MANILA, Philippines – Despite the global economic slump, the hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in various countries abroad posted a sharp increase in the first half of the year.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that the number of Filipinos deployed from January to June went up by 33.5 percent compared to last year.
POEA chief Rosalinda Baldoz said they have recorded a total deployment of 640,401 or 160,676 more than the 479,725 Filipino workers who left the country to work abroad during the same period in 2007.
Baldoz attributed the growth in the hiring of OFWs abroad to the continuing preference of foreign employers for highly skilled workers and the desire of OFWs to seek better employment.
According to Baldoz, the deployment of workers overseas is expected to increase further due to the growing demand for construction workers and other skilled workers in the Middle East and Europe.
Earlier, she discounted a possible decline in overseas deployment amid the global economic crisis.
She explained that many developing countries are suffering from manpower shortage and they would always prefer Filipinos as their workers.
But based on POEA records, the number of contracts processed in the first half of the year dropped by 9.6 percent from 606,084 in 2007 to 548,150 this year.
According to Baldoz, the contracts processed for land-based workers declined by seven percent while sea-based workers went down by 14.9 percent in the first half of the year.
The number of re-hires also dropped by 20.5 percent while the new hires was higher by 7.3 percent.
Last year, the country suffered a massive drop in overseas deployment due to the implementation of a policy, which among others, provides higher salary for domestics.
RP, Malaysia forge pact
The Philippines and Malaysia agreed yesterday to redouble efforts for instituting long-term solutions to the problems of cross-border travel, work and migration, including a proposed bilateral Border Pass Agreement to address the issue of Filipinos illegally staying and working in Sabah.
At the conclusion of the two-day Fifth Meeting of the Philippines-Malaysia Working Group on Migrant Workers at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City, Kuala Lumpur and Manila agreed to the possible deployment of Malaysian Immigration Attachés at the One-Stop Processing Center in Zamboanga as part of the long-term solutions to the problems of cross-border travel.
The Malaysian government assured the Philippines that it is strictly adhering to its established procedures for the humane and orderly conduct of the arrest, detention and repatriation of Filipino illegal migrants.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. led the Philippine Delegation while Ministry of Home Affairs Senior Deputy Secretary-General Dato’ Raja Azahar bin Raja Abdul Manap led the Malaysian Delegation.
In a joint statement, Manila and Kuala Lumpur said the discussions of the Working Group were held in a cordial atmosphere and directed at finding constructive, operational solutions to issues concerning migrant workers.
During the meeting, both sides also discussed and agreed to cooperate closely so that the there would be minimal adverse impact arising from the action to be undertaken by the Malaysian government.
Manila and Kuala Lumpur also agreed to step up efforts to regularize eligible migrants; that children unaccompanied by parents will not be placed under arrest but turned over to the care of appropriate authorities; that only those deportees who are medically fit would undertake the travel; and to facilitate travel documentation of deportees.
The meeting noted developments on the recruitment and employment of Filipinos in Malaysia as well as the implementation of Malaysia’s Anti-Trafficking Law.
The Philippines raised the issue of Filipinos being deported from Sabah during the Working Group annual meeting that was initiated in 2005 as a functional forum to address bilateral concerns on the status of Filipino migrant workers in Malaysia.
The DFA said the meeting is timely in view of the reported impending crackdown on illegal migrant workers in Malaysia.
The discussion included the overall status of Filipino migrant workers and refugees (IMM13 cardholders); recruitment of Filipino workers; arrest, detention and repatriation processes; issuance of machine readable Philippine passports; human trafficking cases; border control and immigration issues.
Conejos expressed optimism that the meeting would further enhance the close cooperation between the Philippine and Malaysian governments in their desire to continuously address mutual concerns to ensure the welfare and protection of documented Filipino workers, as well as the orderly repatriation of undocumented workers.
The Philippine authorities earlier appealed to Malaysia to go easy on the deportation of undocumented Filipinos in Sabah which will be implemented to comply with Kuala Lumpur’s stricter immigration policy.
The appeal was made even as the Philippines prepares for the arrival of the Filipino deportees from Malaysia.
The Philippine government is expecting an average of 500 Filipino deportees per trip to arrive in Zamboanga from Sabah.
Conejos estimates about 2,800 Filipinos are being held in Kota Kinabalu, Sawal and Sandakan in Sabah.
Malaysia sends back approximately 150 to 350 Filipinos from Sandakan to Zamboanga every week, he said.
“So the average per year is about 10,000 Filipinos brought back from Sabah to Zamboanga and it is continuing,” Conejos said. – With Pia Lee-Brago