A bilateral agreement between tourism officials of the Philippines and Israel opened up the possibility of employing Filipino workers at Israel hotels.
“The bilateral agreement is based on mutual interests among travelers of both the Philippines and Israel. Many Filipinos are pilgrims to the Holy Land and then visit Israel’s museums, historical landmarks and ecotourism sites. On the other hand, Israelis are drawn to our country mainly for vacation and leisure. At an average of 20 nights per trip, their favorite places include Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Banaue and Puerto Galera. Diving, shopping, interesting culture and the warmth of our people are what they like most,” Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo said.
Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr., a member of the Philippine Department of Tourism delegation met with Israel Tourism Minister Yariv Levin.
“We will immediately coordinate with all stakeholders concerned to fast track the implementation of hiring Filipinos in Israel hotels,” Bengzon assured.
During the meeting, the tourism officials discussed the hiring of Filipinos in luxury hotels in Israel and the providing of on-the-job trainings for Filipino students in this Middle East country.
“We are now open to hiring Filipinos to work in the hotel industry, especially the high-end hotels in Israel. An initial 500-700 Filipinos is being targeted. We are also exploring to allow on-the-job trainings in these hotels,” Levin disclosed.
Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial said the prospect of hiring Filipinos will be coordinated with the Department of Labor and Employment; as well as with the Commission on Higher Education for the on-the-job trainees.