PH to host int’l recruitment dialog

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will host next week an international dialogue involving 20 labor-sending and labor-receiving countries that would, among others, try to help end illegal recruitment and provide better protection for migrant workers, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Thursday.

Baldoz said the country will host the so-called second Abu Dhabi Dialogue, an important dialogue of 20-migrant destinations and migrant origin countries in Asia.

The 2nd Abu Dhabi Dialogue Ministerial Consultation and High-Level Meeting on April 17-19 at the Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City, she added.

“Abu Dhabi is co-organizing the dialogue, aimed at providing a forum for the discussion of new ideas and concrete activities towards the enhancement of bilateral and regional cooperation and partnerships of eight Asian countries of labor destination and 11 countries of origin,” Baldoz said.

She said the 11 countries of origin of migrants that are participating in the dialogue include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

She added that the nine destination countries were Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

“During the dialogue in Manila, participating countries will take a fresh look at the best practices and recommendations for bilateral, unilateral, and multilateral government action to bring about maximum benefits of labor migration for the peoples of Asia, including Filipinos,” Baldoz said.

She said these four “partnership areas” on migration include knowledge sharing on market trends, skills profiles, workers and remittances policies and flows, and their relationship to development; and building capacity for effective matching of labor supply and demand.

They will also discuss preventing illegal recruitment and promoting welfare and protection measures; and developing a framework for a comprehensive approach to managing the entire cycle of temporary contractual work that fosters the mutual interest of countries of origin and destination.

As the program indicates, the 2nd Ministerial Consultation will take place on April 19 to be preceded by a two-day Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) from April 17-18.

The first dialogue was held in 2008, with the United Arab Emirates government taking the groundbreaking step of hosting the 1st Ministerial Consultation which drew four action-oriented key partnership areas to address issues on, and optimize mutual benefits from, overseas employment and contractual labor.

Baldoz said Labor Undersecretary Danilo P. Cruz was the top DOLE official overseeing the preparation and conduct of the meeting next week.

“The Abu Dhabi Dialogue’s choice of the Philippines as host to the 2012 Ministerial Consultation is a recognition of the Philippines’ capability to organize and host a very important migration-related event,” she said.