Philippine senator tours Taiwan's I-Mei Foods, greets Filipino workers

菲律賓議員參觀台灣義美食品，問候菲律賓工人

Risa Hontiveos visited Taiwan to understand living situation of Filipino workers in the country


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — This week, Risa Hontiveos, a senator from the Philippines, visited Taiwan to consult with officials on the well-being and livelihood of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan.

On Thursday (May 11), Hontiveos took a tour of I-Mei Foods’ manufacturing plant in Taoyuan’s Nankan area. At the factory, she was greeted warmly by some of I-Mei’s Filipino workers and she observed how the company manages its food production line.

Hontiveos has developed an international reputation as a strong human rights advocate. In 2005, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to promoting education, gender equality, worker’s rights, mental health awareness, and for her efforts to combat corruption in business and politics.

She visited Taiwan this week with a seven-person delegation to look into the status of Filipino workers in the country. There are over 150,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, mostly in factories and as caregivers.

On Thursday morning, Hontiveos made a stop at the Catholic non-profit organization Friends of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, where she spoke with representatives of the Filipino community in central Taipei. The senator and the representatives discussed the needs and difficulties of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan.

In the afternoon, Hontiveos made a visit to the I-Mei Foods factory. I-Mei has been a regular employer of Filipino workers since it first hired 50 Filipinos in 1993. Since then, I-Mei has developed a strong relationship with government agencies in the Philippines and its municipalities.

In recent years, the company has conducted regular recruitment drives in the country to recruit new workers directly from their hometowns. Over the past 30 years, Filipino workers have become an integral part of I-Mei’s workforce and the company’s success.

Hontiveos made the visit to I-Mei because the company recently completed its third overseas recruitment drive in the Philippines at the end of April.

Hontiveos was delighted to meet the Filipino workers at the factory, some of whom prepared a dance routine to welcome the senator. She was very impressed with I-Mei’s commitment to making environmentally safe and sustainable products.

One Filipino manager, Bae Jhoan Aleman, explained how the company’s production line made fresh English muffins. Hontiveos sampled a muffin and said that she was happy to see Filipino workers reach management level positions within the company.

Hontiveos said that she was proud to see Filipinos showcase their “Philippine Power” as part of the workforce in Taiwan. She finished the day with a positive impression of I-Mei’s kindness as an employer and congratulated the company on the success of its most recent recruitment drive in the Philippines.

NOTE: This report is based on a Taiwan News Mandarin language report. I-Mei Foods Company owns the Taiwan News media company.