Newly Ratified Labor Agreement to Save $200-300 Million for Pinoy Caregivers in Israel

TEL AVIV 10 July 2019 — The Philippines and Israel recently ratified the Agreement on the Temporary Employment of Filipino Home-Based Caregivers between the two countries. The ratification of the agreement marks the completion of all legal internal procedures of both countries, paving the way for its implementation this year.

The labor agreement on caregivers was signed by Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Machluf Deri on 03 September 2018 during President Rodrigo Duterte’s historic visit to Israel.

In the Instrument of Ratification he signed on 13 June 2019 in Manila, President Duterte stated that “the agreement specifically aims to establish a government to government arrangement to improve the systems and processes concerning the recruitment and temporary employment of Filipino home-based caregivers in Israel, including the elimination of the charging and payment of illegal fees throughout the process of recruitment and employment.”

Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial, who worked on the agreement for six years, added, “The agreement is a product of difficult and lengthy negotiations by several government agencies. After ratification, we now move to ensure the speedy implementation of the agreement within the year. Both countries will now form a Joint Committee to oversee the government to government arrangement without the need of private recruitment agencies in the Philippines.”

He also said that once implemented, the agreement will redound to substantial financial benefits to new Filipino caregivers who will be working in Israel: “Each caregiver is expected to save between US$8,000 to US$10,000 in illegal fees.

“Given current employment projections, our caregivers stand to gain, over a ten-year period, an unprecedented windfall of about US$200 to US$300 million that would have otherwise gone to unscrupulous private recruitment agencies,” Ambassador Imperial noted.

The first Joint Committee meeting to implement the Agreement will be held in August 2019 in Israel. END