Libya needs 16,000 workers

MANILA, Philippines -- The North African country of Libya is in need of more than 16,000 migrant workers, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Saturday.

Citing a report from Philippine labor officials in Tripoli, Roque said oil-rich Libya is experiencing a construction boom and has remained relatively unscathed by the global financial crisis that battered major Filipino workers’ destinations such as Dubai and Taiwan.

“The employment prospects in Libya and nearby nations are favorable for OFWs as they continue to be the preferred choice among foreign employers,” Roque said, noting that OFWs have become popular abroad because of their skills, industry, adaptability, and facility with the English language.

Job opportunities abound in the Libyan oil and gas sector, construction industry, and health sectors, he noted.

According to the labor chief, "Korean firms like Daewoo, Hyundai, and Al Nahr are currently recruiting thousands of OFWs for their development and construction projects in Libya."

Philippine labor officials are "constantly conducting meetings with these companies as well as with other firms in Libya in need of foreign workers to pave the way for the recruitment and deployment of OFWs with appropriate skills to this country," Roque said.

Aside from opportunities in the infrastructure and oil industries, Libya is also opening its tourism and medical sector to Filipinos.

Talks were underway to allow Filipino health workers to work in Libyan hospitals, Roque said. Labor officials in Tripoli have requested the Libyan health ministry to allow the recruitment of around 4,000 Filipino medical workers for the Tripoli and Benghazi Medical Centers and other hospitals and clinics in Libya, he noted.

According to the Labor chief, Libya is also developing its tourism sector and has been luring hotel developers in the country, which serves as the gateway between the Mediterranean and Africa.

The Philippine labor office in Tripoli also reported that there were opportunities for OFWs in the hotel, oil and gas, and technical services sectors of Libya's neighbors like Algeria, Chad, Malta, and Morocco. - Kristine L. Alave, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Posted date: May 09, 2009