MANILA: The Philippines is looking to forge a labor cooperation deal with Morocco, Manila’s envoy in Rabat said on Wednesday, as officials work to bolster opportunities for Filipino professionals.
Around 4,600 Filipinos live in Morocco, where more than half are employed as household service workers while others make a living working in beauty salons and the electronics industry.
As the Philippines and Morocco are “strong advocates of migration,” the two countries have been discussing ways to boost their labor cooperation, said Leslie Baja, Manila’s ambassador to Morocco.
“We are both interested in safeguarding the rights of workers and any cooperation in this field could lead to any possible agreement,” Baja told Arab News.
Although formal discussions have yet to begin, the embassy is coordinating with the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers to initiate agreement within the year, with the first deal expected to be a memorandum of understanding.
Baja added: “This is a draft MOU, not a full-fledged BLA [bilateral labor agreement]. Morocco is considering this as a first step toward a full agreement. It seeks cooperation on labor, employment and vocational training.”
The deal is expected to extend engagement between the two countries’ labor agencies, and pave the way for future agreements, including on the subject of hiring Filipino professionals.
Baja said: “They recently indicated a need for healthcare professionals like nurses.”
Filipino nurses fluent in English are in high demand overseas, making up a large part of the healthcare workforce in many countries such as Canada and the US.
Relations between the Philippines and Morocco have been strengthened since Manila reopened its embassy in Rabat last year. The mission had been closed for around three decades due to budget constraints.
The two countries have engaged more closely as the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them, in 2025, approaches.
