PH seeking labor protection agreement with Malta, Albania — envoy

The Philippines is seeking separate labor agreements with Malta and Albania to ensure the protection of rights and benefits of the increasing number of Filipino workers there, a Philippine envoy said Monday.

Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial, also in charge of Malta and Albania, said the proposed pact would not only safeguard Filipino workers against exploitation and abuse, but prevent illegal recruitment.

“The Philippines' paramount consideration has always been the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of our overseas Filipino workers. Therefore, any bilateral agreement signed with another country must have provisions that adequately ensure the well-being of our OFWs and protect them from possible abuses,” Imperial said via e-mail.

Around 10,000 Filipino accountants, engineers, manager, chefs, hotel staff, bus drivers, nurses and caregivers are employed in Malta, while 400 are in Albania, he said.

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest exporters of labor with about 10 million workers employed mostly in the manufacturing, construction, seafaring, IT, medical, and services sectors.  

They are often called “modern-day heroes” for the often-meager earnings they send home that, collectively, keep the Philippine economy afloat and local businesses booming.

Imperial said the Philippines raised the idea of entering into agreement with Malta, considering the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers there, with majority of them hired from third countries, making them susceptible to illegal recruitment and labor trafficking.

Albania, on the other hand, expressed interest in signing a labor accord with the Philippines due to its labor shortage brought about by a boom in its tourism sector.

With Albania, he said the embassy expects to receive a proposed draft in the coming days, while talks with Malta are still in the initial stages.

“Albania's idea is for the government to mediate between businesses/employers and potential migrant workers to ensure that the rights of both parties are protected,” Imperial said. “In the embassy's high-level meetings with officials of the government of Malta, the latter expressed their openness to the idea of negotiating a bilateral labor agreement.”

Imperial said the embassy will recommend to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers to support the idea of signing the agreement, especially now that Malta and Albania are becoming preferred destinations for many Filipinos.

“I think an agreement would ensure that there is a steady stream of workers who are free from labor problems,” Imperial said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News