Spotlight on labour issues
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 26th December 2006
ISSUES facing Filipinos in Bahrain will be highlighted at a major conference in the Philippines tomorrow.
Philippine Embassy labour attaché Alejandro Santos will raise them at an event designed to strengthen the Philippines’ overseas employment.
The five-day conference kicks off in Tagaytay City and will also discuss ways to improve the delivery of welfare services to overseas Filipino workers and their families.
It will continue at the same venue on Thursday and then resume in Manila from January 3 to 5.
Spotlight on labour issues
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 26th December 2006
ISSUES facing Filipinos in Bahrain will be highlighted at a major conference in the Philippines tomorrow.
Philippine Embassy labour attaché Alejandro Santos will raise them at an event designed to strengthen the Philippines’ overseas employment.
The five-day conference kicks off in Tagaytay City and will also discuss ways to improve the delivery of welfare services to overseas Filipino workers and their families.
It will continue at the same venue on Thursday and then resume in Manila from January 3 to 5.
The event brings together Philippine labour officials in nations hosting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Labour attaches manning the Philippines Overseas Labour Offices (Polo) will aim to come up with a convergent system of service delivery and an improved national reintegration plan for returning workers and their dependents.
Philippines’ Department of Labour and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion said the conference underscores the important role that Polo plays in the lives of OFWs.
He cited events in Lebanon, which saw the involvement of Polo in the evacuation and repatriation of affected OFWs.
“The events in Lebanon drew heightened focus on the crucial role of Polos in global labour affairs,” said Mr Brion.
More than 6,000 Filipinos were evacuated from Lebanon after fighting between Israel and Hizbollah fighters broke out in July.
More than 45 Filipinos, in small groups, flew to the Philippines via Bahrain at the time.
Mr Brion said that the role of Polo had become even more important in the face of changing labour markets brought about by increasing flow of irregular immigrants, restrictive immigration policies of host countries and other issues affecting the employment and welfare of OFWs abroad.
He said the labour attaches would formulate regional overseas action plans during the conference, which would address issues and subsequently enhance the delivery of welfare services to the OFWs onsite.
It is also expected to improve the capability to develop markets with employment opportunities – especially for professional and highly skilled OFWs.
Mr Brion said the labour attaches would share experiences and best practices in market development, as well as conciliation, mediation, building partnerships and bilateral/multilateral agreements with labour receiving nations and other migration stakeholders.
Mr Santos is expected to return to Bahrain shortly after the major conference next month.
© Gulf Daily News