Employment prospects in Qatar bright for Pinoy workers

Employment prospects for returning workers from Lebanon and other aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are getting brighter, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Labor Undersecretary for Employment Danilo Cruz said thousands of overseas jobs await Filipino workers, including those who have just returned from Lebanon.

Cruz noted that 18 OFWs returning from Lebanon are leaving next week to work in Qatar and more are expected to follow.

"The 18 workers are just awaiting their documents and they would soon leave," Cruz said, adding that over a hundred returnees from Lebanon have expressed desire to return abroad and work.

According to Cruz, there has been a surge in the number of OFWs deployed to Qatar since last year and the figure is expected to rise further.

"We have posted a dramatic growth in workers deployment to Qatar. In fact, it recorded the highest growth in the Middle East last year mainly due to the construction boom in preparation for the forthcoming Asian Games," Cruz said.

With the impending transfer of US camps from Okinawa, Cruz disclosed that at least 15,000 Filipino workers are also expected to be hired in Guam.

"The hiring is yet to start but the employment prospects for Filipino workers in Guam, Qatar, Palau and Japan are very bright," Cruz said.

DOLE is hoping to deploy more than a million overseas Filipino workers to various countries this year. — Mayen Jaymalin