LOCAL companies are encouraged to hire Filipino workers first. This, as the number of Chinese workers in the Philippines is growing.

Filipino-Cebuano Business Club Inc. (FCBI) president Rey Calooy believes there are still a lot of unemployed Filipinos in the country who have qualified skill sets that local businesses could bank on.

Calooy’s statement stemmed from reports of growing Chinese workers in the Philippines--one of the direct results of the country’s warming relationship with China, one the world’s big economic powerhouses.

Most of these Chinese workers are employed in offshore gaming, which is an emerging sector. Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) showed there are 138,000 foreign nationals working for Philippine online gaming operators.

Asked if there is an influx of the Chinese workers in the local business scene, the FCBI official said most of Chinese nationals in the province are business owners and not workers.

“Wala pa ta kadungog ana. Unya og naa man gani dili sad ta mo-hire ana kay it’s a great insult to our unemployed Filipino workers. Gawas kung maingon nato nga pareha nata’g Singapore, nga dato na kay ta nga country nga wala na gyud manarbaho kay halos tanan asenso naman (We haven’t heard reports like that and if there are, we won’t hire them because it is a great insult to our unemployed Filipino workers. Unless, we’re like Singapore or any rich country where no one works because almost all are living in good conditions),” Calooy told SunStar Cebu.

Calooy said companies, mostly contractors, are free to hire other nationalities considering the language barrier and if these foreign nationalities have advanced capabilities compared to Filipinos. They can also hire foreign workers if they need people with specialized skill sets.

“If they’re a Chinese or Japanese contractor, they’ll bring workers who can execute their plans. They are more comfortable communicating, language-wise,” he said.

Foreign nationalities seeking employment in the Philippines must secure a special working permit from the BI or an alien employment permit from the Dole. The government is currently crafting a tighter policy on issuing work permits to foreign workers.

On Labor Day, May 1, Calooy also highlighted the need for performance-based incentives to employees.

“They’ll get inspired and motivated in the incentive scheme,” he said, adding that besides the standard benefits and salaries workers receive, incentives and allowances also fuel their work performance. (JOB)