NEWS

Guam to Hire Filipino Workers for US Base Relocation Project
28 August 2009

Guam is set to hire between 12,000 to 15,000 Filipino construction and health workers to take part in the relocation project of a U.S. Naval Base from Okinawa, Japan.

The $15 billion project is for the establishment of various military facilities, infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges and support facilities like hospitals and housing for 8,000 marines and 9,000 dependents of the new military base in the island territory.

Guam Governor Felix Camacho, in his interview with the press last June 30, 2009 at the New World Renaissance Hotel in Makati City, shared that out of the estimated 15,000 job vacancies, 80 percent (80%) are expected to come from the construction sector and 20 percent (20%) from the health care professional services. As Guam and its neighboring countries cannot support the manpower needed for the multi-million project, the government has opted to hire Filipino workers to take part in the project. He recalled that the preference for Filipino construction workers can be traced way back in 1945 after the World War II, in which the reconstruction of Guam was mostly undertaken by Filipino contractors and Filipino workers.

In an interview with GMA News, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Administrator Jennifer Manalili stated that Filipinos would not spend much for their job applications in Guam because the US government had recently declared that there should be no placement fee in the recruitment of foreign workers in the mainland and the territories. However, Administrator Manalili cautioned jobseekers that recruitment for the Guam project has not yet started since final arrangements are currently under negotiation. Recruitment is expected to start by the first quarter of 2010.

Last April 28 – 30, 2009, Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Luzviminda G. Padilla, POEA Administrator Manalili and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon together with 53 manpower supply agencies and 15 contractors went to Guam for a marketing mission to acquire contracts for the U.S. Naval Base relocation project.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Philippine Daily Inquirer (With reports from Associated Press and Michelle V. Remo. Jobs await Filipinos in Guam, Japan (Posted July 2, 2009) Retrieved July 2, 2009 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090702-213426/Jobs-await-Filipinos-in-Guam-Japan

Tan, Kimberly Jane T., GMANews.TV. Pinoys eyed to fill up 15,000 job vacancies in Guam. (Posted July 1, 2009) Retrieved July 1, 2009 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/166299/Pinoys-eyed-to-fill-up-15000-job-vacancies-in-Guam

Associated Press (published by Philstar.com) Guam governor expects Filipinos to fill jobs. (Posted July 1, 2009) Retrieved July 1, 2009 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=482775&publicationSubCategoryId=200

Philippine News Agency. Guam is hiring 15,000 mostly Filipino construction and health workers. (Posted June 30, 2009) Retrieved July 1, 2009 from
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=214797

de Leon, Max, Business Mirror. Filipinos get first crack at Guam’s 10,000 jobs (Posted June 30, 2009) Retrieved July 1, 2009 from
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/12527-filipinos-get-first-crack-at-guams-10000-jobs.html

Cahiles-Magkilat, Bernie, Manila Bulletin. Guam hiring Filipino workers for US project. (Posted June 30, 2009) Retrieved July 1, 2009 from
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/208548/guam-hiring-filipino-worker