
20M OFWs needed in Europe
Maria Theresa S. Samante, Jan 4, 2006
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Pacticia A. Sto. Tomas stated on Sunday that the shortage for foreign worker is attributed mainly to demographic decline due to the aging population.
Secretary Sto. Tomas said that
The “Green Paper on Economic Migration,” was launched as the solution for the shortage of foreign workers in EU. Its aim is to facilitate the movement of economic migrants from non-EU contries in a bid to sustain the EU. It discussed how to harmonize the EU rules and procedures for migrants from non-EU of the third world countries.
"We may be seeing an exodus of OFWs to
On the other hand new Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLPO) was opened in
DOLE Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas said that POLO, headed by Labor Attaché Ciriaco Lagunzad III, was set up in Brussels strengthen and make the programs and services of the government immediately available to OFWs in Belgium even those who are in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It would also conduct marketing missions to find jobs for the OFWs not only in the Benelux Belgium but also in other European Union (EU) countries in coordination with other POLOs in
The services of POLO include the verification of employment documents and job orders, and the provision of on-site welfare services to the OFWs through the Filipino Workers Resource Centers (FWRCs).
The FWRC is a one-stop center which provides the OFWs various services such as counseling and legal service, medical and hospital services, repatriation, post-arrival orientation, settlement, community networking and other skills enhancement programs/activities, orientation program for returning workers, and conciliation of disputes arising from employer-employee relationship.
Likewise, other POLOs in