President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo announced at the Sheraton Doha Hotel and Resort during her three-day official visit in Doha, Qatar that beginning January of this year, 37,000 jobs await Filipinos in Qatar despite the global financial crisis.
The number of available jobs, according to the President, more than offsets the displacement of Filipino workers in other countries. In recent reports, over 1,000 OFW’s were laid off in Taiwan and went back to the country because of the global financial crisis and political turmoil.
The President stated that employers in Qatar and other Middle East countries prefer Filipino workers because of their diligence, trustworthiness, efficiency and skills. PGMA attributed the preference of Qatari employers for Filipinos to the “galing” [great ability] of the OFWs, adding that Filipino workers were well-liked by their employers.
“However, notwithstanding the continuing bright prospects for Filipino labor abroad, it’s always prudent to be prepared for the unexpected,” Pres. Arroyo said.
With the current economic slowdown, threatening thousands of OFWs working around the world, the government has released P250-million livelihood support fund for returning OFWs. The fund will be distributed through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) based on the guidelines to be set by the said government office. Displaced overseas workers may use the fund to engage in livelihood project, establish their business or to continue or pursue higher education and training.
Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:
Office of the President. 37,000 job openings await Filipinos in Qatar (Posted December 14, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15154&Itemid=2
Re-posted at Gov.Ph news at http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=23070
Samonte, Angelo S., Ben Arnold De Vera and Francis Earl A. Cueto. Manila Times Internet Edition. Qatar needs 37,000 OFWs (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/dec/15/yehey/top_stories/20081215top1.html
GMA News.tv In demand OFWs lauded by employers in Qatar (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139454/In-demand-OFWs-lauded-by-employers-in-Qatar
Ubac, Michael Lim, Jerome Aning. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Qatar offers 37,000 jobs. (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081215-178009/Qatar-offers-37000-jobs
Pañares, Joyce Pangco with reports from Elaine R. Alanguilan. Manila Standard Today. 37,000 jobs await Filipinos in Qatar, Malacañang says. (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081215-178009/Qatar-offers-37000-jobs