The governments of Bahrain and the Philippines recently entered into an agreement that will bring more employment opportunities for Filipino nurses. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Health Services Cooperation will be beneficial for the two countries.

According to Eduardo Maglaya, Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain, it will not only facilitate the recruitment of Filipino nurses to Bahrain, but will also allow Bahraini nurses to undergo medical training in the Philippines.

The Undersecretary of the Health Ministry to Bahrain, Aziz Hamza said, "This is a significant step for our people, as also for the development of training in our respective countries. We are, as an immediate step, looking at sending Bahraini health professionals, particularly nurses, for training to the Philippines."

Bahrain and the Philippines will work together to facilitate the hiring process of professionals from both countries. The agreement also includes cooperation on upholding the rights of workers, and capacity building and mechanisms to improve development of human resources for health.

As Hamza puts it, "It will help both the governments immensely on several aspects. There is a lot to be done, but the process has started in right earnest."

A delegation from Bahrain is expected to arrive in the Philippines this June to further discuss the MOU with the Philippine government. Maglaya said, "We will talk about agreements on human resources for health, scholarships, academic co-operation on human resources for health, investments, and technology cooperation."