By Roy Pelovello

Malaca?ang will convene today a forum on overseas employment with the participation of recruitment agencies as part of the effort to find markets for Filipino workers and help those displaced by the economic crisis.

The ?Jobs Forum,? at Malaca?ang?s Rizal Ceremonial Hall, will focus on job prospects for Filipinos in 65 Middle East-based companies.

?The event will bring to the fore sectoral inputting and consultations by government with the manning [maritime] and other sea-based and land-based employment agencies and the labor sector, which have job prospects in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas,? Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said in a statement.

Labor attach?s from Geneva, Europe; Vancouver, Canada; Kuwait, Riyadh, Al-Khobar, Taiwan and Macau are attending the forum.

Officials of the Philippine Overseas Construction Board, contractors licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the manning agencies have also been invited to attend the gathering.

Aside issues such as reduced salaries, waiver on special coverage earnings, wage, training requirements, liability insurance to be borne by workers, safety nets and protection mechanisms, deployment ban in countries with areas of conflict may also be discussed.

Some 200 participants from the government, labor sector, manning agencies, workers? groups and overseas sector are expected to attend the forum.

Earlier, POEA deputy administrator Hans Cacdac told the House committee on economic affairs that Filipino workers will continue to be in demand abroad and that the 1.3 million deployed in 2008 may be exceeded by about 130,000.

Cacdac said the government has launched a ?market development? program identifying possible job markets abroad for Filipino workers and coordinating with the respective governments to get favorable terms for them.

The ?Code Green? countries or those which are possible new job destinations for Filipino workers include Canada, the United States and Brazil in South America.