In November, after the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Philippines, it was reported that China plans to hire 10,000 Pinoy workers and teachers.
This was certainly good news, especially because the workers are expected to receive better pay as this is a government to government arrangement.
With both governments signing this agreement, the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be hired will receive higher pay as they no longer need to pay for placement fees and other expenses they need to pay agencies.
In 2019, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to sign another OFW pact with another country. According to DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the Philippines will sign a bilateral agreement with Russia sometime in early 2019.
He disclosed that the labor contract will most likely involved skilled workers.
“I don’t want to go there in February. Most probably by March or April so that the weather won’t be too cold,” the Labor Secretary said.
“We already have some (skilled workers) there.”
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) had previously revealed that Russia has been eyeing a government-to-government deployment scheme with the Philippines.
This announcement by the DOLE confirms this. According to Bello, the labor arrangement was initiated by their counterparts in Russia.
In the past, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev announced that his country is looking forward to employing more OFWs, both skilled and unskilled workers.
Just like in China, the labor pact stems from Russia’s need to have more workers due to its aging population.
“Like China, they are in need of laborers since they have an aging population,” the Labor Secretary explained.
Details of the labor pact have not been released but would surely be made available after the visit of Philippine officials to Russia in 2019.
