More than 60 Filipino hotel workers were recently deployed to Israel as it reopens its tourism industry.
The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines announced on Tuesday, May 31, that a total of 61 Filipino hotel workers have been sent to Israel.
Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss led the send-off ceremony of the first batch of Filipinos bound for Israel.
The deployment is part of the Philippines-Israel labor agreement signed during President Duterte's visit to Israel in 2018. It aims to hire 500 Filipino hotel workers for the initial phase.
"It is the first time that Israel is opening the hotel industry to foreign labor which is very regulated," Fluss said.
He disclosed that more slots will open depending on the demand for hospitality-related jobs in Israel.
“We are happy to finally accept Filipino hotel workers. We are optimistic that the demand will grow, especially that Filipinos have proven their world-class service in the caregiving industry,” Fluss added.
At present, around 30,000 Filipinos are employed as caregivers in Israel.
The ongoing hiring process is facilitated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), former Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), under a government-to-government arrangement.
In March 2022, officials of the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) disclosed intention to hire 800 Filipino hotel workers, which will then be increased to 2,000 at the earliest opportunity.
READ MORE: 500 Filipino hotel workers bound for Israel by April as it reopens tourism industry–DFA