Slovenia inaugurated its embassy in Manila and signed an agreement to ease hiring of Filipino workers as Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon arrived in the country on 11 March on the first stop of her Asian tour.

The Slovenian Employment Service and the Slovenian Embassy held an event in Manila to provide Filipino job seekers with information on working and living conditions in Slovenia.

On the occasion Fajon signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of employment with the Philippine's Secretary of Migrant Workers Hans Leo Cacdac.

"The aim of the established intergovernmental cooperation is to ensure and promote decent work based on safe and fair employment," Fajon was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry.

Slovenia holds an employment event for Filipino workers in Manila. Photo: Foreign Ministry

She said the employment event held aimed to ensure and promote decent work, safe working conditions and social security.

"Filipinos have a reputation for hard work and professionalism. Many of them are already working in Slovenia and contributing to the country's cultural diversity," she said in her address.

Controlled process of labour migration

According to the Filipino portal BusinessMirror, the agreement signed between the two countries will initially pave the way for the deployment of Filipino caregivers to Slovenia.

The report quoted Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan as saying that the workers to be included in the programme had undergone skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to become qualified caregivers.

Slovenia is facing staff shortages in several sectors, one of the most acute being at care homes.

Greta Metka Barbo Škerbinc, director-general of the Slovenian Employment Service, told the Slovenian Press Agency last week the agreement would establish "a controlled process of labour migration to avoid exploitation".

Filipino workers currently enter Slovenia through various channels. At present, there are just over 400 Filipino workers in Slovenia. From 2023 to October 2024, just 40 workers were deployed by the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers.

TV Slovenija has reported that foreign workers pay up to €10,000 to intermediaries who bring them to Slovenia. "We want to prevent exploitation and illegal business practices," Barbo Škerbinc said.

New chapter in relations

As part of her two-day visit to the Philippines, Fajon also met Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and inaugurated the Slovenian Embassy in Manila, the country's sole in South East Asia.

She said the embassy will not only strengthen the relationship between the two countries but help their citizens and open doors for Slovenian businesses to new markets in the region.

Hailing a new chapter in the bilateral relationship, Fajon discussed the potential to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Manalo. The pair also discussed the situation in Myanmar, Ukraine and in the Middle East.

Slovenia and the Philippines advocate for a close cooperation between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is especially important in the current international situation, Fajon said. Slovenia will begin the process for the accession to the ASEAN treaty on amity and cooperation.

Another key topic was the South China Sea. Fajon expressed her solidarity with the Philippines regarding the incidents in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and stressed the importance of respecting international law.

Addressing reporters shortly after the presidential palace confirmed the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte based on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, Fajon said Slovenia welcomed all the efforts by Philippine authorities to uphold their obligations under international law.

Fajon is due to meet President Ferdinand Marcos address a Slovenian-Philippine business forum on the second day of her visit to the country on 12 March.

She is being accompanied by representatives of almost 40 Slovenian companies, research institutions, and agencies.