Philippines, Hungary considering bilateral labor agreement

MANILA, Philippines — A bilateral labor agreement may be imminent between the Philippines and Hungary, where the number of Filipino workers being deployed is fast growing.

The 7th Philippines-Hungary Political Consultations were held in Budapest last Sept. 26, during which the delegations of the Philippines and Hungary discussed various bilateral and global issues affecting both countries, among them labor cooperation.

The Philippine delegation was led by Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for bilateral relations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro. She was joined by Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Frank Cimafranca and officers of the Philippine embassy in Budapest.

The Hungarian side was led by Deputy State Secretary for development of Eastern relations Adam Stifter and composed of officials from the Department of Fastest Growing Economies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Discussions teed-off on both countries’ successful conduct of elections and progressed to talks on continued growth in bilateral cooperation and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Hungary in 2023.

The meeting paved the way for a review of the status of pending agreements on financial cooperation and transport between the two countries.

Further utilization of existing agreements on agriculture and science and technology, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and information technology, was also discussed.

The Philippines thanked Hungary for continuing to provide educational opportunities for Filipino scholars studying Hungarian universities via the Stipendium Hungaricum program, which annually allocates 35 slots for qualified Filipinos.

Looking into possible energy solutions for the Philippines in the future, Hungary encouraged Filipinos to study nuclear engineering under the scholarship program.

The meeting also provided both sides an opportunity to exchange views on various regional issues affecting them, including the security situations in Southeast Asia, the South China Sea and Europe.