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No sweat shop conditions, says RP envoy
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Posted on May 06 1999
Marking his third day on Saipan, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Ernesto Maceda toured one of the island’s largest garment factories and found no proofs to support Washington’s concerns over the existence of sweatshops in the CNMI.
“Based on what I have found so far, I haven’t seen any sweat shop conditions,” he said after the tour around the garment shop of Tan Holdings Corporation at Lower Base.
The former Philippine Senate president was on Saipan for an official visit to familiarize himself with the U.S. territories. He is also reported to have visited Guam.
Together with Philippine Consul Julia Heidemann and labor officials, Maceda toured the Tan Holdings facility, which earned international recognition for its adherence to strict working and health standards.
“I’m impressed,” he told company vice president Ben Fitial, witnessing technology in the pattern-making and machines folding the finished products.
Earlier, Heidemann made her own tour and told executives of Tan Holdings that her office has been correcting inaccurate reports about the garment industry in the CNMI.
With over 500 Filipinos working with the company, he was like his old self, shaking hands and posing for snap shots with his countrymen, as he was making his rounds.
“I’m glad to see that the Filipinos in the garment industry here are assigned in the office and on supervisory level,” he said.
According to Heidemann, Maceda had forum with the Filipino workers in the CNMI and pointed out the benefits offered here compared to working in Middle East countries.
In an interview, the Philippine ambassador said he was surprised to see Filipino accountants at almost all accounting departments of big private companies in the CNMI.
“There are about 2000 Filipino accountants working here including some in the CNMI government. I guess this is a tribute to the capacity of the Filipino workers, anywhere you send them in the world, they can excel,” he said.
This will not be the last visit of the Philippine envoy to Saipan. As soon as he assumes his post in Washington, he will include Guam and Saipan in his travel itinerary, said one official of his team.
