The Philippines and Romania have agreed to move forward with renewing their labor cooperation framework and convene the first Joint Committee Meeting under their 2021 memorandum of understanding to strengthen safeguards for Filipino workers in Romania.

In a news release Thursday, the DMW said the agreement – focusing on ethical recruitment, fair working conditions, employer accountability, and social protection– was reached during a bilateral talk on Wednesday in Bucharest.

During the meeting with Romanian Minister of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity Dragoș-Nicolae Pîslaru and State Secretary Silvia Monica Dinică, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the Philippines deeply values its partnership with Romania in advancing safe, orderly, and regular labor migration.

“As we pursue the renewal of our bilateral labor agreement, convene the Joint Committee Meeting, and establish the Migrant Workers Office in Bucharest, we are strengthening a modern framework that promotes ethical recruitment, protects the rights and welfare of Filipino workers, and supports Romania’s evolving labor market needs,” he said.

“Together, we are demonstrating that labor mobility can be both economically beneficial and firmly anchored in human dignity.”

Cacdac highlighted the Philippines’ 52-year experience in managing overseas employment and protecting workers throughout the migration process.

Based on DMW data, there are about 2,000 Filipino temporary migrant workers in Romania as of 2024, with most employed in factories, automotive and production lines, and households.

The Philippine delegation, which also includes Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel Eugene Servigon, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, and other officials, also welcomed Romania’s Emergency Ordinance No. 32/2026, which overhauls the legal framework for non-European Union (EU) labor migration.

The new policy, adopted by Romania in April this year, requires recruitment agencies and employers to secure licenses and register through a digital system.

The measure also prohibits recruitment agencies from collecting placement fees, commissions, guarantees, or other recruitment-related costs from foreign workers.

Officials from both countries also discussed expanding cooperation on social protection, including stronger safeguards for women migrant workers and measures to enhance employer accountability.

Meanwhile, Cacdac updated Romanian officials on the Philippine delegation’s visit to Tulcea following attacks on vessels in the Northern Black Sea that began on July 6.

The Philippine delegation also paid tribute to the Filipino chief engineer who died in the incident and met with more than 200 OFWs employed at VARD Tulcea to hear their concerns and discuss the assistance available to them. (PNA)