The Philippines and Canada have signed a landmark labor and migration agreement aimed at making overseas employment safer and fairer for Filipino workers through ethical recruitment, legal migration pathways, and stronger protection mechanisms.
The Joint Declaration of Intent on Labor and Migration Cooperation was signed on July 2 in Vancouver, Canada, by Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Indira Anand.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessed the signing ceremony, which was held during Marcos’ working visit to Canada at the invitation of Carney.
According to the DMW, the declaration is the first bilateral labor and migration agreement signed by Canada’s federal government.
The agreement establishes a shared framework for promoting legal migration pathways and ensuring that the recruitment and deployment of workers comply with the laws and regulations of both countries.
“This is the first-ever federal bilateral agreement on labor and migration with Canada,” Cacdac said. “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 said the agreement goes beyond a diplomatic milestone, describing it as a concrete step toward making overseas employment safer, fairer, and more accessible for Filipino workers and their families.
Under the declaration, the Philippines and Canada committed to ensuring that workers and job seekers are not charged recruitment fees and related costs.
Both countries also agreed to promote ethical recruitment and employment practices, improve access to information on workers’ rights, and strengthen effective grievance mechanisms for workers.