Despite the global economic crisis, the government remains confident that at least one million Filipino workers (OFWs) would be employed in various countries abroad in 2009.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Jennifer Manalili said there is no reason for the government to lower the annual one million target overseas employment this year or even in the coming year.

“Based on the current trend of job orders, we do not see any change in our annual target,” Manalili disclosed.

Manalili also noted that the POEA has not received any report of cancellation of job orders from various countries abroad.

“We asked the recruitment agencies to alert us if there are any job order cancellations but so far there is no significant decrease in contracts and we have not received any reports of job order cancellations,” she said.

She further noted that government officials from various countries in the Middle East have given their assurances that they will continue to hire more OFWs.  Manalili said the Middle East, which employs about 40 percent of the total number of OFWs abroad, appeared to be protected from the financial crisis.

She said Bahrain is still building new hospitals and has expressed its desire to hire more Filipino nurses and other healthcare workers.

“We met with Qatari officials and they gave 200 percent assurance that they are not affected by the financial crisis and they will still hire OFWs,” Manalili added.

POEA has reported a total deployment of 1,005,767 in the first nine months of 2008. The figure was 25 percent higher compared to the number of OFWs deployed abroad during the same period in 2007.

She admitted however that undocumented Filipino workers employed overseas are the ones likely to suffer the greater impact of the financial crisis.

“Many countries, particularly those experiencing economic downturn, will impose restrictions that would definitely affect employment of undocumented workers,” Manalili explained. Yet she said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and all its attached agencies, including the POEA are preparing contingency measures to cushion the impact of the global economic crunch.

“We are not saying that we will not be affected, but as to the extent of its impact it’s still too early to tell,” she explained.

DOLE earlier reported that the worst case scenario is that about 50,000 OFWs in the United States and other countries may be displaced as a result of the economic slump.

But this early, Manalili said the POEA is already looking for alternative markets like Australia and other European countries where displaced workers may possibly be deployed.