More Filipinos are expected to join their nearly 200 countrymen teaching in Taiwan as the Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP) to expand the recruitment of foreign English teachers and teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools.

Records of the Taiwan National Immigration Agency showed there are 193 Filipino teachers there as of 2021, the Department of Labor and Employment shared in a recent news release.

Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Taichung Labor Attaché Bienvenido Cerbo Jr. recently visited several public elementary and secondary schools, as well as cram schools (test review centers), in Central Taiwan and engaged the principals to hire more Filipino teachers.

For 2022, the MOE is opening 450 teaching positions in public schools to foreign English teachers in order to establish an English-speaking environment for primary and secondary students, as well as enhance the local teachers’ English teaching skills.

The TFETP is in line with Taiwan’s goal to have English as second language by the year 2030 and create more opportunities for students.

The monthly salary for English teachers under the program starts at NT$62,720 (about PHP115,122.25), with travel subsidy, health insurance, and other benefits.

The salary will be based on the teacher’s highest educational level and years of full-time teaching experience.

To qualify, applicants must be proficient English speakers with a bachelor’s degree or higher and must have no criminal record. State-issued teaching license or credential is not required.

Foreign teachers who are interested may apply online at https://tfetp.epa.ntnu.edu.tw.

The 2022 recruitment is open on a rolling basis until March 31, 2022. (PNA)