Vancouver: The Philippines and Canada have signed a federal bilateral labor and migration agreement seeking to strengthen protections for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through fair recruitment practices and closer government cooperation. In a news release on Friday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agreement, signed between the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Canada's Department of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC Canada), affirms both countries' commitment to promoting legal migration pathways while ensuring that the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers are carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations of both nations.

According to Philippines News Agency, this is the first-ever federal bilateral agreement on labor and migration with Canada. 'In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we continue to expand and elevate our labor cooperation by affirming our shared values on fair and ethical recruitment,' Cacdac stated. The Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Labor and Migration Cooperation was signed between Cacdac and Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Indira Anand on Thursday (Vancouver time), during President Marcos' working visit to Canada at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Marcos and Carney witnessed the signing of the declaration, which establishes a common framework for labor migration between the Philippines and Canada at the federal level. Carney highlighted the significance of the declaration, saying it is 'the first of its kind' signed bilaterally by Canada's federal government. Cacdac noted that more than a diplomatic milestone, the agreement is 'a concrete step toward making overseas employment safer, fairer, and more accessible for Filipino workers and their families.'

While the Philippines already has labor cooperation with several Canadian provinces, the new declaration establishes, for the first time, a shared framework with Canada's federal government outlining the principles that will guide cross-border labor migration. Among the key commitments under the declaration is the principle that workers and job seekers should not be charged recruitment fees and other related costs by employers. Aside from promoting fair and ethical recruitment and employment practices, the agreement also seeks to ensure that migrant workers have access to information about their rights, including available grievance mechanisms.