Michael Beltran

3 weeks ago | restofworld.org | Hsiuwen Liu |Michael Beltran |Gayathri Vaidyanathan

(This is the second of a two-part series on migrant workers in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Read the first story here.) The chip worker set off from a small coastal town in the Filipino province of Batangas with one suitcase, a backpack, and high hopes that, though she had to leave her two kids at home, her new job in Taiwan would help them afford a better lifestyle.

1 month ago | restofworld.org | Michael Beltran |Hsiuwen Liu |Gayathri Vaidyanathan

(This is the first of a two-part series on migrant workers in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The second story publishes next week.)A group of migrant tech workers from the Philippines sat for lunch at their shelter in the Taiwanese city of Taichung, and thanked God for the food and asked for protection from bad brokers.

1 month ago | business-humanrights.org | Michael Beltran |Hsiuwen Liu

“Taiwan’s chip plants run on migrant workers.

1 month ago | eco-business.com | Michael Beltran

Avid hiker Maria and her boyfriend were among the dozens of travellers who booked a tour of the Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo for April 18. Pinatubo, an active volcano, had its last major eruption in 1991, altering the surrounding landscape and producing a scenic crater lake that has since become popular with hikers and travellers. At Pinatubo’s jump-off point, more than a dozen vehicles packed with tourists, including Maria and her boyfriend, were suddenly blocked by a crowd of locals.

1 month ago | news.mongabay.com | Michael Beltran

On April 18, Indigenous Aeta protesters blockaded the trail to the Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo, a popular tourist attraction in an area recognized as Aeta ancestral land. Aeta leaders say their communities have been deprived of their rightful share of tourism revenues. While businesses and tours catering to travelers have flourished and the local government collects fees, Indigenous locals are engaged as freelance guides for less than minimum wage.