FILIPINOS IN SINGAPORE HIT FOR GETTING THE JOBS News item from Katherine Visconti, Rappler, Singapore.

FILIPINOS IN SINGAPORE HIT FOR GETTING THE JOBS

One of the top destinations for Filipino workers is Singapore, with its expanding work force and companies preferring to hire Filipinos. 
But there's a growing anti-foreigner sentiment and the government is clamping down on non-Singaporean workers ... because of popular demand.

Katherine Visconti reports.
The lines are always out the door at the first Jollibee in Singapore.
You'd never know a group of Singaporeans online called for a boycott of the Philippines most popular fast food restaurant.
The petition condemns the chain for prioritizing Filipinos for jobs over Singaporeans.
Jollibee denies this.

KATHERINE VISCONTI, REPORTING: It’s normal to see a line like this one waiting to get into line. The real question is, how long will this last?
The Singapore government is making it more difficult to hire foreign workers.
It's slapping higher fees on employers who hire foreigners in some sector.
Come July, it's lowering the percentage of new foreign service workers from 45% to 40% of a company's work force.
Employers must start paying a higher minimum salary for mid-level workers.
And renewing work applications is now more difficult.

MINDA CALAGUIAN-CRUZ, PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE: It’s very difficult now. There are many companies who want to hire Filipinos but the problem is getting the work passes for them.
Overseas Filipino workers in Singapore like Liz Peruda are feeling the pinch.

Her husband’s work pass wasn’t approved. He visits her when he can and is looking for work in the Philippines.
LIZ PERUDA, APPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE: For Filipinos, even if we hold a good job, even if we hold a high-ranking job, even us, we’re scared. When it’s time to renew our passes, we’ll have that 10% chance that it might not get approved. We’re just really taking advantage of whatever time we have here in Singapore.”
The restrictions come as many Singaporeans worry that foreigners are taking their jobs and lowering their wages.
ARUN MAHIZHNAN, SPECIAL RESEARCH ADVISOR, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE: It’s important to understand this entire problem in the context in which it is worrying Singaporeans. That is that Singaporeans must come first and if they’re unable or unwilling then it is ok to bring in foreigners.
Some residents blame foreigners for raising property prices and putting too much strain on existing infrastructure.
Yet this mega city also needs foreigners to keep it running and take jobs Singaporeans don’t want.

The Singaporean population is aging, getting wealthier and has a low birth rate, making foreign workers crucial to help bare the load.
To address this, Singapore's government proposed a boost in immigration from 6.5 to 6.9 million by 2030 to boost the population.
This was met by loud protests from Singaporeans-- who are not known to be passionate as a people.
ARUN MAHIZHNAN, SPECIAL RESEARCH ADVISOR, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE: When the number 6.9 million was put into the public discourse, they were shocked.

Singapore's strength has always been its foresight and planning. 
Now it needs to find a solution that responds to both public clamor and economic reality.


Katherine Visconti, Rappler, Singapore.