PHL, Russia to sign agreement for deployment of Pinoy domestic workers

The Philippines and Russia will sign a bilateral agreement which will allow the deployment of Filipino household service workers to Russia, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Sunday.

Bello said he will be part of the delegation of President Rodrigo Duterte to Russia in October. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte will visit Russia on the first week of October on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"May lalagdaan kaming kasunduan, bilateral agreement tungkol sa domestic workers," the Labor secretary said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Once the agreement has been signed, they will prepare the implementing rules and regulations to pave the way for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Russia, he said.

Bello added that no limit has been set for the number of household service workers required by Russia.

"Wala naman pong limit na inilagay. Ang importante, bukas na ang Russia para sa mga Pilipinong household service worker," he said.

The salary will be higher than the P3,500 minimum wage of domestic workers in Manila, Bello said.

The hiring will initially be government-to-government, then will be through agencies, Bello said.

"Pagdating sa deployment ng household service worker, marami-rami 'yan, baka hindi kayanin ng POEA [Philippine Overseas Employment Administration," he said.

Bello said employment agencies should ensure that no placement fee will be collected from household service workers, and that applicants will be at least 23 years old.

He advised those intending to work in Russia as household service workers to avail of training modules offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) such as those on caregiving and housekeeping while the agreement and the IRR are still being worked out.

Bello: Pwede magtraining ang ating mga kababayan sa TESDA para pagdating ng panahon madali sila makahanap ng trabaho. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) September 21, 2019

—KG, GMA News