President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) gave an assurance that there are indeed many jobs waiting for Filipino workers abroad with the announcement that there are 500,000 job openings out of the country.  For this reason, the president emphasized the need to match the skills of the workers to the in-demand jobs overseas.

Referring to a business survey done by Grant Thornton, Arroyo said, “Many Filipino companies will hire more people and raise pay despite the global slowdown.”

President Arroyo said in a speech delivered  during the second jobs summit in Malacañang, "I'm very glad to hear from undersecretary Luzviminda Padilla that there are 500,000 jobs available abroad.The challenge is to match the job with the skills."

The secretary of Labor, Marianito Roque add further details, “The job orders are mainly for construction workers in the Middle East although there are vacancies for “all positions,” including health workers, in Australia and Canada.”

The Labor secretary also said that the job orders for half a million overseas jobs have been placed with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

 He said, “These are already job orders for Filipinos... It’s a matter of filling it up for the year.”

Filipinos who wants to work abroad and earn more are advised by Augusto Syjuco, Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to take time to learn skills and train in the following in-demand fields: welding, roofing, carpentry, and tile laying.

According to Syjuco, skilled jobs such as welder and butchers earn big money overseas as compared to the salary they receive here in the Philippines. While a welder abroad receives as much as USD 6,000 a month or Php293,070, a butcher gets USD 1,600 or Php78, 152 a month.

Syjuco said, “Ang hinahanap ng employer ay skills, ‘di naghahanap ng diploma na nakabitin sa dingding.”