00:00A farmhand job need not be drudgery or one that pays pittance on or slave wages.
00:06And Filipinos need not travel to California's Central Valley or the Kibbutzim in Israel
00:10or the EU for good-paying jobs doing farm work.
00:14Oddly enough, South Korea is the place of choice right now for decent-paying farmhand work,
00:19as our Bien Vinnie Manalo reports.
00:21Helen Relojero is one of the 47 Pinoy's scheduled to fly this November to South Korea.
00:30This is her fourth time returning there.
00:32She works there as a seasonal farmer on a strawberry farm.
00:35Their salaries range from 60 to 70,000 pesos to as high as 100,000 pesos or even more with overtime pay.
00:43Sabi po nila, expect the unexpected.
00:46Kasi po, hindi ka po babae, hindi ka po lalaki doon.
00:49Pantay-pantay po ang trabaho. Magbubuhat ka ng lupa, magbubuhat ka ng mabigat na strawberry na gagapasin mo.
00:57She was a private school teacher in the Philippines for seven years,
01:01but she chose to be a seasonal farmer in South Korea also because of the higher pay.
01:05She learned basic Korean language and obtained a farmer certification from the Department of Agriculture,
01:11which is required for the Java.
01:13In Helen's case, her employer extended her contract by eight months instead of five.
01:17She was lucky to go to an employer who considers them as a family.
01:21Mas pinalawak pa po ng DMW kasi sa DMW, maraming ahensya ang kasama namin.
01:29Marami po kaming mga makukuhang benefits like pinoprotektahan po yung mga rights namin.
01:35The Department of Migrant Workers and the Government of Korea have approved a joint memorandum
01:40on the implementation of the Seasonal Workers Program.
01:43It aims to ensure the implementation of the Seasonal Workers Program for Filipino.
01:48Temporary workers working in South Korea is orderly, safe, and legal.
01:52Under the program, Filipinos can work during times when demand is high in the agricultural sector.
01:57Under the program, Filipinos can work during times when demand is high in the agricultural sector.
02:03Their contracts will last up to five months, in which they can earn up to 60,000 pesos.
02:08The hiring process usually starts every October, the start of harvest period, and the cooler season.
02:14DMW partners with various government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture
02:19and the Department of Justice, as part of a whole-of-government approach.
02:23It will promote a transparent process of recruitment, training, documentation, monitoring,
02:28and welfare assistance to workers and their families.
02:31This joint memorandum to be signed this morning is a product of no less than the President's mandate
02:38to have a whole-of-government approach, whole-of-society approach,
02:44in creating orderly pathways for work opportunity in specific segments of Korean industries.
02:51Meanwhile, the DMW is cooperating with the Department of Justice in its ongoing investigation,
02:57or more than 15 brokers allegedly involved in the illegal recruitment of seasonal workers.
03:02So far, they have filed for lawsuits in court, and if they are proven to be violations,
03:07they could face lifetime imprisonment.
03:10Still, we are asking them to ensure na walang brokers on the ground.
03:16Dahil kung meron mga brokers or some illegal arrangements on the ground,
03:22hindi namin pinaprocess yung mga workers coming from that LGUS.
03:26The DMW will also issue permanent guidelines to efficiently organize the recruitment process
03:31to prevent all types of fraud.
03:33BN Manalo, from the National TV Network, for a new and better Philippines.
