The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said China will likely be more in defiance of predominantly hiring Filipinos for the local projects it has funded, in light of a pending bill calling for priority hiring of Filipinos.
“China will probably negotiate and bargain hard,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia was quoted in a BusinessWorld article as saying.
“They (China) are probably going to be more resistant to it,” he added.
Senate Bill No. 2223, drafted by NEDA and sponsored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, mandates foreign bidders or contract awardees funded by official development assistance to hire Filipino workers for manual, technical and other labor needs.
“Ordinary Filipino workers are deprived of the opportunity to work and partake in the benefits of the loans that Filipino taxpayers will be paying for,” Gatchalian said.
The lawmaker said he hopes the bill could be passed before the end of the 17th Congress
