THE Philippines and Croatia have reached agreements to enhance the welfare and opportunities for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Croatia, including streamlining work permits, strengthening pre-departure training, and exploring healthcare worker deployments.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported that the two countries are working to streamline work permits and residence cards to boost labor mobility, strengthen cooperation on Pre-Departure and Post-Arrival Orientation Seminars (PDOS and PAOS), and improve coordination to ensure workers entering Croatia through third countries are properly documented and protected. Croatia has also opened 435 job opportunities in its hospitality sector under the government-to-government pilot hiring program.
“To our partners from the Croatian government and employment sector, thank you for your trust in the Filipino workforce and for upholding fair and transparent hiring practices under our bilateral agreement,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
The agreements, signed during the Philippines–Croatia Friendship Week celebration, aim to build on the existing presence of approximately 12,000 Filipinos working in Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia in industries such as hospitality, construction, and services.
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