Need for OFWs in Australia to slow down

DUE TO FINANCIAL CRISIS

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 19:10:00 01/22/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The demand for Filipino workers in Australia remains but will slow down due to the continuing global financial crunch, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith said.

At Wednesday night's Journalists Reunion, Smith said that as every other country in the world, Australia would be hit by the crisis that would ultimately affect its capacity to absorb foreign workers.

"It's very, very hard to predict how deep and extended the crisis would be. We don't know how Australia would be affected. We don't know how the sectors that hire Filipinos would be affected by the downturn," he said.

But, he maintained, "Australia is increasingly an important market for skilled Filipino workers as Australian businesses struggle to fill skills shortages."

Smith also said that Philippines has dislodged India from the number two position for Australia's major sources of temporary skilled workers. He said 9,000 Filipinos are already in Australia under the employer-sponsored temporary skilled workers program of Australia.

Smith said more Filipinos are going to Australia and making "fantastic" contributions to the country.

"There are substantial Filipinos in Australia, between 200,000 to 250,000. The population of Filipinos in Australia is increasing. They are from all walks of life -- in business, education, culture, sports, media, and government. They are making fantastic contributions to multicultural Australia," he said.

The Australian ambassador described the relationship between Australia and the Philippines as "substantial," with A$2.7 billion in two-way trade.

However, he said, he hopes to increase this to a level comparable to the other ASEAN countries. Total trade between ASEAN member-countries and Australia is A$70 billion.

"The Philippines' share of the trade is lower than what should be, given the size of the two economies," Smith said.