WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Administration to afford utmost protection to Overseas Filipino Workers;

WHEREAS, the recruitment of workers for Taiwan is generally coursed through Taiwan manpower agents licensed by the Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs;

WHEREAS, the Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has issued a regulation on "Revised Fees Chargeable by Employment Agencies" which stipulates cost items to be shouldered by employers and workers and which allows the registration fee and placement fee to be set by the sending country;

WHEREAS, under said rule, Taiwan agents are allowed to charge the so-called on-site service fee from foreign workers to defray cost of services rendered;

WHEREAS, the POEA and the MECO Labor Center have conducted several consultations with the recruitment industry including NGOs and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), on the proposed fee schedule for the Taiwan labor market;

WHEREAS, the private sector Industry associations in the Philippines and Taiwan have agreed on a fee schedule to be charged to the Filipino worker and the MECO has recommended to POEA the recognition of such agreement;

WHEREAS, the Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs has requested the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment and other governments of countries sending workers to Taiwan to help resolve the issue on excessive collection of broker's fee;

WHEREAS, there is a need to rationalize recruitment and on-site costs for Filipino workers bound for Taiwan;

NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA Governing Board, in a meeting duly convened, hereby resolves to issue the following guidelines relative to the fee structure for the Taiwan labor market for the information of all concerned:

1. The placement fee to be collected by Philippine recruitment agencies from the workers shall be maintained at one month salary, exclusive of documentation cost, and shall be collected only upon signing of the employment contract.
   
   
2. The worker's documentation cost shall include cost of passport, NBI clearance, medical examination, medicare premium, trade testing (if necessary) and visa (if not paid by the employer).
   
   Other than the above charges, there shall be no other fees to be collected from the worker, including airfare costs.
   
   For Industrial/Construction Workers:
   
   
3. The worker shall shoulder the cost of the Alien Registration Certificate and the semiannual medical examination in Taiwan, if same is not paid by the employer.
   
   
4. Taiwan manpower agencies may charge a total registration fee in the amount of NT$42,000 to be paid in seven (7) equal monthly installments through salary deduction from the 1st to the 7th month of the worker's employment, without interest.
   
   
5. Taiwan manpower agencies may also charge the worker the amount of NT$12,000 as annual on-site handling fee to be paid in two (2) equal installments through salary deduction, for various services rendered by the Taiwan manpower agency while the worker is in Taiwan.
   
   The handling fee for the first year shall be paid on the 8th and 9th month of employment.  The handling fee for the second year shall be paid on the 10th and 11th  month of the worker's employment.  The third year handling fee shall be paid on the 23rd and 24th month of the worker's employment.  Such fees shall be subject to refund in case of non-exten­sion of employment.
   
   For Household Workers/Caretakers:
   
   
6. The employer shall shoulder the cost of Alien Registration Certificate and the semi-annual medical examination in Taiwan.
   
   
7. Taiwan manpower agencies may charge a registration fee m the amount of NTS20,000 to be paid in five (5) equal monthly installments through salary deduction from the 1st to the 5th month of the worker's employment, without the interest
   
   
8. Taiwan manpower agencies may also charge the worker the amount of NTS12, 000 as annual on-site handling fee to be paid in three (3) equal installments through salary deduction, for various services rendered by the Taiwan manpower agency while the worker is in Taiwan.
   
   The handling fee for the first year shall be paid on the 6th to the 8th month of employment.  The handling fee for the second year shall be paid on the 9th to the 11th month of the worker's employment.  The third year handling fee shall be paid on the 22nd to the 24th month of the worker's employment.  Such fees shall be subject to refund in case of non-extension of employment.

The above registration and on-site handling fee is applicable only to workers hired through Taiwan manpower agencies registered/accredited by the POEA.  It shall not apply to workers hired by Taiwanese employers without the participation of a Taiwanese manpower agency.

The above fee structure shall be subject to continuing review by the government in consultation with the Taiwan CLA and the private industry sector and its counterparts in Taiwan.

This Resolution shall take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 05 March 2001

(SGD.) PATRICIA A. STO. TOMAS Secretary of Labor and Employment and Chairman of the Board
(SGD.) VICENTE F. ALDANESE	(SGD.) GREGORIO S. OCA
Member	Member
(SGD.) EZEKIEL T. ALUNEN	(SGD.) REYNALDO A. REGALADO
Member	Member