MANILA, Philippines – Muling pinagtibay ng Pilipinas at Oman ang malakas nitong bilateral ties kasabay ng selebrasyon ng Oman National Day celebration sa Makati City nitong Miyerkules, Nobyembre 19.
Sa speech, sinabi ni Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Administration Theresa Dizon de Vega na ang Oman ay mayroong mahigit 48,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) na itinuturing ang bansa bilang kanilang ikalawang tahanan.
Kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng 45 taon ng diplomatic ties sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Oman, sinabi ni De Vega na ang Oman ay pinalakas ang sarili nito bilang “model of innovation, dialogue, and cooperation in the Gulf region and beyond.”
Umaasa ang Pilipinas na mas mapalalakas pa ang ugnayan nito sa Oman lalo na sa matagumpay na pagpirma ng mga kasunduan sa sektor ng kalusugan, turismo at edukasyon.
“Our two nations, though separated by seas, are united by shared values of hospitality, respect, and a commitment to uplifting the lives of our peoples… [The OFW] contributions to Oman society are a living testament to the bonds of trust and mutual cooperation between our countries, and for the past 45 years, Oman and the Philippines have nurtured our excellent relations in the economic, political, and cultural spheres,” pahayag ni de Vega.
“We look forward to more collaboration in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, the maritime industry, and trade and investments, among others, hopefully with the signing of agreements in these areas,” dagdag niya.
Sa panayam, sinabi ni Oman Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Nasser Said Abdullah Al Manwari na walang problema ang Oman sa mga Filipino at umaasa silang tataas ang bilang ng mga turistang Pinoy na dadayo sa kanilang bansa.
“We love Filipinos. We have like 50,000 Filipinos working there, and we have no problems working over there. We have absolutely no problem working with the Filipinos working in Oman. We always prefer the Filipino workers,” dagdag pa niya.
“We are working on that [opening more jobs in Oman]. We are working on many specializations, like in maybe nursery, medical sectors, pharma. I think that number will increase dramatically. We are working on that one… I think [our upcoming forum in 2026] will enhance the charges of the labor [sector] and the fostering of the cooperation between the two countries.” RNT/JGC
