Philippines minister says Maltese employers seek to hire Filipino workers

Maltese employers have ex­pressed the desire to hire Filipino caregivers, seafarers, and service industry workers, according to the Philippines’ Labour and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

Ms Baldoz was quoted by the Philippine Information Agency on Wednesday.

Citing a report by the Philippine Labour attaché in Tripoli Nasser S. Mustaffa, Ms Baldoz said Maltese nationals were now requesting the services of Filipino caregivers “primarily because of their efficiency and love of work”.

“Labour attaché Mustaffa reported that he had travelled to Valletta to meet with the 1,000-strong Filipino community and assess the prospects of deploying more workers there. His assessment was positive,” Ms Baldoz said.

The Philippine Information Agency said that in his report, Mr Mustaffa added Filipino caregivers he had spoken to in Malta expressed preference to stay and work on the island because of high salaries.

“Malta’s minimum wage is €620 and Filipino workers there receive no less than this minimum wage amount. Besides, Filipino workers in Malta are allowed to do part-time jobs after eight hours of regular work,” he said.

Ms Baldoz, however, warned jobseekers wishing to work in Malta to check their prospective employers, as well as their recruitment agencies, with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to ensure that there were valid job orders from Malta and that they would undergo legal application and deployment processes.

“There is no Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) in Malta. It is under the jurisdiction of our POLO in Libya and it is our POLO in Tripoli which will verify employment contracts for Malta,” Ms Baldoz warned.

“Go to POEA first,” she urged prospective applicants, before you entertain any job offer from Malta.”