Following consultations with President Arroyo and Philippine labor officials, top Middle East firms went on a “recruitment spree” following a two-day job summit that started Sunday. Online news site Khaleej Times reported that the summit drew established firms and new companies from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Oman and Bahrain. Key players composed of employers, manpower providers, officials of the Philippines and Gulf states in the overseas employment of Filipino workers in the Middle East and North African region discussed how the Philippines could accelerate the filling up of a large share of job orders in the region within this year in the light of the current global economic crisis. A manifesto confirming 200,141 new jobs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East and Northern Africa Region was presented to Mrs. Arroyo at the opening of the Job Summit on Sunday in Dubai. Labor Attaché Virginia Calvez of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Muriel Joseph, Chief People Officer of Saudi Oger Ltd, representing the employers attending the two-day Job Summit, presented the manifesto to the President. Kuwait offered the most number of jobs at 39,169 followed by UAE with 39,128; and Saudi Arabia with 31,097. Libya, Arab and African states came in with 21,517; Oman, 11,356; and, Bahrain, 3,446. Among the big employers in attendance were Dubai World Security, Emirates Group, Almarai Group, Kernzner International Management for Atlantis Hotel, Consolidated Contractors International Company, Daelim International Operations and Daewoo Engineer and Construction for UAE; Al-Suwaidi, Nesma And Partners Contracting Company, Mohd Al Mojil Group, Saudi Oger Ltd and Bechtel and Sub-Contractors for KSA; The National Company for Mechanical and Electrical Works and Kuwait Food Company (Middle East Operations) for Kuwait; and, Oman Airports Management Company for Oman. Job consultations were made with the managers of private service providers involved in the recruitment and hiring of skilled workers as well as professional, government officials and employers. Dr Hussain Almahdi, chairman of the Federation of Gulf Cooperating Council Chambers of Commerce Committee on Human Resources and Labor Market in UAE, made a presentation on the Middle East labor market outlook. The Job Summit sought to assess employment and business opportunities in countries in the Middle East and North Africa as a major labor-receiving region. It also sought to identify issues and concerns and recommend measures to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders in both sending and receiving countries. Also, it is intended to preserve existing jobs and to generate more employment opportunities for all. Issues were discussed in the plenary sessions spearheaded by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque. The first day was highlighted with the presentation of the manifesto confirming 200,141 new jobs for the overseas Filipino workers. On-the-spot verification of the job orders and authentication services and presentation of action programs on filling up of existing job orders of the Philippine Overseas Labor Posts in the MENA Region was made. A separate report on Arab News said Mrs. Arroyo claimed there would be more than 200,000 new jobs for skilled and professional Filipinos in the Middle East and North Africa for this year alone, including 39,128 new opportunities in the UAE. She said the new job opportunities were created after Philippine labor officials and representatives of companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, as well as managers of agencies involved in the recruitment and hiring of Filipino workers, signed an agreement to create new jobs despite the global economic crisis. Mrs. Arroyo and her team arrived in Dubai over the weekend after cutting short their official trip in Thailand where anti-government protesters disrupted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Pattaya on Saturday. UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi received Mrs. Arroyo at the airport. On Saturday, Vice President Manuel “Noli” de Castro Jr. assured nearly 100 Filipino workers who spent weeks at a shelter after fleeing their employers that he would help them return home to their families, even if they could not be repatriated all at once. “There is a process involved,” said De Castro, adding that he would personally follow up their requests for airline tickets and free legal assistance with the Philippine government. De Castro is in the region to open a new embassy in Damascus next week and, in his capacity as presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino workers, visited to check on the conditions of the women sheltered at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Deira. Of the 96 occupants at the shelter, 38 women have had their visas cancelled. Their passports have been retrieved from their employers but they need air tickets to return home, according to Filipino labor officials in Dubai. “Their problems are not unique,” De Castro said. “These are the common problems of our Filipino workers in the Middle East.” He said that prior to his visit he was briefed by Filipino diplomats in the UAE about the common problems experienced by Filipino workers here.
