Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia Counsellor Denys Mykhailiuk holds a press conference in Makati City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Photo by Daniza Fernandez
MANILA, Philippines — Ukraine is eyeing to tap Filipinos’ labor in rebuilding the war-torn nation, the country’s Embassy in Malaysia Counsellor Denys Mykhailiuk said on Wednesday.
Mykhailiuk said that they will commence discussions on deploying Filipinos for reconstructing Ukraine, which sustained damage amid its conflict with Russia.
READ: War in Ukraine drags into second year, Russia isolated in UN vote
“We will begin talks about the Filipinos’ labor to come because this reconstruction effort will need significant increase in labor,” the counsellor told reporters in a press conference in Makati City.
“You know Ukraine, as majority of European states, is an aging country. This is not the situation here and hardworking Filipinos will be very welcomed there to benefit our growth and Filipino investors will be very much welcomed there,” he added.
According to Mykhailiuk, their estimates showed that they will need $1 trillion for restoration in Ukraine.
A fast recovery plan, he said, has already been launched for the rebuilding and reconstruction.
“We launched this effort to invite international donors and investments,” Mykhailiuk said.
“We hope that the next decade, Ukraine will be the biggest construction site in Europe or maybe in the world. We will attract manpower. We will attract investments, and these investments are guaranteed not only by Ukrainian government, which might be risky, but also by international institutions,” he continued.
Last year, Ukraine lost 35 percent of its gross domestic product amid the war.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine to halt what the former called Western encroachment through North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union support of Kyiv.
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