PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR PUSHES FOR A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR LABOR COOPERATION WITH MOROCCO

Ambassador Leslie J. Baja and Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills Younes Sakkouri

28 July 2022 – As part of the Embassy’s mandate to protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas, PH Ambassador to Morocco Leslie J. Baja met with Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills.

During the meeting, Ambassador Baja provided Minister Sekkouri with a brief background on Filipino nationals in Morocco, including their estimated numbers, location, and nature of employment. He noted that while these workers generally have good relations with their employers, there are still cases where problems arise between them, hence the need to regulate the deployment of workers through a legal framework of cooperation between PH and Morocco. Given the large number of Filipinos overseas and taking into account their significant contribution to the country’s economy, the Philippines endeavors to negotiate labor cooperation agreements with destination countries to ensure that the rights and welfare of Filipino workers are upheld.

Minister Sekkouri conveyed Morocco’s interest to enter into a legal framework for labor cooperation and readiness to negotiate and lead the technical review of the text of the labor agreement. Once signed, it could be Morocco’s first labor cooperation agreement with a sending country like the Philippines, noting that Morocco has so far only signed labor agreements with governments of destination countries, primarily in Europe.