Ambassador Bernardita L. Catalla, on 16 November, participated as Resource Person in the Training-Conference on Negotiations of Bilateral Labor Agreements of Ethiopian Diplomats in the Middle East and Senior Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

She shared with participants the best practices of the Philippines on overseas employment including, the negotiation with the Lebanese government on the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Labor Cooperation and its Protocol on recruitment of workers from the Philippines.

Ambassador Catalla said existing Philippine policies and regulations on labor migration served as guiding principles in the country’s negotiating positions. Foremost consideration for decision to deploy workers to another country is the latter’s observance or adoption of international and/or domestic laws, or existence of bilateral agreement that ensure protection of migrant workers.

She said the Embassy is awaiting the response of the Lebanese Ministry of Labor to the latest draft of the proposed standard employment contract (SEC) which incorporates the terms and conditions between a Lebanese employer and Filipino domestic worker based on both Philippine and Lebanese model/unified employment contracts.

The Ambassador also shared information on specific labor issues such as management of the Embassy shelter, dealing with distressed workers, and relationship with local authorities and NGOs. She was pleased to inform the participants that the Embassy enjoys smooth and cordial working relations with General Security, Internal Security Force, prison officials and the courts.

Ambassador Catalla stressed the importance of cultivating open communication and consultation with partners in government and NGO sector in host countries in order to ensure that the welfare of their citizens are promoted.

She also welcomed the plan the Ethiopian Consul-General in Beirut to visit the Philippine Embassy for further consultations on labor issues, and the expressed interest of ILO-Addis Ababa to organize an official observation and study tour to the Philippines by Ethiopian labor officials.

The Embassy aims to deepen its cooperation with the two other major labor-sending countries in Lebanon, namely, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, through information sharing and regular consultations.

The conference was organized on 12-16 November in Beirut by the Ethiopian MOFA with support from International Labor Organization.