RP, UK ink pact on direct hiring of nurses

Filipino nurses aspiring to work in the United Kingdom can look forward to the option of applying directly with the government placement branch (GPB) of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

This deployment is affirmed with the signing of a recruitment agreement between the Department of Labor and Employment and UK’s Department of Health last Jan. 8.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas gave her blessing to Ambassador to the UK Cesar Bautista to sign the recruitment agreement for and on behalf of the POEA.

"Ambassador Bautista has been very supportive of this arrangement in the light of the desire of UK government authorities to fill up the much sought vacancies for nurses without having to overburden applicants with exorbitant placement fees," Sto. Tomas said.

Throughout the almost 20 years of its existence, the POEA maintains an in-house placement facility which primarily caters to the hiring needs of foreign government instrumentalities and selected employers who explicitly desire to deal directly with government. "The mutual interest of the Philippine and UK governments to enter into its recruitment agreement have been precipitated by the malpractices of some British and Philippine agencies collecting exorbitant placement fees from applicants," Sto. Tomas said.

Under UK laws, there is a prohibition for recruitment agencies to collect any placement fee from applicants. It is usually the employer who foots the bill on hiring costs.