Recruiters see more OFW deployment in Iraq, Libya

MANILA, Philippines - More Filipino workers are expected to get employed overseas with the lifting of the deployment ban in Northern Iraq and Libya.

Recruitment leaders reported yesterday that more than a thousand job orders in the hotel and health industry are already available for Filipinos in Kurdistan and Libya.

In fact, a team from Libya’s Ministry of Health is now in the country to interview Filipino nurses and other medical workers.

The ministry is also looking to hire general, cardiac, abdominal and CCU surgeons; clinical care unit, midwife, ER and ICU nurses; radiologists, OB and other specialized doctors and nurses with at least two years experience, board license and in good health.

Those who pass the interview will be immediately deployed to Libya.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Hans Cacdac expected over a million highly skilled Filipino workers would be hired abroad this year.

“We do not expect decline in deployment and we still see Middle East as our major market,” he said.

Meanwhile, POEA reported that two recruitment agencies were padlocked for illegal deployment of workers.

Cacdac said they cancelled the license and closed down Northwest Placement Inc. in Manila and Reajent Manpower Services Inc. in Quezon City.

“Investigation revealed that even without the necessary permit, Northwest still recruits housekeepers for US while Reagent recruits workers for nonexistent jobs in Australia,” Cacdac noted.

Cacdac added that POEA and other concerned government agencies would continue to intensify their campaign against illegal recruitment by closing down agencies involved in such activities.