US firms set to hire 75,000 Pinoy seafarers

WASHINGTON - Some American firms are set to hire at least 75,000 Filipino seafarers in the next three to four years, a company executive here said.

During a meeting with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday (Philippine time), John Padget, president and CEO of Carnival Corp., said his group of companies is set to hire the Filipino seafarers.

Padget, who also represents Carnival Cruise Line, Holland American Airlines and Seaborn, lauded Filipino workers for their hospitality and competitiveness in the global workforce.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the marine, deck, hospitality, restaurant... everything is based on the happiness, the smile, and the greatness of the Filipino employees,” Padget said.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople presented the US firms the interest of 200,000 Filipinos who “adhere to fair and ethical standards and principles.”

Marcos, for his part, expressed gratitude to the American employers for their continued confidence in Filipino professionals and skilled workers.

“When you say that the --- the ladies and gentlemen that we have here today represent 200,000, you do not represent 200,000 employees, you represent 200,000 families and you represent 200,000 communities in the Philippines,” Marcos told the employers.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, there are more than four million Filipino immigrants, both temporary and permanent, in the United States, which  represents the 4th largest immigrant group after Mexicans, Indians and Chinese.

Through their remittances, the Filipino workers contribute to the economic development of both the US and Philippines.

Marcos is in the United States for a weeklong official visit, which included a meeting with his US counterpart, Joe Biden. —KBK, GMA Integrated News