President Duterte is hoping the country's agreement with the United Kingdom on the hiring of Filipino medical professionals will be finalized soon.
The President has pushed for a "fair, ethical, and sustainable" labor accord between the two countries when he met with outgoing UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce in Malacanang Wednesday, August 4.
The British diplomat, who will end his four-year tour of duty in Manila this month, paid a farewell call on the President.
"Noting the UK’s preference for Filipino healthcare professionals, the President called for the finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Recruitment of Filipino Healthcare Professionals to ensure fair, ethical and sustainable recruitment and employment of Filipino healthcare professionals in the UK," the Palace said in a statement.
The Philippines earlier exempted the United Kingdom from its annual deployment cap of health workers following a recommendation from the labor department. The overseas deployment of Filipino medical professionals is set at 6,500 every year.
Many Filipino nurses and health workers are employed in the United Kingdom, particularly in its National Health Service (NHS).
Queen Elizabeth II has expressed gratitude for the work of the Filipino nurses in the UK especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. The British monarch said UK was "fortunate" to have many nurses from the Philippines in the NHS.
"They bring exceptional care and comfort to their patients. I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for they work especially in response to the coronavirus," she said.