‘No cutback in demand for RP workers’

MANILA - Despite the gloomy forecasts, Filipinos should not fret about job losses or possible cutbacks in opportunities in the United States, the Middle East and elsewhere, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Tuesday.

Roque said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had not received any reports from its 37 labor officers posted abroad about cutbacks in the demand for Filipino workers in the face of the global economic crunch.

“So the situation remains stable and we do not expect any reduction in the demand for overseas Filipinos especially in the Middle East,” he said at a press briefing.

The Building and Wood Workers’ International had warned that the number of jobs in the badly hit construction industry in the United States could further shrink, increasing the number of undocumented Filipinos there.

It said it had monitored some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who had flown back to Manila after losing their jobs, adding that their “families will have a sad Christmas.”

Over the years, OFWs have managed to keep the economy afloat, sending home some $14.4 billion last year, nearly a tenth of the gross domestic product.

Roque said it was inaccurate to assume that the OFWs coming home were laid off as a result of the global economic slowdown.

“This is the normal trend after their contracts have been terminated,” he said.

Jobs in Canada, Australia, Europe

Contrary to fears of a contracting job market abroad, there are many jobs awaiting Filipinos in Canada, Australia and European countries, Roque said.

“We have signed up with four provinces in Canada,” he said. “The pay rates are relatively higher compared with what the Filipinos are enjoying in other countries.”

Another DOLE team is leaving for Australia to start negotiations on the possible employment of Filipinos there, Roque said.

“When the option comes for Filipinos to go overseas, and entertain a job offer from Australia, we have ample potential mechanisms that are already in place,” he said.

Both Canada and Australia are offering jobs for nurses, IT personnel, truckers and hotel workers, among others, Roque said.