Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday announced that the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration which she chairs has issued last a resolution, GB Resolution No. 4, Series of 2016, allowing the participation of private recruitment agencies in the recruitment, deployment, and employment of Filipino nurses to Germany.
“The resolution now paves the way for the immediate hiring and deployment of nurses to Germany outside of the Triple Win Project,” said Baldoz, who explained that the high demand for professional nurses in one of Europe’s largest and most stable economies made the issuance necessary.
“We will allow the hiring and deployment of Filipino nurses to Germany outside of the Triple Win Project. However, licensed private recruiters cannot collect any placement fee from applicants,” Baldoz said.
Apart from Secretary Baldoz, Governing Board members who signed the resolution were Hans Leo J. Cacdac, POEA Administrator and Vice-Chairman; Milagros Isabel A. Cristobal, Women Sector Representative; Alexander E. Asuncion, Land-based Sector Representative; Felix M. Oca, Sea-Based Sector Representative; and Estrelita S. Hizon, Private Sector Representative.
Under the Triple Win Project and as outlined in the Philippines-Germany labor agreement signed on 19 March 2013, job placement of Filipino health professionals in Germany, particularly nurses, may only be carried out by the POEA’s in-house placement facility and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) through the International Placement Services (ZAV).
On July 2013, however, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany passed an employment ordinance allowing “the immigration of recognized occupations, including nurses among others, into the German labor market, under the so-called ‘White List’ of the German
Employment Regulation, through the private sector.”
The Secretary said the recruitment and placement of Filipino nurses to Germany by PRAs shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the POEA.
She also urged owners of licensed recruitment agencies to adhere to the framework of a transparent, fair, and ethical recruitment and employment of the nurses for their protection and welfare.
Under GB Resolution No. 4, Series of 2016, the PRA shall not collect placement fees from applicants, but they are allowed to charge service fees from the employers. Other fees to be paid by the employer are for Preparatory German Language, visa, POEA processing fee, OWWA contribution, and airfare. Recruitment agencies are required to pay for the nurse’s compulsory insurance coverage. Applicants have to pay for their passport, medical tests, government clearances and membership with Philhealth and Pag-IBIG.
