More job opportunities abroad are now waiting for overseas Filipino workers after Albania and Malta expressed interest in entering a labor agreement or BLA with the Philippines with talks already in their early stages. 

The Philippine Embassy in Italy, which has concurrent jurisdiction over Malta and Albania, is planning to recommend the proposal of forging bilateral deals with the two countries to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers.

Considering the number of Filipinos in Malta and Albania, the Philippine Ambassador to Italy, Neal Imperial, said should the BLA be pushed through, "It would not only address the labor shortages of both countries but also protect the rights of overseas Filipino workers."

"The Philippines' paramount consideration has always been the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of our overseas Filipino workers," he said.

"Therefore, any BLA signed with another country "must have provisions that adequately ensure the well-being of our OFWs and protect them from possible abuses," he added.

The Philippines proposed a BLA with Malta was first put on the table amid the issues of several OFWs were hired from third countries became susceptible to illegal recruitment and labor trafficking.

"In the embassy's high-level meetings with officials of the government of Malta, the latter expressed their openness to the idea of negotiating a BLA," said Imperial.