5k Jobs in Europe for Pinoys

Fresh job opportunities are being made available for Filipino workers in southern central Europe, the labor department reported yesterday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Slovenia is seeking Philippine approval for the deployment of between 2,000 to 5,000 skilled and semi-skilled labor to supplement their workforce. Similar opportunities are also available to Filipino workers in Russia and Canada.

Bello said representations were made by Slovenian officials recently. “I told them that we first need to sign a bilateral agreement,” he said.

Among the jobs to open to Filipinos include health care workers, nurses, engineers, truck drivers, heavy machine and equipment operators, and other industries, and household service.

The labor secretary said the salary in Slovenia is more competitive compared to the Middle East where qualified workers can expect a minimum wage of about $1,000.

“The salaries are definitely higher than that of the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia it is around $400. In Slovenia, we are looking probably at around P50,000 to P75,000 or about $1,000 as long as we can come up with a bilateral agreement and we both agree with the provisions and the template contract,” Bello said.

He further added a technical working group will be formed to negotiate the terms of the agreement and ensure the protection and safety of the OFWs. The crafting of the bilateral agreement will take about three months.

Bello said the classes of jobs and the requirements will be finalized upon the completion of the bilateral agreement. English language proficiency, however, will be one of the qualifications for aspiring applicants.

But DOLE chief reminded that acceptance of applications for Slovenia is yet to commence.

“We do not have job orders for Slovenia as of this moment, we are still working on it. We advise the public to wait for the formal announcement that we are starting to accept applications. Be cautious and go to DOLE or POEA first to check the legitimacy of your recruitment agencies and the job orders they offer. Some agencies continue their operations despite their suspension,” the labor chief added. (DOLE)