Labor department starts ball rolling on OFW deployment to Russia

May 12, 2017

The labor department has set in motion deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Russia. In a statement after meeting Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has suggested forming a bilateral working group to draft the partnership, where rights of Filipino workers and Russian employers will be guaranteed. “We hope to meet with our counterparts in Russia for us to discuss the specifics of this agreement. A working group should define the terms and guidelines for this,” said Bello. Khovaev said the Russian government will be doing its best to look after the welfare of Filipino workers in the Soviet state. There are 3,000 Filipinos working in Russia, records show. “A solid legal basis for cooperation should be established between our governments. Rights and legitimate interest of the workers should be fully protected,” Khovaev said. He also said Russia is in need of workers. “Filipino workers are well known for their hard work, and for being law abiding citizens. Russians and Filipinos have similar values. We need to explore new possibilities and opportunities. We hope to start building a solid legal basis for this,” said Khovaev. DMS