Denmark opens doors to Filipino caregivers

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac and Danish Minister for Senior Citizens Mette Kierkgaard formally initialed and exchanged the latest drafts of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the education, training, and recruitment of Filipino health and care professionals on 11 December.

Under the MOU, Denmark will take 100 Filipino caregivers per year in its initial phase with the possibility of expanding the number once it yields “good experiences” for both countries.

Kierkgaard said the partnership will help address Denmark’s need for workers in its elderly care sector which is seen to require around 24,000 additional care workers over the next decade.

She added that a structured receiving program for incoming Filipino workers will be provided which spans: language and cultural integration, guidance on daily living such as transportation, housing, and legal documentation, and training in Denmark’s care sector.

Education and training for selected workers will begin in 2026. Cacdac said other components of the program including training, modalities, and employment arrangements will soon be released as discussions between both countries progress.

“There will be details that will be unfolding in terms of the technical sides of sharing about the modalities and the process and the training component and the employment component, so these will come to the fore,” Cacdac said.

He added that in terms of qualifications, there would be “flexibility,” citing that applicants do not need to be nursing graduates since the country has an existing TESDA NC II caregiver certification tested in other government-to-government programs.

Filipino workers will be hired under the same conditions as Danish workers including work hours, labor protections, and wages, Kierkgaard emphasized. Once full employment of a worker begins, they would fall under Denmark’s “positive list” for family reunification.

The first batch of Filipino caregivers is expected to arrive in Denmark by the last quarter of 2027.