TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Philippines representative, MECO Chairman Angelito Banayo, along with Cesar L. Chavez, Jr., labor representative and director of labor affairs of the MECO Labor Center visited I-Mei Foods Co. on Thursday and met with the directly hired Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs) from Davao on Mindanao island in the Philippines.

The delegation was given an overview of the company’s history, and a tour of I-Mei’s bread factory and food safety laboratory before meeting with their people – the first ever directly hired OFWs from Davao by a Taiwanese company.

Angelito Banayo said after visiting the gift shop center that he thinks I-Mei Foods' packaging is very beautiful, and from a marketing view point, if any company packages its product well, as I-Mei does, they are going to sell more.

Asked which product he likes the most, he said “egg rolls and puffs” without a second thought, and praised the quality of the product. “Not only the package is beautiful, I am sure about the quality of the food because I’ve bought and tasted many I-Mei products,” he added.

He also said what impressed him most about the food company during his visit was the nice working environment for the OFWs, adding that the mess hall is really clean and the food looks really delicious, and it’s really nice that the dormitory is air-conditioned with enough space.

After the tour, the delegation joined the welcome event for the Davao newcomers at the auditorium of the factory, where they received a big warm welcome and had a nice chat with them.

The arrival of the group marks a milestone in the successful cooperation between MECO, POEA , Davao City, and I-Mei Foods Co. The food company held a series of direct-hiring interviews and orientations in November 2017 in Davao City, which is the first of its kind by a Taiwanese company in the city on the southern island of Mindanao.

As the whole group of hired applicants from Davao has arrived in Taiwan, the rest of the OFWs hired from direct hiring in Manila are expected to arrive by the end of June, and according to I-Mei Foods, the next direct hiring is set to take place in April!