Sentidokomon

By OFW Guide

The number of Filipino workers going to Europe increases as demand for manpower continues to arise. Based on the recent study, conducted by the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (IND) in Italy, Filipinos are now the sixth largest ethnic group in the country by dominating 113,686 of Italy’s population. Italy is the home for most overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want a better future by working abroad. Italy is also one of the preferred destinations of Filipino caregivers, nurses, restaurant staffs and domestic helpers. According to Philippine Overseas Employment Authority data, it clearly show an increase with the deployment of Filipino workers in Italy which up by 22.6 percent in 2008 compared to only 17.8 percent in 2007. Meanwhile, the numbers of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who go to European countries such as Denmark, Scandinavia and Norway to work as au pairs (house helpers) also increases. According to the Norwegian Immigration Department (UDI) in Norway alone, the number of au pairs who entered the country increases with only 78 in 2000 to 2,090 in 2008. This means that 7 out of 10 au pair permits issued by the department are given to Filipinos despite the ban on au pair deployment by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since 1997. Au airs is slightly the same with domestic helpers. Au pair does light household work like baby sitting but earn by allowance only since au pair a cultural exchange arrangement that allows cultural visits of young people from all over the world in host families. Au pairs in different countries in Europe will attend a convention in Oslo to discuss their motion to expand the benefits for au pair workers in Europe.