Malta employers to hire OFWs, says DoLE

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz bared that employers in Malta, a small country in the Mediterranean, have expressed desire to hire Filipino caregivers, seafarers and service industry workers.

In a report of Labor Attache Nasser Mustaffa, in Tripoli, Libya, Baldoz said Maltese nationals are now wanting the services of Filipino caregivers primarily because of their efficiency and love for work.

“Labor attache Mustaffa reported that he had traveled 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,” Baldoz said.

In his report, Labatt Mustaffa said Filipino caregivers 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 ($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.

The secretary, 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 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. Mina Diaz, Daily Tribune