By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) in the Philippines has urged certain categories of Filipino workers who want to work in Qatar to raise their skill levels in order to get better pay.
In a report posted on the Philippine government’s website, DOLE has announced that Qatar may need 100,000 to 150,000 skilled Filipino workers and professionals until 2022.
“Better yet, get certified first through our national certification system being administered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority,” said labour secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, who was referring to untrained, unskilled or even domestic workers (housemaids) and other “vulnerable” workers.
She advised Filipinos who want to work abroad, especially in Qatar, to enrol in a number of training and related courses.
Baldoz said obtaining adequate experience, skills and knowledge ensured added protection. She noted that employers abroad usually required a minimum of two years’ experience for migrant workers.
The senior labour official announced the huge demand for Filipino workers in Qatar after receiving a labour market information report from the Philippine Overseas Labour Office in Doha headed by labour attaché Leopoldo De Jesus.
In his report, De Jesus said Qatar was building six new health centres out of the 19 planned for construction, paving the way for hiring more healthcare workers such as nurses.
“In fact, the Supreme Council of Health is now recruiting many staff nurses and dental assistants from the Philippines,” he added.
During Baldoz’s meeting with HE the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Abdullah Saleh Mubarak al-Khulaifi
In November last year, the latter pointed out that the country is overhauling its healthcare system and needs to build more hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
The move is also bolstered by the rapid increase in Qatar’s population every year.
De Jesus said Qatar’s ongoing projects, such as the $40bn national integrated rail network, a $5.5bn deep-water seaport and the recently built $11bn Hamad International Airport, would continue to generate thousands of jobs.
“The railway project alone will employ 20,000 to 35,000 workers. The HIA project is now completed but service crews such as cleaners are still needed for airport facilities,” he added.
Besides these projects, the labour attaché said Qatar Tourism Authority reportedly intends to invest about $20bn in tourism infrastructure development. Some 45,000 additional hotel rooms are expected to be built to meet FIFA’s room capacity requirement of 60,000 rooms.
According to the same report, De Jesus also noted that more workers would be needed for Qatar’s multi-billion-dollar projects. These include the Public Works Authority’s $30bn investment for buildings and infrastructure projects in the next five to seven years and the $4bn stadium-building programme, among others.
