400,000 jobs still available for Filipinos abroad – POEA
MANILA, Philippines - Despite a recession-hit job market, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has said that there are still 400,000 jobs available for Filipinos abroad.
"Roughly we still have a balance of 400,000 or so job orders worldwide, these are job orders or requests from employers abroad for workers from the Philippines," POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili said .
She cited reports from Philippine labor offices abroad, embassies, and related agencies indicating that some markets are still in demand of a lot of workers.
"[There are] sectors affected, that's correct, but there are also other sectors that are opening up, opening their doors to migrant workers, also to Filipinos," she said.
She said that especially for countries with aging populations, health care services would always be "a constant need."
"For the health care services, we have a request from Canada, from Australia, so merong mga sectors na nagsara pero may mga sectors din naman po na [there are sectors that close down but there are still sectors that] remain to be buoyant in the overseas sector," she said.
In addition, she said that the Middle East remains to be a reliable market for deploying Filipino workers.
"In the Middle East we have noted [a rise in job orders] in the construction industries because of the mega cities that are being built," she said.
But Manalili added that they are still revalidating the jobs orders in order for it to be "reflective of the true picture of the job vacancies abroad."
As of January 30, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said that 5,404 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have been displaced since October 2008.
"We have already listed some 5,000 workers who have been retrenched or their companies have declared bankruptcy and most of them are from Taiwan, from the electronics manufacturing sector," said Manalili.
Of the laid-off OFWs, 4,140 came from Taiwan, 298 from the United Arab Emirates, 180 from Canada, 81 from Australia, and 74 from Korea. The countries where the remaining number of retrenched Filipino workers came from were not disclosed.
Manalili said the POEA has a role in the assistance package being given by the Philippine government to displaced OFWs.
"On our part we have legal assistance desk for the workers who are returning and we [have] already entertained more than a thousand individuals who came to POEA for assistance," she said.
She said that out of the more than 1,000 cases that were referred to them, 130 to 140 have been settled and about P6.5 million has been released in return for the placement fees and other costs like repatriation that OFWs paid for.
"So our consolation efforts have been largely successful and [our] referral system and registration system, these assistance packages [are for those who] desire [to go abroad or be redeployed]," she said.
She said that eight have been redeployed while eight more are just waiting for their visas to be able to return to work.
Manalili said the POEA is investigating recruitment agencies who have been accused of overcharging.
"For those cases [that have not been settled], they have been docketed, which means it will be conducted soon [to] determine whether the company really overcharged," she said. - GMANews.TV
"Roughly we still have a balance of 400,000 or so job orders worldwide, these are job orders or requests from employers abroad for workers from the Philippines," POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili said .
She cited reports from Philippine labor offices abroad, embassies, and related agencies indicating that some markets are still in demand of a lot of workers.
"[There are] sectors affected, that's correct, but there are also other sectors that are opening up, opening their doors to migrant workers, also to Filipinos," she said.
She said that especially for countries with aging populations, health care services would always be "a constant need."
"For the health care services, we have a request from Canada, from Australia, so merong mga sectors na nagsara pero may mga sectors din naman po na [there are sectors that close down but there are still sectors that] remain to be buoyant in the overseas sector," she said.
In addition, she said that the Middle East remains to be a reliable market for deploying Filipino workers.
"In the Middle East we have noted [a rise in job orders] in the construction industries because of the mega cities that are being built," she said.
But Manalili added that they are still revalidating the jobs orders in order for it to be "reflective of the true picture of the job vacancies abroad."
As of January 30, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said that 5,404 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have been displaced since October 2008.
"We have already listed some 5,000 workers who have been retrenched or their companies have declared bankruptcy and most of them are from Taiwan, from the electronics manufacturing sector," said Manalili.
Of the laid-off OFWs, 4,140 came from Taiwan, 298 from the United Arab Emirates, 180 from Canada, 81 from Australia, and 74 from Korea. The countries where the remaining number of retrenched Filipino workers came from were not disclosed.
Manalili said the POEA has a role in the assistance package being given by the Philippine government to displaced OFWs.
"On our part we have legal assistance desk for the workers who are returning and we [have] already entertained more than a thousand individuals who came to POEA for assistance," she said.
She said that out of the more than 1,000 cases that were referred to them, 130 to 140 have been settled and about P6.5 million has been released in return for the placement fees and other costs like repatriation that OFWs paid for.
"So our consolation efforts have been largely successful and [our] referral system and registration system, these assistance packages [are for those who] desire [to go abroad or be redeployed]," she said.
She said that eight have been redeployed while eight more are just waiting for their visas to be able to return to work.
Manalili said the POEA is investigating recruitment agencies who have been accused of overcharging.
"For those cases [that have not been settled], they have been docketed, which means it will be conducted soon [to] determine whether the company really overcharged," she said. - GMANews.TV
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