48 Filipino caregivers depart for Israel

A total of 48 Filipino caregivers have departed for Israel under a government-to-government hiring program, a collaboration stemming from a bilateral labor agreement signed between the Philippines and Israel in 2018.

These caregivers are part of the first batch of 377 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were originally scheduled for deployment last year but were delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia confirmed the caregivers' arrival in Israel on Wednesday, noting that this direct government partnership aims to eliminate placement fees that could previously amount to as much as P78,000 per caregiver.

More than 1,000 OFWs are being processed for the second round of recruitment, with additional caregivers, household service workers, and nurses set to depart in the coming weeks.

Israel is also seeking workers in the technology, services, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors, and intends to recruit about 5,000 more Filipinos in total.

The Filipino workers will provide skilled caregiving assistance, particularly to persons with disabilities and the elderly.