The government is eyeing Japan, Canada, Russia, Germany, and other “friendly” countries as alternate job markets for overseas Filipino workers who will be displaced by the conflict in the Middle East.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said yesterday the government has reached out to these friendly nations to consider accommodating Filipino workers, particularly those affected by the Middle East tension.
A mandatory evacuation of Filipinos from Iraq has been ordered to ensure their safety in the wake of the tension between the United States and Iraq. Alternative overseas and local employment has been readied for the affected workers.
“Once they arrive in the Philippines, we will offer livelihood packages, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority training. We will also offer redeployment if they want to work again overseas but no longer in the Middle East,” Nograles said. “That’s why we have opened our communications with Japan, Canada, Germany, China, Russia to hopefully accommodate our OFWs. The priority will be those repatriated from the Middle East, from Iraq,” he added.
Apart from possible deployment abroad, Nograles said the government will help repatriated Filipinos find local employment, including possibly starting their own business or working in big-ticket infrastructure projects.
He said they would need skilled workers for the various “Build, Build, Build” projects in the country.
“With the signing of the new national budget, the Build, Build, Build program will be sustained. We will need skilled workers, those knowledgeable in the construction industry. It will be an advantage for OFWs from Iraq to work in Build, Build, Build infrastructure projects in the country,” he said.
Nograles admitted that compensation in such local employment may be lower compared to the jobs abroad. “The compensation package abroad is different. They have different labor laws. The minimum wage is also different,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
