Duterte to seek PH-Russia labor pact in meeting with Putin

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte receives a warm welcome from Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev upon his arrival at the Vnukovo Military Base Airport in Moscow, Russian Federation on October 2, 2019. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MOSCOW, Russia — In his upcoming bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to seek a labor agreement with Russia amid the high number of undocumented Filipinos currently working in the transcontinental nation.

The Philippines’ top diplomat to Russia, Ambassador Carlos Sorreta, said this on Wednesday ahead of the Presiden’s meeting with Putin in Sochi.

“Filipinos here in Russia are largely in the household sector — mostly childcare and household service,” Sorreta told reporters in an interview. “And in terms of number, we have about… latest count is about 10,000. And most of them are not properly documented yet. So we’re working to get there.”

“I’m almost sure 100-percent [sure] he [President Duterte] will raise it. We have prepared the groundwork so that hopefully President Putin also has been briefed. And hopefully, they can have some understanding that will push the negotiation into a bilateral labor agreement,” he went on, speaking partly in Filipino. 

According to Sorreta, the reason most Filipinos working in Russia remain undocumented is due to the low issuance of visas for jobs where they are usually hired to do.

“There are very few visas for those jobs legally allocated because…for those level of skills of job, they have quotas. For the Philippines, for nannies and household service workers, it’s very small,” he said.

“But there are quotas that are rather big for example for semi-skilled and skilled workers, pipefitters, welders, carpenters, engineers, particularly in the oil industry,” he added.

Sorreta also noted that Russia was not really a traditional labor destination country for the Philippines. 

“It’s fairly recent that that has happened. And there’s also the issue of…there are actually many Russians who are able and willing to take the job that Filipinos have,” he said.

“However, their employers choose Filipinos, and so we’re at that part where we are trying now to catch up and seek legal status to the negotiation of a bilateral labor agreement,” he added.

Sorreta, nevertheless, expressed confidence that there would be cooperation on labor between the Philippines and Russia.

According to him, there’s a huge potential for cooperation in labor, especially in areas where foreigners don’t usually go to in Russia.

There are jobs in the oil industry, mining, and construction, he said.

“Filipinos will go anywhere, whether with sand or snow,” he said in Filipino. “And they’re very much in demand because of their work ethic and they’re really hardworking.”

 He noted, however, that despite the demand for Filipino workers there was still no legal framework.

President Duterte arrived in Moscow early Wednesday to kickstart his second official visit to Russia.

After his bilateral meeting with Putin, he is set to speak before a Russian think thank forum.

/atm