Health screenings burden employers
By Rosli Abidin Yahya in Manila

Local entrepreneurs in Brunei who recruit workers from the Philippines as well as individuals employing maids have been burdened with extra costs of about $170 per worker due to the need for the prospective workers to undergo a heath screening from a particular centre in Manila. Employments agents said the need for the workers to be screened at one particular centre in Manila had increased costs of 5,000 pesos ($170) per worker.

They said the workers were not allowed to undergo health screening tests at other health centres, which would cost them only a fraction of the current cost charged by the specified health centre.

"We wondered why the workers needed to go to that particular health centre in Manila when the workers could save expenses by undergoing health certification at other approved centres.

"Furthermore the health certifications obtained there do not exempt them from undergoing another health tests at the Health Screening Centre in Berakas on their arrival in Brunei Darussalam," they said.

They said the workers still needed to go for health checks in Brunei Darussalam even though they have gone through the expensive certification in Manila.

"The expensive Manila tests have increased the cost of hiring foreign workers including domestic maids in Manila.

"We cannot absorb the costs but instead have to pass them on to their prospective employers," they said.

They added that they did not face similar problems in recruiting workers from other countries where they could undergo health certifications from any health centre.

"The problem is why those workers have to undergo health certification at one place only in Manila while other health centres are also able to provide such health certification.

"Other health centres are also legal as they have obtained permission to conduct certifications from the Philippines government," they said.

They hoped the newly-introduced procedure could be changed so Bruneians could continue to employ foreign workers including maids at previous prices.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin