14 Nov 2008

PHILIPPINE LABOR DELEGATION MEETS WITH
AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPARTS ON LABOUR COOPERATION

Sydney, 14 November 2008 – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Philippines sent a Technical Mission to Australia to meet with authorities on matters related to the Philippines’ long-term provision of skilled workers and professionals to Australia under the temporary skilled migration 457 visa program.

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney said that the mission came to Australia upon the invitation of the state government of South Australia and as a follow-up to the recently-concluded Second Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting (PAMM) held in Manila in October. During the PAMM, the two countries plotted the course for bilateral cooperation in many areas, among them trade in services and the movement of natural persons.

The delegation was led by Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary (Deputy Minister) Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz and joined by representatives of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the International Labor Affairs Services (ILAS) of DOLE.

The delegation went to South Australia to discuss with state officials a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on labor cooperation between the state and the DOLE. The draft MOU included the following issues: cooperation on recruitment procedures and practices in relation to the movement of natural persons; strengthening cooperation in educational and technical training, bridging courses, and institutional twinning arrangements between Philippine and Australian universities and training centers; and mutual recognition arrangements for priority skills and professions.

In Sydney, the delegation also held initial discussions with the Nurses and Midwives Board and the College of Nursing of the University of Western Sydney on the matter of registered nurses. In addition, the five-member delegation met with clusters representing Australian companies and recruitment agencies hiring skilled Filipino workers and professionals under the 457 work visa program in Sydney, Perth and Cairns.