President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to sign a labor agreement with the Czech Republic and enhance labor cooperation with Germany in his respective state and working visits in a bid to strengthen the bilateral ties with the two countries.

In a pre-departure press briefing on Friday, Assistant Foreign Affairs Secretary Elena Algabre of the Office of European Affairs said Marcos will sign a joint communique on the establishment of the labor consultations mechanism with the Czech Republic.

Algabre said the joint communique aims “to enhance cooperation between the Philippines and the Czech Republic for the safe and orderly migration of Filipino workers, as well as for the provision of higher protection of their rights and welfare.”

She added the Czech Republic sparked great interest in inviting more Filipinos to work in their country, commending them for their talents, skills, good work ethics, and hospitable nature.

“Well, the Filipino workers everywhere, whenever we talk especially from our counterparts in Europe, they really appreciate the work ethic of our countrymen, and their talent and skills ? so that’s one. So they do get a premium in terms of recruitment and benefits,” Algabre said.

“And as far as Europe is concerned, Europe has a problem with its population. A lot of them have a shortage in their working population. And some of them, they have been a boom, say, in the tourism industry, and they know that our skills even in our, you know, our hospitable nature, in our very pleasant attitude at work ? lagi tayong nakangiti,” she added.

Approximately 7,000 Filipinos are living in the Czech Republic. She added the Central European country announced a yearly quota of at least 10,000 Filipinos who may enter their country for work starting May 2024.

Algrabre said skilled and professional workers are needed in Czech Republic as she emphasized that the Philippines is expected to enhance labor cooperation of the Philippines with the governments of Germany and Czech Republic.

Algabre pointed out the Philippines has an existing agreement with Germany on health workers called the “Triple Win Program.” Presidential News Desk