Being a Taiwan factory worker has its shares of advantages and disadvantages, just like anywhere else. Taiwan hires Filipino domestic helpers and factory workers because of diligence at work and the affordability of labor costs.
For those who are interested in working in Taiwan but unsure if it’s an excellent destination to pursue a life abroad, we have a few nuggets of information that may enlighten OFW hopefuls in their aim to go overseas for work.
Advantages as a Taiwan Factory Worker
Taiwan is near the Philippines
Taiwan is just located north of the Philippines, and its capital Taipei is only an hour 45 minutes from Manila by air. This is an advantage in many ways: closer to family and more comfortable to travel with more frequent flights (Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines serve Taipei and Manila with multiple trips each day) and shorter traveling time. Since it belongs to the same timezone as the Philippines, there is no need to adjust when to communicate with families back home.
Free accommodation helps your savings
Some factories offer free dormitories to accommodate workers. That means the Filipino worker can save a substantial amount that would have gone to lodging expenses for savings and other fees. Also, even if they need to pay for living quarters, workers are usually within the premises of the factory, which saves them from transport costs. Factories are equipped with affordable canteen food which may be cheaper than an outdoor fast food outlet.

Larger cities have a vibrant Filipino community
There are around 78,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, with close to 70% of them working in the manufacturing sector. The Filipino community is dynamic, with events like Taipei-Manila Workers’ Fun Day holding games and prizes. Large Filipino communities can be found in Taipei, Hsinchu, Taoyuan, Yilan, and Hualien. There are also Filipino shops that sell Filipino delicacies, phone cards, and other essential items to an overseas Filipino worker.
Taiwan has the well-maintained public infrastructure
Transportation is efficient and affordable. Broadband Internet connections are also easily accessible. Taiwan is blessed with good food and plenty of places to visit during days off.
Factory workers earn higher with overtime pay
During peak manufacturing seasons, when demand for Taiwan electronic export is high, factory workers may be asked to take overtime jobs with payment. Those willing and able have the potential to earn more than their basic salary. This translates to more income for hardworking factory workers.
Disadvantages of Working as a Taiwan Factory Worker
High placement fee collected from applicants
One of the most significant downsides of going to work in Taiwan is the notoriously high placement fees. In the past, it is equivalent can reach up to a staggering P150,000. But earlier this year, local recruiters agreed that it be reduced to a much more manageable amount.
It is prone to political instability
Taiwan remains a renegade province in the eyes of China despite warming straits relations in its current leadership. The government has been criticized for its ineffectiveness in past disasters; its failure to immediately address the impact of typhoons such as typhoon Morakot in 2009 dented the government’s popularity and led to a cabinet reshuffle. Its recent diplomatic row with the Philippines relating to a shooting incident has halted the deployment of Filipino workers for a period.
Taiwan is not immune to natural disasters
Since Taiwan is in the same region in the Pacific as the Philippines, it also suffers the same fate when it comes to typhoons and tropical depressions. Humidity during the summer season can also cause discomfort outdoors. Taiwan is also within the Pacific ring of fire region, which makes it prone to earthquakes. In February 2018, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Hualien killed two people.
Possible lack of coordination from government
When a Filipino worker in Taiwan allegedly committed suicide, the family complained of delay of investigation findings. While such cases may be rare and isolated, such a possibility can occur between countries that use different systems. This could even deteriorate with the unfortunate incident at Balintang Channel.
Filipinos face the risk of racism
As a repercussion of the incident that left a Taiwanese fisherman dead, OFWs in Taiwan have suffered different forms of racism from individual citizens of Taiwan. They include physical and verbal attacks hurled against Filipino workers shortly after that shooting incident. However, the situation has since improved.
Workers are subject to wage taxes
Workers are required to pay fees for the income they earn while working in Taiwan. That means workers need to allocate the amount in their budget to pay for fees. Even overtime pay is taxed.
Conclusion
Working in Taiwan has its share of ups and downs, just like any other country where Filipinos work. Filipinos have this resilient spirit and hardworking attitude which foreign employers have long admired. What’s more important is that working abroad uplifts the lives of the family back home and brings fulfillment of being a breadwinner on the part of the Filipino worker.
ang advantage sa taiwan pag my problema ka at sa CLA mo ihingi ng 2long my immediate response sila agad bastat alam mo na my violation ang employer mo doon sa contrata.kc ang mga taiwanese malaki ang pagalang nla sa kanilang batas.ang disadvantage po,madamot sila sa day off ng mga caregiver,kung saan need din nmin ang pahinga.tnx po.
paying taiwan tax is not disadvantage — it suppose to be like that – u make money n u pay taxes for it period
taas ng placement fee pagpunta sa taiwan,di man tumataas ang sahud…..
sana po lumiit na ung placement fee ng taiwan..
kala nyo masarap sa abroad ha?
paying taxes is our obligation..kht sa pinas nmn may mga taxes dn tayong dapat bayaran..
I LOVE TO WORK THERE
Bakit po.ang. taas ng placemet fee.balak ko po mg taiwan for factury
Disadvantage ang walang o.t dito sa taiwan taz mapunta ka sa factory na family business at kuripot ang amo babawasan kapa kng wala kayung pasok saturday kng walang gawa bawas sa sahod mo yun….
Disadvantage ang walang o.t dito sa taiwan taz mapunta ka sa factory na family business at kuripot ang amo babawasan kapa kng wala kayung pasok saturday kng walang gawa bawas sa sahod mo yun….
Grabe aman dyan wala rin parang nasa pinas k lng din dame din kaltas aiiissssttttt reject
Hindi lHat mataas ang placementfee dto..maraming company din ang OT2x..
Tsaka Ms maganda dito disiplinado mga Taiwanese..
BSta Maganda dito Sa Taiwan..
Magkano po ba talaga ang dapat na placement fee po ng factory worker po puntang taiwan?…kc 120k po kc ang cnicingil samin n placement po,tama po ba un?…..please pa help po,…
Huh????? 120k????
Depended na po yan sa agency, yung bayaw q 100k ang kailangan nuon, 75k for pf at 25k for allowance
advantage po refundable nman ang tax naten mga ofw d2 sa taiwan….so ndi din nasasayang ang tax
advantage po refundable nman ang tax naten mga ofw d2 sa taiwan….so ndi din nasasayang ang tax
wala na pong 120k angbplacement fee now…ang alam ko po mataas na ang 60k yan ang bagong pf ng taiwan
wala na pong 120k angbplacement fee now…ang alam ko po mataas na ang 60k yan ang bagong pf ng taiwan
after 2 years end of contract pwede po ba makuha yung tax
after 2 years end of contract pwede po ba makuha yung tax
Any agency to recommend po para mai apply ko pinsan ko dyan. Salamat
Kailangan po bang my experience kapag mag apply ng factory worker?
Sa ngayon po dto aq sa malaysia dh po..
Saan po sa manila yung mga agency?
how much ANG salary pag may kasam na ot?
nsa mgkano n pf nila?
Where agency
Disadvantages? Uso kabitan ng my mga asawa sa taiwan….
pd humingi mga listahan na mpagkakatiwalaan na agency for taiwan.,.,tnx.,.,godless
Admn! Ask ko po kung panu ang tamang computation ng overtime pay dto po sa Taiwan?
di poh 22ong free ang food at tirahan, kinakaltas poh un…4k every month…except p ang tubig at kuryente…kung ot nman unfair prin…kc pag taiwan people k, 2500 ang ot nila pero pag filipino 726 perday …diba unfair!
Tama alhiza L Lojera d free ang lodging tpos my utility fee
Some company offer free lodging ibig po sabihin may iilang kompanya na libre lang ang dorm at meron naman sa company ng kaibigan ko…sa amin kinakaltasan kami monthly sa dorm pero sulit naman kasi within company premisses lang hindi na kailangan mamasahe…
Naku yang ot pay.isang misteryo yan.pero di namin problema yan.dahil matagal na kaming inalisan ng OT.meaning gutom dito sa taiwan.ang di alam ng nasa pinas.kapag kilalang kumpanya ang papasukan mo dito sa taiwan.magugutom ka dahil kalimitan walang ot.tulad dito sa AUO.lahat ng branch.nilimitahan n ang ot sa halos 28hrs nalang.ksama n ang fixed ot.
So lucky for having a generous boss..free accommodation and marerefund naming yung tax. ☺
Tma sv 29280NT sahod peo pgdtng dto hnd nmn kaltas p lhat
Sana tanggalin ung broker’s fee na 1800/monthly dagdag paghirap pa yan kunti na nga lang sahod.
how much po ba salary ng operator sa taaiiwan? w/o OT at magkano po tax na kinakaltas..
how much po ba salary ng operator sa taaiiwan? w/o OT at magkano po tax na kinakaltas..