A MEMBER of the Legislative Council of St. Petersburg, Russia urged Filipinos to seek employment in their place as there are more than 8,000 vacancies for those in the medical field and around 1,000 in the construction and social sectors.
In a press conference, Deputy Evgeny Marchenko of the St. Petersburg parliament said that for qualified Filipinos to work in his country, the governments of Russia and the Philippines, through their foreign affairs’ departments, must have a labor market agreement.
Marchenko was accompanied by businesswoman Armi Lopez Garcia, the Philippine honorary consul to Russia; Geronimo Sta. Ana and Caesar Atienza, chairman and director of the Philippine-Russian Business Assembly (PRBA), respectively.
Once an agreement between the two countries is signed, he said, Filipino workers who want to get employment in St. Petersburg must secure a Russian visa and must undergo a crash course in Russian language.
He said that St. Petersburg has salary rates that are higher than the Philippines and other countries, and foreign workers are safe and are assured of good working and living condition.
Consul Garcia said they will pursue the signing of a labor market agreement between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and its counterpart in Russia.
“We will conduct Russian language course for interested Filipino workers. We will help
them in securing their working visa. Maybe we can start sending Filipino workers to Russia by the end of 2013 or early next year,” Garcia said.
She said when the agreement will be realized, the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to increase.
She said Cebu has a sisterhood province agreement with St. Petersburg.
She said she met Marchenko in St. Petersburg during the recent Asian-Russia Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.
Marchenko, who arrived in the Philippines last July 30, was accompanied by Garcia in meeting with Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Gov. Hilario Davide III and officials of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Provincial Information Officer Ethel Natera said Marchenko was impressed with the qualifications and skills of the Filipinos.
At present, Atienza said there are more than 2,000 Filipino workers in Russia, although not all of them have proper working visa.
Marchencko said that because Filipino workers are excellent and hardworking, they can be a good advertisement of the Philippines to Russia.
Garcia said a Russian expert will come to Cebu to conduct the course in Russian
language and the first training venue will be at the University of San Carlos.
Sta. Ana said the University of Southern Philippines Foundation can also offer its facility for the language training course.
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