Bad news, good news on Guam jobs

Veronica Uy, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:33:00 07/05/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The bad news: As next year’s scheduled relocation of the United States military base from Okinawa, Japan to Guam gives Filipinos seeking overseas employment hope, they may not get priority for construction jobs, a recruitment specialist said Sunday.

Although Filipinos are preferred in Guam, the huge unemployment situation in the US, particularly mainland-based construction workers, may get in the way of getting Filipinos hired for jobs created by the planned construction of various buildings and infrastructure in the new site of the US Marine and Air Force units, said Emmanuel Geslani.

Quoting Guam Governor Felix Camacho, he said construction workers in the US may compete with the prospective Filipino workers.

Among those that will be built are new barracks, dependents’ housing, new roads, and infrastructure like electrical power, water facilities, waste treatment, commissary and other buildings necessary to accommodate the transfer and relocation of the additional 23,000 persons, he said.

He said the demand for construction workers for the Guam build-up will start by the first quarter of 2010, when the bids for the new US Marines headquarters will be awarded. Actual construction will start in July 2010 after all bids have been awarded. The 18-month project is scheduled for completion by 2012 for the total relocation of US military personnel from Okinawa by 2014.

At the same time, there are no still job orders approved by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, said Geslani.

He said the employment contract acceptable to both Guam labor officials and the POEA is still being finalized, although the basic issues have already been agreed on—the hourly wages start at $12 and US labor laws will be followed.

Camacho was in the country last week and met with members and officials of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, the Philippine Association of Service Exporters Inc. (Pasei), and the Philippine Construction Association.

The good news

But once Guam is transformed into a major US military base in the Pacific, Filipino health care personnel will be in demand, the Guam governor said.

“Guam is substantially underserved in health care services. Filipino nurses who have passed the requisite US licensure examinations and Filipino doctors that have US board certifications are qualified to apply,” the Guam official said.

Guam, which is only three hours away from the Philippines, will become home to 8,000 more US Marines and 15,000 more dependents starting 2012.

Actual demand for healthcare workers will start in 2012 when the relocation of the US Marines and their dependents will start so aspiring Filipino nurses and doctors can now prepare by taking the necessary US exams like NCLEX, CGFNS, IELTS, and US Board
certifications, Geslani said.

Medical technicians in radiology, cardio laboratories, and CT scan; occupational and physical therapists, as well as medical transcriptionists and medical administrative personnel will be needed to staff the expanded naval hospital in Guam, he said.

The US Department of Defense anticipates that the transfer would double the total patient capacity of the US Naval Hospital, now the primary medical provider for the 14,000 military members and their dependents in Guam.

The US Naval Hospital offers a broad band of medical services that include family practice, OB-GYN, pediatrics, general surgery, internal medicine, occupational health and preventive medicine, physical therapy, health promotions, and social work services.

Japan will fund $8 billion of the $12-billion move, the rest by the US.

Altogether, Geslani said, the relocation of the US military base is expected to generate 20,000 jobs.