Over 4K OFWs hired thru gov’t-to-gov’t arrangement

The Filipinos were hired as health workers in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Germany while factory workers in South Korea, according to POEA. (PNA file Photo)

MANILA — More than 4,000 overseas Filipino workers were hired through government-to-government negotiations with countries the Philippines has labor agreements with, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced on Monday.

In a statement, the POEA said its Government Placement Branch has facilitated the deployment of over 4,000 OFWs from January to July this year.

The Filipinos were hired as health workers in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Germany while factory workers in South Korea, according to POEA.

A total of 330 nurses and caregivers were sent to their assigned hospitals and nursing homes under the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) after completing a six-month preparatory Japanese language training in the Philippines.

The workers will continue intensive study of the language for another six months in Japan.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has hired 1,188 Filipinos of various skills through the Saudi Recruitment Office.

The OFWs include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, medical technicians, nurses, and administrative staff.

According to the POEA, the Federal Employment Agency (BA)/International Placement Agency (ZAV) has employed 150 nurses to work in hospitals and nursing homes in Germany under the Triple Win Program.

A total of 2,728 applicants were accepted and deployed to Korea as factory workers under the Employment Permit System.

The agency said that a factory worker in the host country can earn as much USD1,200 (PHP60,000) every month.