Chiz asks Australian gov’t to hire more Filipino workers

Mario B. Casayuran

Opposition Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, chairman of the Senate constitutional amendments and justice committees, has asked Australian government officials to allow the entry of more Filipino health professionals as well as non-skilled workers who might have been displaced in other countries as a result of the current global financial crisis.

Escudero issued the statement before returning to Manila late yesterday from Australia which invited him for a four-day visit, from March 8 to 11.

"We talked about the possibility of a government-to-government arrangement on labor migration at various levels," he said.

The Escudero visit was highlighted by his first meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd whom he said agreed that Australia and the Philippines should "play more active roles in the region."

During his visit, Escudero said he discussed labor, trade and migration issues with Rudd as well as the current state of relations between Australia and the Philippines.

The senator said during his meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment, Education and Workplace Julia Gillard MP and Minister of Immigration and Sen. Chris Evans, he also discussed the current laws which protect migrants from discriminatory practices.

The Australian embassy in Manila revealed that in the last two years there has been a substantial increase in the number of skilled Filipino workers migrating to Australia, and that in 2008 the increase was estimated to be 136% higher than the previous year, outpacing family migration to Australia for the first time.

"There is a strong demand for doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists in Australia. It could very well take the slack in other countries," Escudero said.

During his four-day stay, the senator also took up trade issues with Australian Minister of Trade MP Simon Crean.

Two-way trade between both countries from 2007-08 reached textbig billion, with the Philippines exporting electrical machinery, telecommunications equipment and fruits and importing dairy products and minerals.

Only last week, the Australian government allowed the entry of Philippine bananas subject to certain conditions.

At present, there are about 130,000 Filipinos living or working in Australia. Based on latest figures, the Philippines is the fifth biggest source of migrants.