TEN countries are looking to hire more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly skilled workers, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
In a statement, the DMW reported that at least 10 countries have expressed interest in hiring Filipino skilled workers at the sidelines of the Global Labor Market Conference held recently in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
“Ten countries held bilateral meetings with the Department of Migrant Workers when we participated in the Global Labor Market Conference,” said DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan.
“These countries expressed their interest in hiring more Filipino skilled workers,” she added.
The 10 countries are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Finland, the Bahamas, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Libya.
Caunan said Filipino skilled workers are sought in the healthcare industry, hospitality, and construction sectors.
Aside from expanding the market for OFWs, she assured that the DMW will also work to enhance labor cooperation with the 10 countries to guarantee strengthened protection of OFWs.
This includes these countries sending teams to the Philippines to study its overseas employment program, its best practices for facilitating the safe and ethical recruitment and deployment of OFWs, and its initiatives to combat illegal recruitment.
“The bilateral meetings are aimed at expanding job opportunities, ensuring ethical recruitment, enhancing worker protections, and aligning labor migration policies with global workforce needs,” said the official.
“The DMW remains steadfast in its mission to elevate the status of Filipino workers worldwide, ensuring they are protected, valued, and provided with dignified employment,” added Caunan.
