MANILA – Filipino nurses may soon be deployed to Germany once the agreement between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and its counterpart, the Federal Employment Agency, International Placement Services (ZAV) is signed in Manila.
“Under the agreement, Filipino workers may not be employed under working conditions less favorable than those comparable for German workers,” said Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad in a statement.
The deployment of Filipino nurses is expected to address the current shortages experienced by German hospitals.
Natividad met with Monika Varnhagen, Director of ZAV, and Annette Tigges-Thies, head of Division for Labor Migration and Work Permits at ZAV last week in Bonn. She said ZAV will ensure that Filipino nurses will have adequate linguistic and professional preparation, free of charge, prior to entry to Germany.
The ambassador also informed ZAV officials of the readiness of the Philippines to sign the agreement, particularly the POEA which will be responsible for the implementation.
“It is all systems go for the Triple Win Project. When the agreement is signed, then we have a cooperation framework that enables Filipino nurses to work in Germany,” she said.
The agreement, she added, protects Filipino workers’ rights.
The deployment of nurses is part of enhanced labor cooperation discussed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle during the latter’s official visit to Manila in February this year. The two ministers called for cooperation across the board between the Philippines and Germany as the two countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
