Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today said the estimated 220,000 job opportunities generated by Saudi Arabia visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is a concrete manifestation of the administration’s commitment to promoting the welfare and uplifting the lives of Filipino workers.
Romualdez cited the four landmark agreements between Saudi and Filipino firms signed during Pres. Marcos, Jr.’s visit that opened job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of our workers to fill the growing demand for laborers in the kingdom pursuant to the Saudi Vision 2030.
Saudi Vision 2030 includes, among others, non-oil diversification of its economy, improving infrastructure, advancing digitalization, and creating competitive business environments.
“The successful visit of President Marcos to Saudi is a solid testament to the dedication of his administration in ensuring the well-being and improving the lot of Filipino workers, through enhancement of the long-standing friendship and diplomatic ties between the two nations,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“This visit reaffirms the commitment of our government to support and protect the rights and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who have played a pivotal role in enhancing the lives of their families and the entire nation,” he added.
Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives, noted that in his message to the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, Pres. Marcos, Jr. pointed out that his high-level discussions with Saudi officials also involved issues on better job security and improved working conditions of OFWs in the kingdom.
“At ‘yan po ang naging bahagi sa ating pagpunta rito ay para kausapin ulit ang ating mga kaibigan dito sa Saudi Arabia. At hindi lamang sa Saudi Arabia, kung hindi dito sa Middle East upang tiyakin na ang kalagayan naman ng ating mga mamamayan, ng ating mga Pilipino ay nasa mabuti. At kung may problema man ay pinag-usapan natin at kaya po nating ayusin,” Pres. Marcos, Jr. said.
Topping the four agreements is the US $3.765 billion deal between Al-Jeer Human Resources Company (ARCO) and Association of Philippine Licensed Agencies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to cooperate in terms of investments that would employ Filipino workforce in the kingdom.
The agreement is expected to generate more than 200,000 jobs to meet the demands of the market in accordance with the kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Also signed during the event is the agreement between Al Rushaid Petroleum Investment Company & Samsung Engineering NEC Co. Ltd., on the one hand, and Filipino firm EEI Corporation valued at US $120 million for the establishment of a 500-person training facility in the Tanza, Cavite, Philippines.
Meant to upgrade Filipino labor skills in masonry, carpentry, electrical, welding, equipment management, warehousing, steel fabrication, and other construction-related crafts, it aims to train at least 2,000 Filipinos starting in 2024 and more than 15,000 in the next five years.
Likewise signed were two separate agreements between Maharah Human Resources Company of Saudi and Filipino firms Staffhouse International Resources Corporation and E-GMP International Corporation, each valued at an estimated US $191 million.
Both agreements seek to onboard 10,000 Filipino workers annually to the kingdom until 2030.
