(Left photo) Alberta Premier Jason Kenney signs the agreement (L), witnessed by Consul General Zaldy Patron, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Right photo) DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan signs the agreement in Frankfurt, Germany. (DFA-OAA Photos)
THE Philippines and the Province of Alberta, Canada, signed on 06 October 2022 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that institutionalizes best practices and strengthens cooperation to enhance the welfare of Filipino nurses working in Alberta.
Aimed at promoting sound, ethical, and sustainable recruitment practices between the two countries, the MOU identifies several areas of cooperation between the two parties, including the undertaking of a formal collaborative effort to the certification, recognition, and matching of skills and qualifications of Filipino nurses and the provision of support to Filipino nurses who are not yet registered to practice in Alberta.
Under the MOU, Filipino nurses in Alberta who will undergo assessment, education, and training, and licensing process can apply for financial incentives from the Alberta Government once the financial assistance program is finalized.
The MOU will also open partnerships, including the potential to establish an Alberta-accredited nursing program in the Philippines.
The MOU was signed by the Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who lauded its signing as a symbol of the strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Alberta.
Negotiations with the Government of Alberta were spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Vancouver.
Alberta is home to 175,130 overseas Filipinos based on the 2016 Canada Census data.
