Upgrading human resource development and training
Believing that the possession of skills is one of the best protections
against abuse, the POEA adopted a certification system for household
workers last year to upgrade their skills and to enable them to enter more
desirable labor markets such those in Spain and Italy. The Philippines is
also the first in Asia to set a minimum wage standard for househelpers to
improve their pay and to minimize exploitation. We could close the market
for domestic workers altogether but this could result in unauthorized
migration. We prefer a mobile, more highly skilled Filipino workforce in highvalue
services. This is not a purely outward-looking strategy. Quite the
opposite, I believe developing a highly skilled workforce contributes to the
creation of an industrial base that would attract foreign direct investment.