DO you know that Taiwan is a popular destination for Filipinos looking for jobs overseas? Not only because of the higher pay to be had there but also because of the proximity, tropical climate, familiar cuisine and other cultural similarities, Taiwan is an attractive place of work to many. Based on the latest statistics of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), more than 41,000 newly hired and rehired Filipino workers left for Taiwan as of end-2013, 22 percent higher than the Filipino jobseekers five years before. Given the increasing trend from 2009 to 2013, it won’t be surprising to know that the number of Taiwan-bound workers has grown by the end of 2014.
Among the many requirements to obtain a work visa for Taiwan is the Unified Multipurpose ID (UMID) issued by the Social Security System (SSS). I suppose the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in Manila finds the UMID a reliable identification card, with biometrics that assures Teco officials of the true identity of the working-visa applicant. However, the SSS has informed that it is “currently experiencing delay in the UMID card production, as the card printing is temporarily suspended due to the ongoing acquisition of the UMID card-printing services.” Considering the urgent needs of Filipinos applying for work in Taiwan, the SSS has made representations with the Teco to accept the SSS certification in lieu of the UMID card for Taiwan-bound members, and the Teco has graciously acceded to the request.
Hence, the SSS has issued an advisory for Taiwan-bound workers as follows:
- Only Taiwan-bound members who applied from December 10, 2014, onward, or those with earlier applications that had passed fingerprint investigation, will be issued the certifications.
- Authorized representatives or liaison officers of recruitment agencies are allowed to request for certifications on behalf of their Taiwan-bound clients.
- Taiwan-bound members with pending UMID card applications can file their request for certificates at any SSS branch until May 15, 2015.
- The SSS certification will be issued after two working days from receipt of the request at the SSS POEA branch.
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For more information about the SSS and its programs, call our 24-hour call center at (632) 920-6446 to 55, Monday to Friday, or send an e-mail to member_relations@sss.gov.ph.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the Social Security System. Send comments about this column to susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.