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Close to 5,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to be hired in Italy next year.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the Italian government has increased from 3,000 to 5,000 the annual quota of Filipinos who will be admitted as regular or non-seasonal workers in Italy.

The increase in the number of Filipinos who can apply and work as regular workers in Italy is a welcome development in the drive against unscrupulous individuals and agencies which lure and bring workers to Italy and other overseas destinations without proper work documents, he said.

According to Brion a note verbale from the Italian Embassy indicated that the Italian government decided to increase the quota for Filipino workers as a sign of appreciation of the good bilateral cooperation with the Philippines in migratory issues.

He said the increase, which is 66 percent more than the previous quota of Filipinos for admission to Italy as regular workers, underscored the country’s continuing efforts to foster bilateral cooperation with labor-receiving countries and promote the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) employed in these countries.

The two countries, Brion said, regarded the increase in the annual quota of Filipino workers in Italy as highly beneficial to their relations, particularly those involving migration issues and the employment of OFWs in this country.

Records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that a total of 25,413 OFWs (new hires and rehires) were deployed to Italy in 2006.

New hires consisted mostly of OFWs employed in Italy as domestic workers, cooks, waiters, bartenders, and other service workers. - Marie Neri, GMAnews

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