Maltese employers prefer OFWs—labor chief

MANILA, Philippines—Employers in Malta , a small country in the Mediterranean , have expressed desire to hire Filipino caregivers, seafarers, and service industry workers, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a news release.

Citing a report of Nasser Mustaffa, Philippine labor attache stationed in Tripoli, Libya, Baldoz said Maltese nationals now want the services of Filipino caregivers primarily because of their efficiency and love of work.

“Labor attache Mustaffa reported that he had travelled to Valletta, the Maltese capital, to meet with the 1,000-strong Filipino community and assess the prospects of deploying more workers there. His assessment was positive,” the labor chief said.

In his report, Mustaffa said Filipino caregivers he had spoken to in Malta, a prime tourist destination, expressed preference to stay and work in this prime tourist destination in the Mediterranean because of high salaries.

“Malta’s minimum wage is 620 euro (about $820) and Filipino workers there receive not less than this minimum wage amount. Besides, Filipino workers in Malta are allowed to do part-time jobs after eight hours of regular work,” he said.

Baldoz, however, warned jobseekers desiring to work in Malta to check their prospective employers, as well as their recruitment agencies, with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to ensure that there are valid job orders from Malta and that they would undergo legal application and deployment processes.

“There is no Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Malta. It is under the jurisdiction of our POLO in Libya and it is our POLO in Tripoli which will verify employment contracts for Malta,” Baldoz said.

“Go to POEA first,” she urged prospective applicants, before you entertain any job offer from Malta,” she reiterated. –INQUIRER.net