WASHINGTON, D.C.— American firms are set to hire some 75,000 Filipino seafarers in the next three to four years.
During a meeting with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., John Padget, president and CEO of Carnival Corp., said his group of companies will employ Filipino seafarers. He praised Filipino workers for their hospitality and competitiveness in the global workforce. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s the marine, deck, hospitality, restaurant…everything is based on the happiness, the smile, and the greatness of the Filipino employees,” he said. Padget also represents Carnival Cruise Line, Holland American Airlines and Seaborn. With this development, Marcos thanked US employers for their continued confidence in Filipino professionals and skilled workers. “When you say that the ladies and gentlemen that we have here today represent 200,000, you do not represent 200,000 employees, you represent 200,000 families and you represent 200,000 communities in the Philippines,” Marcos told the employers. There are more than four million Filipino immigrants (temporary and permanent) in the US, representing the fourth largest immigrant group after Mexicans, Indians and Chinese. Through their remittances, Filipino workers contribute to the economic development of both the US and Philippines with their skills, talents, and expertise.