Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown paid a courtesy visit to the office of Senate Committee on Migrant Workers and Committee on Public Services Chairperson Senator Raffy Tulfo recently at the Senate.
During the meeting, they discussed the situation of the estimated 400,000 Filipino workers currently living or employed in Australia, many of whom are nurses, skilled workers, and professionals in the healthcare industry.
“Australia continues to require more skilled workers and expressed preference in hiring more Filipinos.”
Innes-Brown commended the strong work performance of Filipino workers in Australia and acknowledged their significant contribution to the Australian economy. The ambassador noted that Australia continues to require more skilled workers and expressed preference in hiring more Filipinos.
For his part, Tulfo thanked Innes-Brown for what he described as “excellent treatment” of OFWs in Australia, highlighting that his office has not received reports of abuse or mistreatment by Australian employers against Filipino workers.
“More Filipinos are enrolling in master’s and doctorate scholarship programs at Australian universities.”
The Ambassador also shared that more Filipinos are enrolling in master’s and doctorate scholarship programs at Australian universities. While pursuing their studies, they are given opportunities to work and bring their families with them—an initiative welcomed by the legislator.
In addition, Innes-Brown discussed ongoing Australian government projects designed to ensure that Filipino scholars can immediately apply their specialized training upon returning to the Philippines. These include programs such as specialized agricultural courses that directly benefit the country.
On defense and maritime cooperation, the Ambassador emphasized that the Philippines remains a priority country for Australia in strengthening bilateral ties. Australia aims to further expand military training exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The legislator also learned that the Australian government has donated drones to the PCG, for which he expressed gratitude. The senator noted that these will greatly enhance maritime patrols and territorial monitoring in the West Philippine Sea, as well as support efforts to ease tensions and promote regional stability.
Innes-Brown likewise mentioned the expansion of Australian investments in the Philippines in areas such as infrastructure, education, trade, renewable energy, and agriculture. These investments are expected to generate employment for approximately 45,000 Filipinos nationwide.
In closing, the senator thanked Innes-Brown for the visit and pledged to continue working closely with him to further strengthen the strong and long standing relationship between the Philippines and Australia.
