Manitoba delegation heading to the Philippines to recruit healthcare professionals

Newly appointed Minister of Immigration and Labour, Jon Reyes will be leading a Manitoba government delegation to the Philippines later this month in an effort to recruit hundred of qualified internationally educated nurses. Officials from healthcare and immigration will arrive in the Philippines on February 21 for a 5-day mission that will take them to Manila, Cebu and Iloilo.

Prospective applicants will be pre-screened, and conditional offers of employment will be made to successful applicants during the recruitment drive. The Manitoba government previously announced its intention to recruit nurses from the Philippines as part of its $200 million health human resources action plan. The demand for nurses is high, and the Manitoba government will be in a crowded labour market. The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba is undertaking work to support the recruitment initiative.

Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer of employment and the opportunity to relocate to Manitoba to complete the next steps in the credentialing and licensing process.

Upon acceptance of the conditional offer, nurses will be eligible for support, orientation and mentorship including: paid travel to Manitoba; access to an accommodation and settlement allowance for a period of up to three months; paid immigration support and guidance throughout the process; paid credentialing and licensing costs; workplace onboarding, orientation and buddied mentorship at new work location; and access to paid programming where additional educational bridging may be required.

Manitoba is an immigration destination of choice for the Philippines, supported through a general labour memorandum of understanding signed with the Philippines in 2010.

Jon Reyes, MLA for Waverly was appointed to the Immigration and Labour portfolio after serving as the Minister for Advanced Education, Immigration and Skills. The province of Manitoba returns to the Philippines after successful recruiting missions back in 2008 which saw over 90 nurses immigrate to Manitoba to work in Southern Manitoba. For more information about the recruitment mission and the Manitoba government’s efforts to recruit nurses from the Philippines, visit: https:// healthcareersmanitoba.ca/ buildyourfuturemb.

Visit the Filipino Journal website for our interview with Minister Jon Reyes.