Labor
Attache' Atty. Jalilo Dela Torre
My dear OFWs in Israel:
I consider it a privilege to be working here for you in Israel, and
for the next two years, it would be an honor to serve you as your
Labor Attache. I look forward to closer collaboration with your
leaders and with your communities in conceptualizing and pursuing
initiatives designed to benefit our community here.
I will pursue an advocacy to convince Israeli society that we can do
so much more than caregiving. While the work of caregivers is
important, the Filipino community here and back home is so much more
diverse in skills, and the Israeli economy can be better served if
more skilled Filipino workers are given employment here. After all, we
have very distinct advantages over other expatriate workers: we can
communicate in English, we learn Hebrew very quickly and our work
ethic is admired by employers all over the world.
Reintegation through computer education is also on top of my agenda.
In Saudi Arabia, my computer-related initiatives have benefited
thousands of OFWs. You can never go wrong with computer education. It
is the need of the day. While we look forward to being reunited with
our families someday, we need to acquire new skills sets to be able to
compete in a rapidly globalizing world economy.
Rights education is also a need here that I have recognized and Iwill
be coordinating with human rights groups, welfare groups, the FFCI and
Israeli lawyers who are sympathetic to the community to join me in
undertaking a regular Know Your Rights Seminar for OFWs in Israel. It
is important that your rights as foreign workers before the Labor
Courts, the police, the Immigration authorities are recognized and
respected. At the same time, you also need to make sure that your
family and property rights in the Philippines are protected.
(SGD.) Atty. Jalilo
Dela Torre
Labor Attache'


