Philippine government negotiates new overseas jobs in Other Country
The Philippine government has started negotiations with various foreign governments to allow them to hire a total of 300,000 more overseas Filipino workers for the next 10 years, a senior official said.
Philippine labour officials are talking with their Australian counterparts for the opening of 30,000 jobs in mining, health care and information technology, said Labour Secretary Marianito Roque.
Negotiations are underway with representatives from Finland and France for the employment of Filipino professionals and other skilled workers, said Roque, adding the ongoing negotiations are part of the government’s efforts to provide more jobs and security to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Philippine government officials are trying to place Filipino seafarer in Norway and Denmark, where the Scandinavian shipping industry is in need of 13,000 maritime workers next year, said Roque.
Canadian provinces have also scheduled the signing of a labour agreement with Philippine officials this month, said Roque.
Philippine government officials are also eyeing the deployment of over a thousand OFWs at the oil and mining projects in Madagascar, said Roque.
Jobs available in Madagascar are for mechanical and quality control engineers, safety officers, labour controllers, foremen, welders, pipe fitters, electricians and construction workers, said Roque.
Better salaries
“The successful implementation of the government’s memoranda of understanding with foreign governments will pave the way for many skilled OFWs to find better salaries and more quality employment,” said Roque, adding, “This approach has ensured protection of the OFWs’ rights and welfare in all the countries where they are sent.”
The Philippines is the world’s third largest source of overseas workers. The OFWs send a total of $25 billion (Dh1.96 billion) back home each year.
