MANILA, Philippines — Australia is looking to hire Filipino workers despite the economic difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine Ambassador Ma. Hellen dela Vega said yesterday.
She said Australia is interested in hiring Filipino welders and workers in livestock agriculture (pig and cattle).
“Notwithstanding this COVID situation we are in, our Philippine Overseas Labor Office has received job orders,” Dela Vega said in a Laging Handa televised briefing.
“We’re expecting that sooner or later, hopefully before the year is over, our workers will resume working here in Australia,” she said.
According to the ambassador, all Filipinos who contracted the coronavirus have recovered. There are no more active COVID-19 cases in the Filipino community in Australia.
The Filipino seafarers who were stranded in Australia, she said, have been repatriated to the Philippines.
As the country chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations committee, the Philippine embassy in Canberra made a joint representation to the Australian government to assist about 150,000 students from ASEAN.
“Good outcome. We received lots of assurances about the relief packages and the support they are giving to the students, including 17,000 students from the Philippines,” she said.