Czech Republic in need of more Pinoy workers – Marcos

PRAGUE – The Czech Republic is in need of more workers from the Philippines in the fields of manufacturing, transportation, agriculture and health care, according to President Marcos.

Speaking before the Filipino community here on Friday, Marcos said he was told by Czech Republic officials that the country admires the talent of Filipino workers in different fields.

“For this reason, the Czech Republic wants to invite more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to fill their lack of workers in various industries,” the President said in Filipino.

“And I emphasized to the government of the Czech Republic the importance of the protection and security of our OFWs,” he said.

Marcos and Czech President Petr Pavel witnessed the signing of the Joint Communiqué on Labor Consultations Mechanism on Thursday, aimed at establishing a system to discuss areas of mutual interests, including proper procedure in employing Filipino citizens in the Czech Republic.

The mechanism was signed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Czech Republic’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

The Czech Republic had announced the increase in the yearly quota for Filipino workers from the current 5,500 to 10,300 starting May this year.

“The Joint Communiqué reaffirms the commitment of both nations to nurture a relationship grounded in the recognition of the rights and duties of Filipino workers and their employers in the Czech Republic,” the DMW noted in a statement.

It added, “It seeks to ensure the full observance of the rights of Filipino workers following Czech legal standards, while also respecting the interests and laws of both countries.”

The agreement provides for the identification of sectors for Filipino worker employment in the Czech Republic and the affirmation of transparency and adherence to ethical principles, laws and regulations in the recruitment and employment of Filipino workers.