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Nurses, maids and seafarers may be the stars in the Philippine labor
export drive, but it’s time to make way for the new
attraction—the Filipino chef.
More than 8,400 Pinoy kitchen staff, two-thirds
of them chefs and cooks, were hired by foreign employer last year,
up from the 1,900 deployed in 1990, according to a Reuters story.
They work on cruise liners, hospitals and military camps in the
Middle East. They may also be found in five-star restaurants or in
royal palaces and presidential mansions.
Reuters reported three reasons for the good
news: a worldwide shortage of cooks and chefs, the rise in the
number of Metro Manila cooking schools and our English proficiency,
work ethic and dedication to work.
A good chef can earn as much as $4,000 a month.
One may also finish a cooking course in one month (for a
certificate) or 14 months (for a diploma).
England and Australia are among the top
recruiters. In the United States, Filipino culinary genius is
exemplified by Cristeta Comerford, the Commander in chef at the
White House.
The recruitment of registered nurses is expected
to continue, albeit at a slower pace. They serve in hundreds of
hospitals in the US and in Europe. Filipino caregivers, in demand in
Canada and Asia, reinforce their ranks.
Filipino deck officers and seafarers dominate
the world shipping lines. At least 300,000 are sailing 24 hours a
day all over the globe. Lately, many have fallen prey to piracy.
The domestic workers are the most vulnerable to
the current economic crisis. About 50,000 left the country last
year. The number may fall in the coming months.
Canada looms as the biggest market for OFWs next
year. Filipino nurses should start working in Japan in huge numbers
with the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership
Agreement.
The overall picture for the OFWs doesn’t look
promising. President Gloria Arroyo has assured them full protection
on their return. This calls for massive investments in new jobs,
retraining and small business startups.
The demand for Filipino chefs and cooks seems to
represent a silver lining. They could become the new rock stars.
They could add salt and spice to the overseas job program.
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