Year 2009 promises to be another fruitful year for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) despite the threat of massive layoffs of workers abroad as an effect of the global financial crisis.

Last October, the International Labor Organization said that due to the weakening of the world economy, about 20 million workers may lose their jobs between the last three months of 2008 and entire 2009.

However, according to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the displacement of OFWs is only minimal. In fact, during Arroyo’s three-day official visit in Doha, Qatar, she said that instead of retrenchment of workers 37,000 jobs for foreign workers will be available in Qatar stating next month (January, 2009).

This is despite the decreasing price of crude oil in the world market, lowering the income of countries that export oil such as Qatar. This affected business situation in many Middle Eastern countries, forcing them to lay off workers.

The good news was shared by President Arroyo at the Sheraton Doha Hotel and Resort, during a lunch meeting with the members of the Filipino community in Qatar.

Dureza informed the unusual welcome that President Arroyo received by the emir of Qatar. Qatar Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani met President Arroyo at the Qatar International Airport.

Dureza said, “This is something not usually done by his royal highness when a visiting head of state arrives in Doha.”

The recent signing of the Additional Protocol to the 1997 RP-Qatar Agreement on the Regulation of Filipino Manpower Employment in the State of Qatar was mentioned by the Emir of Qatar to President Arroyo on their way to the VIP Room of the airport.

The said agreement sets the mechanism for the enforcement of regulations on the protection of the welfare of OFWs in Qatar and was signed last Oct. 19 by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque and Qatar Labor Minister Sultanbin Hassan Al Dhabit Al-Dosari,

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said that more or less 20 CEOs in Qatar said that they have job orders for 37,000 OFWs. Recruitment and deployment is expected to start next month.

President Arroyo said that the job opportunities in Qatar would make up for the retrenchment of OFWs in Taiwan and other countries. The President said that OFWs are preferred by Qatar employers because of their reputation as industrious, honest and efficient.