The Consultative Conference on the Future of Recruitment and Direct Hiring in a Changing World of Work and Migration was held at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati on 20 September 2019. This was part of the research project, “Direct Hiring of Overseas Filipino Workers-Policy Research and Development of Risk Assessment and Due Diligence Guidelines,” jointly undertaken by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC).

Based on data collected from focus group discussions and key informant interviews conducted in the Philippines,  the pre-migration survey of direct hire workers, and consultations in Singapore, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, the findings point to some consensus on the need to review the direct hiring ban in the context of changed migration realities, globalization and technological developments.  The reflections of different stakeholders suggest the need to recognize direct hiring as part of legal recruitment options for workers while also understanding the nature of the risks entailed by different types of recruitment.  The consultations also uncovered some agreement to push for liberalization of direct hiring for professionals and highly-skilled workers while maintaining the ban for migrants in more vulnerable sectors such as domestic work.

Apart from the presentation of the initial findings, the consultation included sessions exploring the following issues: the future of work and responsible supply chain, the Philippines’ readiness for IRIS (International Recruitment Integrity System), prospects in the domestic and global labor markets and their implications for the recruitment sector, and recruitment challenges and their implications for the government regulatory framework.  The presenters, panelists and discussants represented government, international organizations, academe, the recruitment sector, and civil society organizations (CSOs). The event was livestreamed. Labor Attaché Saul de Vries and Mr. Ramer Ortega, from Singapore, participated via Skype.  The project will conduct field work in three more destinations. The results of the study and policy recommendations will be shared at a forum that will be announced later.

Provisional Programme Consultative Conference
(20 September 2019)

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To review the Facebook Live coverage of the event, click here.