Protection, job opportunities for OFWs

A vibrant Labor Undersecretary Reydeluz Conferido was who we visited in the hospital even though he had just undergone an operation.

Just like the old times, Conferido never gets tired of explaining the programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). He cannot be stopped even though we kept telling him to forget his work for a while.

Looks like, the term public service is already on his system wherever he is.

He said that DOLE under the supervision of Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz is pushing through its program in preparing job opportunities for our kababayan to return like our teachers.

That is why the Aquino administration is focused on giving protection to our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and is no longer promoting or enhancing the skills of our OFWs that might be needed overseas. After all, Filipino workers are preferred by most foreign employers.

Like our teachers, Secretary Baldoz mentioned that there are vacant positions waiting to be filled in by our teachers until the year 2016. That’s why DOLE is encouraging them to complete the requirements needed and even though they are in another country they can complete their documents and their desire to return home will be attained.

Edgar Gustilo, a teacher in Papua New Guinea immediately responded to this campaign. He was glad when he read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer the article of Bantay OCW entitled “In the Philippines, you’re the Boss” which Secretary Baldoz stated in our interview with her on Radyo Inquirer.

This is an open campaign of our government to our OFWs to try to return in the country wherein there are job opportunities they can grab in the Philippines.

When Secretary Baldoz heard about it, she was excited to hear about the statement of our kababayan and immediately requested us to send to her office the e-mail.

Her office immediately took action on the request of our OFW and according to Conferido, we’ll wait for the result of this request.

Foreign workers are increasing

There are some industries here in the Philippines that are hiring foreign workers rather than Filipinos.

This is just right if Pinoys don’t have the ability and capability to do the work that these foreign workers are being hired into, but according to our source, this is not true.

According to the complaint, they can do the job that are being given to foreign workers, while many of them are jobless at present.

Before, it was reported that workers on this field are scarce, that’s why many of our male kababayan took this course up. But now it is a different story. The job opportunites that should have been filled by the Filipinos have been given to foreign workers instead.

Let us not name the industry that I am pertaining to, but we are sure that the DOLE is preparing to investigate this matter.

We hope that these big companies will prioritize our capable locals first. To prioritize hiring Filipinos instead of other nationalites, especially that their companies are here in the Philippines.

(Susan Andes, also known as Susan K, can be heard over Radyo Inquirer dzIQ 990 AM, Monday to Friday, 10:30 am-12 noon. Audio and video live streaming is at www.ustream.tv/channel/dziq.

Helpline: 0927-6499870

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