5,000 jobs await Pinoys in Afghanistan

MANILA, Philippines - At least 5,000 jobs await Filipino workers in Afghanistan.

A group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) currently employed in Afghanistan said once the Philippine government lifts the deployment ban, thousands of Filipinos could easily find jobs there.

The group, calling themselves Filipinos in Afghanistan (FIA), said many international companies like Flour Daniel, Bechtel, and IAP prefer to hire English-speaking Filipinos than other foreign workers.

They said the Philippine government should allow entry of new recruits into the US bases where hundreds of international contractors involved in multi-billion dollar infrastructure and development projects are preparing for a longer stay until 2024.

Despite the 2014 deadline for the US and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan, FIA said, a majority of these multi-national companies are expected to participate in the US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by US President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The agreement outlines cooperation in military, diplomatic and economic relationships between the two countries. It also provides for the possibility of the US forces staying longer in Afghanistan or after 2014, to train the Afghan military and target remnants of al-Qaeda.

The FIA said the deployment ban is depriving thousands of Filipinos of good paying jobs. They said new jobs are still available with the expansion of two huge bases – Camps Bastion and Shindand – that would house the remaining US troops and Air Force personnel who will train the new Afghan military.

However, FIA cautioned prospective OFWs to be wary of illegal recruitment syndicates offering jobs inside the US bases as the deployment ban issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is still in effect.

They said illegal recruitment using Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as entry point to Afghanistan is not a good option.

The FIA said over a hundred Filipinos hired by illegal recruiters to work in US bases remain stranded in Dubai.