POEA: Household workers still in demand abroad

HOUSEHOLD service workers remain as the most in demand job outside the country, according to Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) Regional Coordinator Rose Jervoso.

Most of these household workers are working in neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

“It is a market reality that there is a high demand of household service workers,” said Jervoso.

Based on the data of presented by Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (Owwa) administrator Carmelita Dimzun more than 16,000 domestic helpers comes from the region, were highest percentage of them are from the province of Leyte.

Increase for household workers application is seen as the Philippine government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia once again forges a new agreement that is more beneficial to Filipino domestic workers.

Early this year, after a year when Saudi Arabia impose a ban for hiring household workers from the country that was estimated to affect at least 8,000 household workers from the country, it reopened once again its door in hiring Filipino household workers after a new memorandum of agreement was signed by the Philippines and Saudi governments.

Under the new agreement, household workers are entitled to a day rest every week, yearly vacation for at least 30 day, free ticket to home country and housing and food or allowance for both.

The new agreement also obliges employers to treat the household workers nicely, shoulder the fees of household workers that are related to visa and employers should deposit the salary to the ban account of the household worker.

Aside from household service workers, also in great demand are skilled workers like electricians, bakers, guards, welders, elevator operators and draftsmen.

There is also a demand for electrical and mechanical engineers abroad but medical professional workers like nurses have the highest demand.

Saudi Arabia, according to Jervoso, is the country with the most number of Filipino nurses who are working. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)