The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported that the hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in various countries abroad has increased and even breached the one million mark despite the global economic slump.

POEA reported the deployment of Filipino workers increased by 25.9 percent.

Data from the POEA showed that in the first nine months of 2008, some 1,005,767 land-based and sea-based workers were deployed, 207,036 more than the number of workers sent abroad during the same period last year.

POEA chief Jennifer Manalili said that the number of newly hired workers increased by 28.8 percent from 258,176 OFWs deployed in 2007 to 332,650 this year.

Land-based workers made up the bulk of the overseas workers, registering a 6.2 percent increase in deployment this year.

The hiring of sea-based workers, which recorded a decrease in the past years, posted a six percent increase in the first nine months of 2008.

Contracts processed from January to September went up by 6.2 percent from a total of 880,699 to 936,147.

Manalili said latest POEA data showed that the government already achieved 71.9 percent of the target 1.3 million contracts to be processed this year.

She said the POEA had already exceeded the annual target of one million workers deployed, with three more months remaining in the year.

Labor officials have expressed confidence that the prevailing economic slump would not lead to a decrease in deployment since most countries, particularly those in the Middle East, are in need of highly skilled workers.

They said that more markets are opening up for highly skilled Filipino workers.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said more Filipino workers are expected to be hired soon for Qatar, with higher salaries and benefits.

Roque reported yesterday that the Philippines and the government of Qatar signed a new accord that would provide new employment opportunities and better working conditions for OFWs.

Qatar, the 4th top destination for OFWs, currently employs an estimated 190,000 Filipino workers and the deployment of documented OFWs there reached 56,277 workers this year.

Source: http://beta.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=409943