The Voice of the Modern Living Heroes

T he Of fici al P u bli ca ti on of Fil i pin o EPS W or kers Ass oc ia ti o n - So u th K o rea (F EW A )

필리핀 EPS
필리핀 ( 외국인 고용허가제)
EPS (외국인 근로자 협회
고용허가제) 공식
근로자 발행
협회 –대
공식 한민국
발행 – 대 한민국
Volume 3 Issue 2 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org NOT FOR SALE

by Benj Del Mundo

the different Filipino organi-

H yewa-dong, Seoul-
The Filipino EPS Work-
ers Association (FEWA) and
zations. They introduced their
activities that provide help to
the Hyewha-dong Filipino migrant workers and gave
Catholic Community (HFCC) their statements and recom-
conducted a forum last mendations in addressing the
February 27, 2011 held at issue on contract extension.
St. Benedict Parish Church
Coffeeshop. The main topic The event was graced with
of the said forum was about the presenters such as Ms.
the extension of term or Gennie Kim (HRD Korea),
sojurn of the EPS Atty. Pill Kyu Hwang (Korea
(Employment Permit Sys- Public Interest Lawyer's
tem) workers here in Korea. Group), Ms. Lee Kyung Sook
(Joint Committee with Mi-
The forum’s objectives grants in Korea), and Philip-
were: 1) gather common pine Labor Attache Atty. Fely
issues and concerns in rela- Bay.
tion to EPS policy; 2) con-
solidate proposals that ad- This year many of the Filipino
dress prevailing issues of workers here in Korea under
workers and; 3) plan out a the EPS will end their con-
campaign for support. tract. The workers are pro-
posing to the Korean govern- Several of the representatives of increase of undocumented workers.
The forum was attended by ment, specifically to the Min- the different Filipino organizations One of the suggestions was for a mi-
more than 100 participants, istry of Labor and Ministry of are calling for the revision of the grant worker to sign a waiver stating
including leaders from Justice, to make revisions on EPS law to prevent the massive he/she does not intend to avail for a
the law. (continued on page 7)

by Ma.Lourdes Espinola

Hyehwa-dong, Seoul –
Officers, members and vol-
unteers of the Filipino EPS
Workers Association (FEWA)
and the SULYAPinoy publi-
cation held an acquaintance
party for the Korean Lan-
guage Test - KLT Batch 6
last Lunar New Year. The
event was started at 2:00
PM that lasted until mid-
night in a Filipino Restau-
rant in Hyehwa-dong last
February 04, 2011.
People and God-centered
Association
It was a simple gathering
with a variety of Filipino OFW-KOREA-2006-001

foods and a sing-a-long that members of the KLT Batch 6 FEWA and SULYAPinoy as President of FEWA to Su-
made the party livelier. to be active and involved. well as its Board Mem- lyapinoy volunteers, Mr. SU LY AP INO Y is
Aside from celebrating the bers, officers and volun- Pete Rahon for his work as T he Off icia l
new year it was also an Mr. Benji Del Mundo, who teers. Certificates of rec- editor-in-chief, and to Ms. P u blica tion of F ilip ino
opportunity to introduce the hosted the program, intro- ognition were given by Mr. Amy Sison-Genova as for- EP S W or ke r s A ssociat ion
organization and at the duced to the newcomers the Marzy Serdeña the mer literary editor. - Sout h K ore a (F EW A )
same time encourage mission and vision of
SULYAPINOY is accepting cash donations for its monthly printing expenses. You may deposit them @ Account # : 1002 640 334730 / Acct Name: Marcelino M. / Bank: Woori Bank - Hyehwa-dong Branch
06 March 2011 who have gained the trust of their Korean employers. Strict age
requirement and the normally long procedure of application for this
group of workers would entail a great loss for the Korean small and
Mr. Jung, Bong Su, Assistant Director medium size businesses.
Ministry of Employment and Labor
Foreign Workforce Policy Division We, therefore, respectfully appeal that the current implementing
regulations of the Act on Foreign Workers’ Employment be re-
Dear Mr. Jung: viewed so that a different procedure and set of req uirements
may be applied to foreign workers who are seeking reemployment
We, the undersigned, Filipino workers and Korean employers un- in Korea, after having completed either the 6 years or 4 years and
der the Employment Permit System (EPS), and members of Fili- ten (10) months period of sojourn under the Employment Permit
pino organizations in Korea, appeal to the office of the Foreign System (EPS).
Workforce Policy Division of the Ministry of Employment and Labor
(MOEL) for kind assistance so that measures that facilitate orderly We further appeal that such set of requirements may not include
re-entry of foreign workers, who have finished 6 years or 4 years (1) the Korean Language Test (KLT)/Test on Proficiency in Korean
and ten (10) months period of stay in Korea under the Employ- (TOPIK), and (2) the age limit of 38 years old.
ment Permit System (EPS) may be implemented.
We further appeal that such set of requirements may include (1)
We fully acknowledge that the Act on Foreign Workers’ Employ- medical certificate, and (2) a certificate of recommendation for re-
ment and its amendments brought forth greater benefits to the employment from the last Korean employer.
foreign workers. However, we also recognized that the current
system for hiring foreign workers needs to include a procedure Lastly, we appeal that the period of waiting for re-entry to Korea,
that is more suitable for workers seeking reemployment in Korea for this type of foreign workers, may be shortened to the minimum
after the completion of their legal stay under the EPS. legal requirement.

We, further, recognized that some of the current requirements for We, the undersigned, plead for your office to render proper consid-
employment in Korea may not be necessary for a foreign worker, eration and action on the above-mentioned appeals so that a more
who has legally worked in Korea for 5 or 6 years; who already sustained and productive working relationship between the foreign
learned Korean language and culture; who have developed and workers and Korean businesses, may be attained.
mastered working skills in Korean factories and industries, and
Signed by:

Name of Workers Location (City/Province) Signature

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

Name of Employers Name of the Company & Business Permit No. Signature

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

_______________________ ________________________ ________________________

(Mangyari lang po na gupitin at ipadala ang napirpamahang pahina na ito sa address na: Appeal of EPS Workers-Sulyapinoy 115-9
Songbuk-gu 1-dong, Songbuk Villa, Seoul, Korea 136-020. O kaya i-scan/kunan ng litrato at i-email sa sulyap.editorialstaff@gmail.com.
Maraming Salamat po!)

2 www.sulyapinoy.org FEBRUARY 2011

 We call on the Korean government to realize that
F irst, I would like to thank Fr. Alvin Parantar
for co-organizing this event with our or-
ganization the Filipino EPS Workers Association
This year many of us are going to finish our
contract but not all of us are planning to go
back home. Korea will be confronted anew with
contract extension is the short term solution; the
long term solution in addressing all these kinds of
labor problems is the issuance of a more compre-
(FEWA). I would like to thank all the resource a big number of undocumented migrant work-
hensive working visa to migrant workers instead.
persons: Philippine Embassy’s LABATT Felicitas ers should it not address this problem and re-
Q. Bay, Mr. Pill Kyu Hwang of the Korea Public vise the law to avert this looming crisis. This
We appeal to the Philippine Embassy and the
Interest Lawyers Group GONGGAM, Ms Lee trend is being confirmed by 90% of our survey
Philippine Overseas Labor Office to actively sup-
Kyungsook of JCMK Joint Committee with Mi- respondents.
port this initiative by migrant workers and con-
grants in Korea, Ms. Gennie, HRD volunteer and
tinue to push the agenda and interests of the
the rest who came to share with us their pre-
OFWs for better working terms with the Korean
cious time in enlightening us on this issue and
government on contract extension. And that this
to all of you friends, colleagues and EPS co-
issue should also be brought up to the Philippine
workers, mga Kababayan, a pleasant and a
President Noynoy Aquino’s support as well.
blessed Sunday afternoon.
We appeal to the Korean Civil Society, the church,
The issue on contract extension has been raised
and other International organizations to help
and discussed at Sulyapinoy Online Forum, A four-year and 10 months contract is not
promote our cause.
many in those discussions are speculations and enough, it is very short. It is not enough time
false rumors that continue to circulate among for us to save and provide for our kids educa-
We appeal to all Filipino migrant workers and the
Filipino migrant workers or Overseas Filipino tion. We proposed that our contract should be
whole of the Filipino community to join us to this
Workers (OFW) particularly EPS workers. So we extended, better still to allow us to work for as
cause.
decided to come-up with an online survey to long as we are capable and our companies need
get the pulse and gauge the perception OFWs us. It is high time that the current EPS law
Marzy Serdeña
on the issue. should be revised and migrant workers should
President, FEWA
be provided with a working visa instead.
27 February 2011
We now have more than 200 respondents of
Hyewha, Seoul, ROK
the survey and in the January 2011 issue of There’s a need to review and update the bilat-
Sulyapinoy, FEWA’s official newsletter, we eral MOU particularly on age limit. We believe
came out with an editorial and initial findings of that the age requirement is a form of discrimi-
the survey. This statement that I am about to nation. Even the Korean government has now a
share in this forum is informed and reflects the law that addresses this issue. International
sentiments of the many Filipino workers anxious norms also discourages this kind of practice.
and concerned of their ending work contract. This age cap should therefore be removed and
allow us to work for as long as we are mentally
We Filipino Migrant Workers came here to Ko- and physically fit to work and remain produc-
rea to realize our dreams of a better life for our tive.
families. Provide good education to our children
and save for a capital to use for business when Our Sajangnims are still in need of us. Our con-
we go back home. Through our remittances our tinued presence will also sustain their busi-
country benefits through the Korean won that nesses productivity and profit. It prevents them
we send. from all the hassles of paper works and addi-
tional burdens of training a new set of workers
We came here to Korea to find a decent job who are unfamiliar with work, culture and lan-
that is lacking in our country. Although we have guage. Recognizing the need for gradual transi-
jobs here but we are confronted with so many tion of work skills transfer of current workers
problems and challenges. In particular, the with the new will be more beneficial and more
Employment Permit System that serves as Ko- practical.
rea’s labor policy still needs a lot of improve-
ment. This law has caused many of our compa- We strongly believe that only through contract
triots to become undocumented because of its extension that Korean government will be able
stringent provisions. Thus, making us migrant to prevent migrant workers from becoming
workers vulnerable to all forms of discrimina- undocumented. Allow us migrant workers to
tion, abuses, and our rights not protected and work for some more time here in Korea. The
guaranteed even for minor errors, defaults and need to implement contract extension is neces-
lapses on the law that most of the time is not sary!
even of our own doing but brought about by
the negligence and lack of knowledge on the We appeal to the Korean government which is
EPS law of our company officials. vested with political powers and will to address
a potential crisis in the increase of undocu-
mented migrant workers.
But despite all these, some of us have shown
loyalty to our companies by working straight for We call on the Korean government to take heed
3-5 years, have proven our skills, resourceful- and listen to the voice of migrant workers. Mi-
ness and initiatives that we have won the admi- grant workers are your partners in developing
ration and confidence of our Sajangnims. Like and sustaining small and medium businesses of
most of us they are now very concerned of the the Korean people. We migrant workers need
future of their medium-small businesses without work, we want to continue working here in
us, well trained and skilled in our jobs as well Korea. We want to work and be respected with
as familiar with the Korean language and cul- our rights as decent and documented migrant
ture. workers.

FEBRUARY 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org 3

 By Rhean R. Delos Reyes

Remember that these are promotional ideas and

As for those men and women who have not re- social fads, so the list may change from one year to

H
ceived anything in February or March, they can join the next. Watch out for marketing adverts that will
ave you ever wondered what Koreans meant other singles in eating black bean paste noodles or
by Red Day, White Day and Black Day? give you the clue as to which theme will be next so
jjajangmyun 짜장면 which are usually served at you can prepare your gifts or sonmul 선물 for your
chinese restaurants around the country during April
These so-called ‘love’ days are not official nor tradi- 14th or the Black Day. loved ones. 
tional holidays in Korea. It is possible that these
concepts were earlier coined by young people or The difference between Korea and Western coun-
tries is that these practices and gift-giving are gener- Source: www.korea4expats.com
university students, and were then picked up on by
marketers or product advertisers. The whole prac- ally limited to unmarried people in their 20’s.
If you missed these special days in February, March * Note: The idea of White Day, however, is of Japa-
tice may have also started from celebrating Valen- and April, here are the rest of the ‘love day’ themes nese origin and was first celebrated in Japan in
tine’s Day on February 14. that you might want to keep in mind: 1978. It was started by Japan’s National Confec-
tionery Industry Association as an answer to Valen-
For Koreans, February 14th is the day for women to May 14th - Rose Day tine’s Day. But this time, (Japanese) men should
give chocolate to men, and is popularly called as Red June 14th - Kiss Day
July 14th - Silver Day pay back the women who gave them chocolates
Day. From early February, we begin to see specially- August 14th - Green Day and other gifts on February 14 by giving them
packed chocolates in almost every store including September 14th - Music Day white chocolate, jewelry, or even white clothing
coffee shops, department and convenience stores, October 14th - Wine Day (usually lingerie). The reason why it was called
etc. Although Valentine’s Day signs are seen every- November 14th - Movie Day “White Day” is because the color of sugar (white) is
where in February, it is on March 14th known as December 14th - Hug Day
January 14th - Candle Day the main ingredient for candy which was tradition-
White Day* that men are expected to reciprocate ally given on this day.
with non-chocolate candy to the woman/women
who remembered them the previous month. Con-
sequently, you will see all kinds of candy display at The writer/researcher, Rhean R. Delos Reyes, is a
the same places where you saw the chocolates in graduate student at Hanguk University of Foreign
February. Studies (HUFS) in Seoul, and a member of Filipino
Photographers in South Korea or FILIPOS.

Photo from Yeinjee.com

FEWAnians’ Take on Contract Extension

by Maria Lourdez Espinola
to come up with a unified
Here are some of the opinions and sugges- wala pang masyadong naipon may But for the majority of the OFWs,
statement as well. Whatever
tions of Filipino EPS Workers Association’s oras pa para makaipon, at para na rin the main problem is that they do
the result of this appeal, let
(FEWA) Board Members regarding the sa mga pamilya na umaasa sa atin sa not plan properly. So, staying
us all remind ourselves that
contract extension issue: Pilipinas. Pero kung wala na talaga, longer here will not always be
we still need to respect the
tanggapin na lang natin ng maluwag enough.
Korean law in the end.
Benji Del Mundo: Signing a waiver, but the sa ating loob. Sana naman ang
problem, it is not that easy to make the gobyerno natin ay magkaroon naman The above statements were the
Lastly, let us always be ready
Korean government to agree in signing a ng programa na maaring makatulong views of some of FEWA’s board
for other options. Let us go
waiver. It is not like a credit with collateral sa mga papauwing OFWs galing dito members during the Forum on EPS
back and remind ourselves of
but it’s worth giving a try. Or maybe revise sa Korea, nang sa gayon may pag- contract extension held last Febru-
our plans before coming here
the law of the EPS. Why not try the law kaabalahan naman tayo paguwi na ary 27, 2011.
to Korea. Most of us know
that is applied and practiced in the Middle makatulong sa ating pangkabuhayan. that we are just given a 3-
East. Every 2 years a contract is signed by There is no harm in appealing to
year contract. There will
the employee and the employer. So let’s Alwyin Casiño: The extension is not the Korean Government which will
always be life after Korea as
air some possible solutions. the solution for all migrant workers both benefit the employers and the
long as we have a clear vi-
here in South Korea. My advice to all EPS workers. It is hoped that this sion and action plan.
Norman Matudan: Sa aking sariling opin- the new migrant workers coming issue will be raised in pure humility
yon tama lang na magkaroon tayo ng here is to please build your plan for a and diplomacy to have a better
FEWA would like to thank all
iisang tinig upang ipaalam o ipabatid sa good future. I know the longer the leverage with the Korean govern-
the Filipino communities who
Korean goverment ang ating ninanais o time that you stay here the more ment. FEWA believes that OFWs’
actively participated in the
saloobin, lalung-lalo na kung gusto pa sacrifices you make just to earn more voices will be much stronger if we forum. It was a proof of
nating magkaroon ng ekstensyon sa pag- money. reach out to other workers and
Filipino solidarity.
tatrabaho. Hindi sapat ang ibinigay nilang Embassies with an EPS agreement
taon para tayo makaipon. Karamihan sa
ating mga OFW ang tumatayong bread
winners ng ating pamilya o di naman kaya
may mga pinapaaral. Hindi lang sana ex-
tension of visa ang maisulong kundi mag-
bigyan tayo ng visa na pwede tayong
magtrabaho hangga’t kaya natin gaya ng
ibang bansa para na rin mabawasan ang
pagkakaroon ng illegal workers dito sa
Korea. Nawa'y matugunan ang ating pan-
gangailangan.

Paul Adeva: Ok sana kung merong exten-

sion dahil pabor na pabor sa mga matata-
pos na ang contract this year, para kung

4 www.sulyapinoy.org FEBRUARY 2011

 One Lonely heart In the house of Highs
In the Garden of Highs All angels will arise
Waiting for the Angel and For the time have come
Wondering on why. And the two souls
by airlinehunk24 unite…
One Single Soul
On the distant apart For I, the humble guy
Searching for an answer Knell before u as a truly
Questioning on Why.. man
Joseph is my name.
For I, not a prince As your Prince that
With our riches and gold comes by…
A humble and a smiley guy
That makes your heart cry.. I lay my heart of all the
angels
For You, an Angel Standing here as your
A Sadly soul from apart Guardian Angel
A day gone bye I’ll keep the time
Time will comes by… For the Two Destined
Heart…
Time will tell for the
Two destined hearts Forever and Always to be
Two souls, Become one apart..
That makes them apart…

FEBRUARY 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org 5

The following is the message of President Benigno S. Aquino III on the
commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the People Power Revolution:
My warmest greetings to all the Filipinos around the world, as we com-
memorate the 25th Anniversary of the People Power Revolution.

We Filipinos continue to demonstrate the same ideals of unity and patriot-

ism that freed us from oppression 25 years ago. These values embody our
determination to tackle the challenges of today. Thus, this celebration is not
only a day to remember, but also a day to affirm our duty to our fellow
Filipinos and to our country. I am grateful for our countrymen abroad who
have been keenly following the course of our country's progress and have
remained proud of our multifaceted heritage, which defines our identity as
one people. Now that we are in a period of transformation, let us keep alive
the spirit of People Power and democracy, as we work together and fulfill
our aspiration of a peaceful and progressive Philippines.

We are moving forward in this era of daylight and hope, and it is incumbent
upon each of us to take on the responsibility of realizing our dreams for our
beloved country on the straight and righteous path to change.

BENIGNO S. AQUINO III (Sgd.)

(Source - http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/ann_details.asp?id=400)

6 www.sulyapinoy.org FEBRUARY 2011

 EDITOR’ S
NOTE

EPS Notes By Gennie Kim

The following Q & A were raised with a certified public labor lawyer belonging to a foreign employment support team

1. How true are these rumors about a 2 year extension for those who will finish their 6- year contract?

Answer(A): We have not heard of them and there are no official order yet on the extension. These rumors are being spread by brokers
and this is illegal. So migrant workers should be more careful when approached by these syndicates.

2. What should be done by those who have finished their 6 years contract and wanting to come back?
A: They have to repeat the same process like the first time they applied.

3. Why are workers not allowed to be re-hired back by their previous companies?
A: We are following the standard contract as stipulated on the EPS. We are also concerned about the interest of our country especially
the increase of crimes, drugs, etc. Also, we still need more time to be more open with foreign labor.

4. What are the reasons for the delay of applicants getting an employer/job even if their names are already in the rooster of HRD-
Korea?
A: It all depends on the employer. Once applicant’s names are submitted to HRD-Korea their names are then passed to the Labor Office.
They have the list the companies who are in need Filipino workers. Then Labor will provide the list of all the applicants including their
photo and profile to the employer. The employer will choose from among the list of workers available. Labor does not have any say on
the selection; it is up to the employer to pick their choice.

If before the policy was, below 10 employees are not included for severance insurance or toejigeum as per labor code, this is now
changed. Currently from 5 and above employees are now entitled to claim their severance insurance pay.

As an example on how to calculate the last 3 months of salary upon completing your contract for your services from January 1, 2005 to
January 1, 2008
2005~ 2006
2005 October KRW 1,200,000
2005 November KRW 1,100,000
2005 December KRW 1,000,000
2006 October KRW 1,200,000
2006 November KRW 1,100,000
2006 December KRW 1,000,000
2007 October KRW 1,200,000
2007 November KRW 1,100,000
2007 December KRW 1,000,000

The highlighted amount is x 3 the total of severance fee: KRW 3,600,000 this is the net amount of the salary not the gross amount.
Even undocumented workers have the right to claim their toejigeum. For questions and assistance please email Gennie Kim at
gennie0329@gmail.com.
( continued from page 1)

permanent residency so as to be was formed to finalize and

allowed to work on a long term and 10 months is not enough Participants of the forum agreed come up with a campaign plan
basis, since it is perceived that time to have their dreams mate- to explore on campaigning for to implement the output and
the short term employment for rialize. Another contention raised three options: (1) Extension of suggestions from the forum.
foreigners is due to the immigra- was the age limit set for appli- Term, (2) Visa conversion from E (Ed note: Please refer to page
tion policy of allowing immigrants cants at 38 years old. It prevents -9 to F-2, and the (3) Formula- 5 and support the Appeal of
to avail citizenship if they have those older in age but still physi- tion of different requirements for the Filipino Workers and Ko-
stayed in Korea for a period of cally and mentally fit to avail for those re-applying for work to rean Employers under the
more than five years. Most work- work in Korea. EPS workers be- Korea, after having completed 6 Employment Permit System
ers also complained that the 6 lieve that these kinds of policies years or 5 years term under the (EPS) and the Filipino Organi-
years and, for others, 4 years should be the subject for revision. EPS. An Ad Hoc Committee zations in Korea).

FEBRUARY 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org 7