During President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo�s two-day visit in Libya she said that she was able to make an agreement for health care and construction industry of the country as well as the assurance that it will prioritize hiring of Filipino workers for its construction projects.

�There is a P40 billion worth of construction projects being financed by the Bank of Libya, and their first priority for hiring will be Filipino workers,� said the President.

She said that another highlight of her two-day trip was the agreement binding the two countries to jointly work to protect the welfare of thousands of Filipinos working in Libya.

�So this is very important to us,� the President said.

The President said that it is among the results of her two-day official trip to Libya where she discussed the country�s labor concerns, peace, and energy matters with Libyan leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi.

According to the agreement, a main construction company will be organized in Manila in partnership with Libya and the recruitment will be headed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

�The Filipino labor recruits will be hired by the Libyan Union Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (LUCCIA),� the President said.

While in the area of health services, the President said that the two countries agreed that the Philippine government will train Libyan nurses in the country to meet the big demand for Filipino nurses in other parts of the world.

The government is expecting that by August some numbers of Filipino construction workers will be deployed.

Through this agreement, population of Filipinos in Libya is expected to increase, which according to Mrs. Arroyo, there are some 7,000 OFWs in the said country.