More Filipinos will have a chance to work in South Korea based on the new Employment Permit System (EPS) to be signed by the Philippines and South Korea this May.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Assistant Secretary Reydeluz Conferido, EPS is scheduled to be signed in late May of this year. The agreement contains several improvements that will result to bigger employment opportunity from South Korea.

DOLE officials have requested South Korean partners to relax the language requirement and to carefully evaluate the companies that seek to employ overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to ensure they are financially sound and would not lay off workers.

Asst. Sec. Conferido, in his interview with the press, said that OFWs are required to take the Korean Language Test every time they return to Korea to work. As of the moment, the department is requesting that this will be amended and to avoid multiple language testing for those who have already passed the examination.

The last EPS between the two countries was signed in 2006 and expired last October 2008.

Meanwhile, about 25,000 jobs are exclusively available for Filipinos in Canada, according to Mr. Richard Mills of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

In his interview with ABS-CBN News, Mr. Mills stated that the available jobs come from the engineering, health care, and oil industry.

DOLE Sectary Marianito Roque disclosed that the job openings are part of the memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Canadian provinces, namely British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

In addition, the country has similar hiring agreements with Australia and Japan where there are employment opportunities specifically in healthcare, education, energy, and real estate sectors.