Taipei:The Philippines has inaugurated its largest overseas Filipino worker (OFW) service center in Taipei, with plans to establish additional centers in central and southern Taiwan over the next two years, as announced by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
According to Focus Taiwan, the OFW Global Center-Taipei is the third facility of its kind globally, following those in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, and is the largest to date. Located in the Manila Economic and Cultural Office building in Taipei's Neihu District, the center offers a one-stop hub for Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan to access government services and welfare assistance without needing to return to the Philippines.
The facility is equipped with training spaces, a café with free coffee, a karaoke room, and areas for government services. It also plans to offer Mandarin classes, financial literacy programs, computer and artificial intelligence training, and courses on content creation and entrepreneurship. OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan emphasized the importance of skills for protecting migrant workers and providing new career opportunities or business ventures upon their return to the Philippines.
Caunan also addressed the emotional challenges faced by migrant workers separated from their families, noting that the center will offer counseling and social interaction opportunities to alleviate homesickness. Filipino workers are encouraged to use the center's facilities, including the café, to make themselves comfortable.
Looking to expand the service network, Caunan mentioned plans to open similar centers in Taichung and Kaohsiung within two years, with feasibility studies currently underway.
MECO Chairperson Corazon Avecilla-Padiernos highlighted the Philippine government's commitment to supporting its overseas citizens, emphasizing the importance of keeping government care and support accessible to Filipinos abroad.
Among those who welcomed the new center was Geraldine G. Domingo, a Taipei-based caregiver who has worked in Taiwan for 12 years. She praised the center's convenience and expressed interest in the Mandarin classes. Judith Vidal Mendoza, another caregiver, emphasized the importance of having access to Philippine government services for document processing while living abroad.
By the end of August, Taiwan was home to approximately 191,000 Filipino blue-collar migrant workers, including over 61,000 in Taipei, New Taipei, and Taoyuan, According to Ministry of Labor.
