‘No cutback in demand for RP workers’

LABOR CHIEF SAYS

By TJ Burgonio, Edson C. Tandoc Jr., Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 08:53:00 10/15/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the gloomy forecasts, Filipinos should not fret about job losses or possible cutbacks in opportunities in the United States, the Middle East and elsewhere, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Tuesday.

Roque said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had not received any reports from its 37 labor officers posted abroad about cutbacks in the demand for Filipino workers in the face of the global economic crunch.

“So the situation remains stable and we do not expect any reduction in the demand for overseas Filipinos especially in the Middle East,” he said at a press briefing.

The Building and Wood Workers’ International had warned that the number of jobs in the badly hit construction industry in the United States could further shrink, increasing the number of undocumented Filipinos there.

It said it had monitored some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who had flown back to Manila after losing their jobs, adding that their “families will have a sad Christmas.”

Over the years, OFWs have managed to keep the economy afloat, sending home some $14.4 billion last year, nearly a tenth of the gross domestic product.

Roque said it was inaccurate to assume that the OFWs coming home were laid off as a result of the global economic slowdown.

“This is the normal trend after their contracts have been terminated,” he said.

Jobs in Canada, Australia, Europe

Contrary to fears of a contracting job market abroad, there are many jobs awaiting Filipinos in Canada, Australia and European countries, Roque said.

“We have signed up with four provinces in Canada,” he said. “The pay rates are relatively higher compared with what the Filipinos are enjoying in other countries.”

Another DOLE team is leaving for Australia to start negotiations on the possible employment of Filipinos there, Roque said.

“When the option comes for Filipinos to go overseas, and entertain a job offer from Australia, we have ample potential mechanisms that are already in place,” he said.

Both Canada and Australia are offering jobs for nurses, IT personnel, truckers and hotel workers, among others, Roque said.

Worst-case scenario

“We are also looking at France, Norway and New Zealand as new markets that would be needing the services of Filipinos,” he said.

Roque said that the DOLE had drawn up a contingency plan for overseas workers in case the United States slides into a recession.

“We have assumed the worst-case scenario; and we are prepared for it. We have the mechanics to assist our workers and we will provide them with the necessary assistance,” he said, but declined to go into specific details.

Hurricane Ike

In some parts of the United States, the aftermath of nature’s wrath is cushioning the impact of the global financial crisis on Filipino construction workers.

Some labor groups fear that the economic slump would hurt the construction business in the United States, which employs many Filipino workers.

But 50-year-old Jerry, a private contractor in Texas, said the construction business is booming now in states recently pummeled by Hurricane “Ike.”

“The business is booming now because of the damage brought by “Ike.” Many homes and buildings have to be repaired,” Jerry told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone.

Hurricane Ike hit Texas and nearby states in early September, shutting down oil production in the area as well as damaging residential areas.

But Jerry acknowledged that a few of his friends from other states, like New Jersey and California, had already lost their jobs.

He also said that prices of basic commodities had gone up.

International labor groups with Filipino members said the other day that the financial slump was also threatening the jobs of more than eight million Filipinos overseas.

They said those in the service sector, like construction workers and nurses, are the most vulnerable. If they lose jobs, they are likely to stay as undocumented migrants instead of coming home, since no work awaits them in the Philippines, said the Building and Wood Workers’ International

Overseas Filipino workers are also likely to reduce the amount of their remittances this holiday season, the group also said.

Filipinos in the United States are not giving up hope, however. “There are many jobs here that the Americans do not want to take. So we are optimistic we can survive the crisis,” Jerry said.

Second or third jobs

Aside from the looming threat of losing their jobs, Filipino domestic helpers will have to learn to cope with cuts in their salaries due to the global financial crisis.

Connie Bragas-Regalado, chair of Migrante International, said Filipino maids would have to cope with the crisis by taking on other jobs, borrowing money or participating in the underground economies in their respective countries.

“To ensure that they can send money home, they will have to find ways to cope. Our maids will have to look for a second or even a third job or sell goods in the underground economy,” Regalado said.