New labor accords with Germany gift to Pinoy workers — Bello
TWO more labor agreements between the German and Philippines governments will provide better employment opportunities for Filipino workers, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced on Wednesday.
“These two freshly signed bilateral labor instruments with Germany are the gifts of the Philippine government to our Filipino migrant workers in recognition of their sacrifices, perseverance, and diligence that have kept our nation afloat amidst the global crisis in the last two years,” Bello said.
The labor chief announced that a Letter of Intent, signed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, represented by Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the German Federal Employment Agency represented by its Director for International Relations Alexander Wilhelm, will facilitate the recruitment, deployment, and employment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers in Germany.
“This partnership will open opportunities for Filipino professionals and skilled workers, specifically Electrical Mechanics and Fitters, Electronics Servicers, Cooks, Hotel Receptionists, Waiters, and Plumbers and Pipe Fitters,” Bello said.
German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach and Bello also signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Deployment of Filipino Healthcare Professionals to Germany to enhance the recruitment of nurses under the private recruitment track and include other healthcare professionals.
The labor agreement in the same European labor destination will provide work opportunities for physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, biomedical scientists, and other allied health professionals whose professions are regulated by appropriate professional bodies both in the Philippines and Germany.
“With this development, better job opportunities, in addition to nurses and other professionals, await our skilled workers as we showcase the competence and exemplary talents of the Filipino workers,” said Bello.
The MOU complements the Triple Win Project, a government-to-government arrangement of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Federal Employment Agency/International Placement Services in Germany that paved the way for the recruitment of Filipino nurses.
Triple Win provides access to employment opportunities for Filipino nurses in Germany and assurance of a sustainable and fair recruitment procedure as well as the long-term development of skills and transfer of knowledge. Since its implementation, about 1,811 Pinoy nurses have benefitted from the agreement.
“As the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte completes its term, we thank the government of the Federal Republic of Germany for working together to meet our shared goals of decent, ethical and sustainable labor and migration framework. More importantly, we are very grateful to the German government for treating the Filipino workers the same way you treat your citizens,” Bello said.
