The Department of Labor and Employment is expecting the increase in foreign workers entering the Philippines by 2025, as strategic investments bring more skilled experts in major industries.
With businesses expanding and new capital flow, the government has tightened the rules on foreign employment permits (AEPs) to ensure that foreign expertise contribute to local labor development.
Local Employment Director Patrick Patriwiravan, renewed AEP guidelines, issued under the Continuous Department Order 248 of the 2025, aims to balance the needs of investors with local employment safety. While changes, while alleviating business requirements, they also introduce stringent assessment measures to prioritize the Philippines workers.
Employers who hire foreign nationals must now implement a clear training program and skills development program to equip local employees with the skills needed to accept these characters.
“When we acknowledged the employment of foreigners, the (foreign residents) should change the skills and skills of the Philippines to ensure that employment is not long, but the Philippines is a foreign national who has a change in the Philippines,” Bativiravan told the business.
New rules are introduced to the test of economic requirements to determine whether it is fair to hire a foreign worker based on the availability of qualified local skills.
Regional assessors will conduct strict site inspections to verify the reasoning of businesses applying for foreign labor permission.
By November 2024, FDI arrives reached 1 901 million, with a total of $ 8.6 billion from January to November-an increase of 4.4 percent from the same period of 2023.
Labor Secretary Beenwanedo E. Lagusma also noted.
Toll AEP has also regulated applications to ensure a balance between investment growth and work security.
Work posts now require only one newspaper publishing, and it must be listed on the government’s work-reach site Philjopnet.
Employers must submit structured training programs to prove the ability to transmit the Philippines.
Patriviravan assured that although businesses and foreign applicants may face a learning curve, Toll is ready to help.
“We see that our applicants, employers and regional activities will have a learning curve,” he said. “Of course, to supervise that the transaction is smooth, there will be the central office and we are ready to accommodate questions and questions from employers.”
At the same time, the total ban on the Philippines offshore gaming operators (Bogos) is expected to reduce AEP applications, as many permits have been granted in the previous years of Poko -related work.
However, other industries -specifically in strategic investments -will increase the new demand for foreign workers, Patriviravan said.
“We have confirmed in accordance with the instructions of the president’s Green Lane,” he said, adding that the government’s initiative to the priority sectors.
From 2022 to 2024, Toll released over 192,000 AEPs to foreigners. Chinese workers received more permission from 73,518 and Vietnamese citizens 43,580.
