philippines.
More than 1,300 allegedly illegal Chinese workers were apprehended in a resort and casino complex at the Clark Freeport Zone and it is said to be the “biggest single arrest of illegal aliens” by the BI.
Officials from the BI, Department of Labor and Employment, and Philippine National Police will be invited to attend the hearing.
“These illegal foreign workers are displacing our Filipino workers. DoLE should implement strong monitoring policies for migrant workers to control this influx,” Villanueva said in Senate Resolution 242 that he filed and sought the probe.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines estimated that as of 2015 that there are over 3,500 illegal foreign workers in the country. The number has been projected to increase over the years if their entry is not controlled and addressed.
The labor group said undocumented foreign workers in the country are employed commonly in construction, manufacturing, electronics, and services industries in Metro Manila, Central Visayas, Davao region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bataan, and Batangas.
“The huge number of illegal Chinese workers arrested in Clark signifies the growing bulk of undocumented workers across the country. This already calls for an immediate action by our government authorities as this might bring serious implications in our labor situation,” Villanueva pointed out. (MARIO B. CASAYURAN)