PHL execs allay fears of 'Saudization' of nursing jobs

Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia will not be affected by the new phase of Nitaqat or Saudization despite reports of senior Filipino nurses losing their jobs over the new localization plan, a Philippine official said on Wednesday. In an interview with Ivan Mayrina over "News TV Live" on GMA News TV, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Josefino Torres said he does not believe this development because there are many expatriates in Saudi, not just Filipinos, who are said to be dominating the nursing profession. Currently, there are about 130,000 Pinoy nurses in Saudi Arabia, according to a report of the newspaper Saudi Gazette. "Alam mo ang nurses ay kailangan sa Saudi kaya hindi puwede nilang basta bastang sabihing matatanggal 'yan because of Saudization. Sila din ang tatamaan no'n," Torres said. Torres said that Saudi may have local nurses around but they still do not have enough to bump Pinoy nurses out of their positions. "Meron pero kulang. Kulang na kulang kung sasabihin natin. Hindi handa ang mga Saudi nationals to man this professional categories of work," he said.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Support personnel affected Torres said the Department of Labor and Employment sees that Saudization will affect those working as support personnel, as well as OFWs engaged in industries not abiding with the policy. "[Maaapektuhan] 'yung mga nandodoon na nagma-man ng industries na hindi sumusunod sa Saudization policy, that is marami pa ring expatriates ang employed sa kanilang kumpanya, [dahil] hindi nabibigyan ng oportunidad ang Saudi national," he said. The OWWA administrator, however, admitted that those applying for jobs in Saudi might have a lower chance of getting in because the government there is reserving the jobs for their locals. Nevertheless, Torres assured that the government is ready should the Saudization policy take a hit on OFWS. Localization of senior positions Meanwhile, the departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Labor and Employment (DOLE) are looking into allegations that Saudi health officials will "localize" 300 senior nursing jobs in the next three years. DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Wednesday that she directed the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh to verify the allegations. Earlier, the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) advocacy group Migrante Middle East claimed that 130,000 to 150,000 Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia may face uncertainties in their employment. The group's coordinator John Monterona cited local news reports that the Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) announced a plan to localize nursing jobs in all its medical facilities. According to a report of the Saudi Gazette, the MoH has instructed all its administrative units to terminate contracts with foreign nurses who have completed 10 years of service. The Ministry plans to give 300 senior nursing jobs to Saudi nationals in the next three years, it added. However, Baldoz said in a news release, “For the sake of accuracy, the news item upon which Migrante used as its source, and which our POLO has also monitored, says the Ministry of Health will terminate the contracts of foreign nurses who have completed 10 years of service but will retain specialists in the fields of hemodialysis, emergency, and ICU medicine." "It also says the localization plan does not apply to nurses working for primary healthcare centers in remote areas unless a capable Saudi replacement is found," Baldoz added. Meanwhile, a report on dzBB radio on Thursday, quoted DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez as saying they are checking how many Filipinos may be affected by the supposed plan to localize nursing positions. Hernandez assured the OFWs that the Philippine government will draw up livelihood assistance programs should there be Filipinos affected by the supposed policy, the report said. - VVP, GMA News