16,000 Filipinos needed in Libya, says DOLE

MANILA, Philippines Libya is currently in need of about 16, 000 Filipino workers for its construction, hospitality, medical, and other services sectors, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Saturday.

Citing a report from Labor Attaché Nasser S. Mustafa of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Libya, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said that while jobs were lost in countries affected by the global economic crisis, the employment situation in Libya remains “upbeat and highly favorable for overseas Filipino workers (OFW)."

“Libya is impervious of the harsh effects of the global crisis due largely to its oil resources, noting that its government continuously focuses on this country’s development with vigor," he said in a statement on Saturday.

Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa which became wealthy because of its oil reserves.

But right now, Roque said the north African country is focusing on the “construction aspect of its development," adding that Korean firms like Daewoo, Hyundai, and Al Nahr have recently been recruiting thousands of OFWs for their projects.

He said these firms are in need of Filipino engineers, other professionals, and skilled construction workers for the construction of Libya’s man-made river, hotels, power plants, housing units, and road and renovation projects.

Oil firms in Libya have also reportedly showed their intention to recruit professionals and skilled oil and gas workers from the Philippines.

The labor chief added that Mustafa is constantly conducting meetings with these companies as well as with other firms in Libya who are in need of foreign workers – in the hopes of paving the way for the deployment of more Filipino workers to the African country.

Roque said he also expects that the construction of new hotels in Libya would mean more employment opportunities for OFWs in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Likewise, he said that more Filipino doctors and nurses and other medical workers may also be deployed soon to Libya.

He said the POLO in Tripoli has already started talks with the Libyan Health Ministry for the recruitment of around 4,000 Filipino medical workers for the Tripoli and Benghazi Medical Centers and other hospitals and clinics in Libya.

It is also reportedly looking for opportunities for OFWs in Algeria, Chad, Malta, and Morocco.

“The employment prospects in Libya and nearby nations are favorable for OFWs as they continue to be the preferred choice among foreign employers," said Roque. - GMANews.TV

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