Following the subsidence of the COVID-19 pandemic, more countries in Europe want to hire Filipino workers for various industries, such as the health care sector, according to an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Even amid the pandemic, Labor Attaché Atty. Maria Corina Buñag, on Wednesday, with European countries under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Milan, Italy, wants to hire more Filipino workers.
“Aside from Milan, and Northern Italy, we have an emerging labor market in Austria, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia. Italy is now fast becoming an active destination for our OFWs because the employment landscape remains strong and attractive and there is a huge demand for Filipinos,” said Buñag.
Buñag hopes to close the bilateral agreement with Austria that wants to hire about 1,000 nurses, nursing assistants, and other workers in the healthcare industry.
“Since there is a dearth of health care workers in the European region, for its initial project, the government of Austria is looking into hiring 1,000 nurses, from healthcare assistants to registered nurses or even higher ranks,” the official said.
“Immediately after the election, we will have an ocular assessment of prospective employers. This is a long-term work opportunity for our health care workers, that is why we are working on how we can secure a recognized certification for our nursing graduates,” she added.
The sending of OFWs to Romania has also increased.
European countries want to hire more OFWs – DOLE exec
“Currently, there are about 1,500 OFWs in Romania, but every week, around 20 OFWs are being deployed as household service workers, factory workers, as well as automotive workers,” said Buñag.
The DOLE at POLO in Milan also noticed increased hiring OFWs in Croatia in the tourism and service industries sector, such as hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
And from less than 100 before, there are now more than 3,000 OFWs in Croatia.
Buñag said Croatians want Filipinos because they are known to be “talented, skilled, and proficient in the English language.”
“With only 862 Filipino workers, we are expecting that the current deployment rate in Hungary will be expanded because the Hungarian government has also expressed interest in opening thousands of jobs for our OFWs,” the official said.
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