Norway open to Filipino workers—labor chief

99,000 jobs still open in Qatar

MANILA, Philippines—Norway is open to Filipino professionals from the fields of engineering and information technology seeking to land a job there, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Marianito Roque said on Monday.

At the same time, Roque also reiterated that some 99,000 jobs are still open to Filipinos in Qatar who have technical and engineering expertise.

Of the 125,000 work visas allotted for Filipino workers, he said only 26,000 positions have been filled up so far as Qatar opened up its labor market to meet the demands in construction works and in the oil fields, he said.

For the Norway jobs, Roque said Filipinos can apply for a job seekers’ visa, go to Norway, and directly apply there.

”They allow people to go there as job seekers,” Roque told reporters, stressing that this was a good set-up because it would allow those looking for employment to choose the best workplace when they are actually in Norway.

Roque said he recently came to know of the policy from the Norwegian embassy.

He said Norway did not give the number of Filipino workers in needed for IT professionals and engineers.

Roque and other labor officials presented before the House oversight committee the accomplishments of the department in connection with the goal to provide employment to six million people from 2004 to 2010, one of the 10-point agenda of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. –Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net