The German government has renewed its commitment to fund training for Ilocano nurses to boost their chances of landing jobs in Germany, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc said Wednesday.

Manotoc said German ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel paid a courtesy call on his office on Monday (April 4) and discussed possible ways for Ilokano nurses to get faster deployment to Germany.

“During her visit, we talked about strengthening bilateral relations between Germany and Ilocos Norte in the fields of trade and investment, education and labor,” Manotoc said.

The German government, through the German Federal Ministry of Health, will be funding the training program in coordination with the Northwestern University of Laoag, and the Ilocos Norte government through Gov. Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital and other district hospitals, which will give temporary employment for first-time new registered nurses to enhance their professional skills as they search for permanent jobs.

Through the healthcare cooperation between the Philippines and Germany, registered nurses will receive senior care and German language proficiency training through these partner agencies.

The Northwestern University has already opened a German set-up nursing skills laboratory to prepare nursing students interested to work in Germany.

The German Federal Ministry of Health will also be donating electric hospital beds and nursing skills mannequins for a European-Standard simulation ward.

The training program was formalized on July 8, 2020 when the Laoag university and the German government signed a memorandum of agreement. However, the pandemic stalled the start of the training program and a date has yet to be set for its launch.

The governor said the training project complements the government-to-government hiring program between Germany and the Philippines dubbed as the “Triple Win Project,” which the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration currently administers. (PNA)