More migrant workers could be needed in Hungary in 2025: this is how the Philippine mediator sees it

Recruitment of Filipino migrant workers to Hungary has slowed in the last six months, but Philippine recruitment agency Rowena Paragas expects a new surge by 2025. The managing director of NYD International spent several weeks in Hungary in September and visited our newsroom. She said that the Hungarian visa process is the most efficient in the region, that smaller Hungarian companies are starting to discover Filipinos, and that company managers are raving about their productivity and work ethic. But not only are working relationships being formed, there are also examples of Hungarian-Filipino marriages.

Nine months ago we did our first interview with you. What has changed in the Philippines-Hungary labour market since then?

Tens of thousands of Filipinos have realized that Hungary and the Central European region are a good choice when considering working abroad. Other countries in the region - from Slovenia to the Czech Republic - have also started to show interest in Filipino guest workers. But it's not just on the job front that things have changed: I sense that Budapest has become a popular destination for wealthier Filipinos.

What is your purpose in coming to Hungary now?

I am here as a member of a Philippine trade delegation spanning 23 industries. I was looking for partners for guest worker recruitment in Hungary and several EU countries. From the discussions so far, it seems that among the 23 industries, Hungarian businesses are most interested in the labour issue.

How much has the import of guest workers changed in the last year?

Guest workers are still coming to Hungary, but in smaller numbers than last year, around a few hundred a month. The range of customers has also changed. In the last two years, it has been mainly large multinational companies that have recruited the most. Now the big ones have slowed down because of the economic difficulties, especially the downturn in car production. Tenders have been invited, but they are waiting for a decision. In contrast, interest in small and medium-sized firms - especially in the hospitality, hotel and agriculture sectors - has increased over the last six months. Typically, they ask for fewer than ten workers and try them out in the first round.

What are the prospects?

Talking to partners during my recent visit, it seems that there could be a big jump in 2025, when the demand for Filipino guest workers could increase significantly.

What is the opinion of Hungarian business leaders on Filipino workers?

I talk to people, everyone raves about them, they are very satisfied with them in terms of efficiency, perseverance, work ethic, integration. According to the managers of several companies with a German background, Filipinos produce 30 percent more than other workers.

In January this year, a new Aliens Act came into force in Hungary. To what extent has the administration changed? How is it perceived from the other side?

It is working well. Hungarian practice is the best and most efficient in the region. Employers in neighbouring countries are envious of how smoothly the administration is running. The turnaround time for a project is two months, in other countries it can be up to six months with uncertain outcomes. This is a real competitive advantage for Hungary in the region. Let me take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Hungarian Embassy in Manila, especially Ambassador Titanilla Tóth and Consul Balázs Rátkai.

What problems do you see in recruitment?

What discourages people a bit is that employment in Hungary is for a maximum of three years, with no possibility of extension, resettlement or family reunification. In addition, other countries offer higher salaries. I hope that wages will come closer to those in neighbouring countries.

Salary: Why should a Filipino choose Hungary over Germany when he can earn at least twice as much there?

The cost of living in Hungary is cheaper, there are more opportunities for skilled work, you don't need to speak German and it has a reputation as a safe, welcoming country. Germany's main demand is for skilled workers, and it's mainly in health care, elderly care and these fields that you need to know some level of German.

$\"Rowena$

Rowena Paragas also visited the HR Portal's editorial office, hosted by editor Zoltán Karácsony.

The Philippine Migrant Workers Office will soon open in Budapest.

It falls under the Department of Migrant Workers government agency, its overseas extension arm. Due to the greater demand for migrant workers in Hungary, a representative office will be established in Budapest. For now it will be housed in the embassy building, and then it is expected to have a stand-alone office. A launch event was held in Budapest on 26 September, with the official opening likely to take place in October.

The MWO aims to assist the accreditation process. In fact, if an employer or intermediary in Hungary wants to recruit Filipino workers, it can only do so if it is accredited in the Philippines. Among other things, it proves that it is operating legally and that it provides fair working conditions and wages for guest workers. Accreditation is available through the MWO office, where employers can also get professional support. Until now, Hungarian employers could do this through the MWO in Milan. I hope that with the launch of the office the process will be more efficient, faster and cheaper.

As a manager of a company with 10 employees, if I came to you and asked you to hire 4 Filipino guest workers, what could you do for me?

We mainly work with qualified temporary agencies in the Philippines, but we are happy to help anyone who needs Filipino workers.We draw from a database of 200,000 CVs, there is no job or staffing level that we cannot service.

The first step, as I mentioned before, is to get the Hungarian company accredited by the Philippine government authority, which will go through the MWO office in Budapest, as I mentioned before. In addition, you will need to indicate your recruitment needs, how many and what skills you need. We will prepare all the necessary documentation. And of course there's the Hungarian administrative paperwork that the partner has to do.

Do you have to be present at the selection in the Philippines?

It is advisable for a large number of people. But in the world of video conferencing, good choices can also be made in video interviews. For example, forklift operators can be asked to do a mock job in a specified warehouse, and candidates can attach a video of their skills. If the job is assembling a tool, it is a good practice for the company to send the tool and the candidates assemble it here.

To what extent do you perceive the recognition of professional certificates as a difficulty?

It's a lengthy process that makes it difficult to bring Filipino workers here in areas such as elderly care, skilled industrial work, transportation. For example, the Gulf countries recognize skills acquired in the Philippines. This process should definitely be simplified.

Have you heard that the debate on the employment of migrant workers is sometimes heated up in Hungarian politics? There are voices that they are taking away the jobs of Hungarians.

We don't deal with politics. Our job is to recruit the most suitable Filipino workers for the position in the numbers and on time. I agree that Hungarian employers should come to us if they cannot recruit enough Hungarians for the job. However, if there are not enough workers, guest workers can also save Hungarian jobs. If they don't come, factories would close and investors would move production to other countries.

According to statistics, the number of Filipino guest workers working in Hungary has already exceeded 10,000. Do you keep in touch with those who have been sent here? How do they feel?

Of course, we do not let go of their hands even if they are already employed by a Hungarian company. Almost all of those who signed a two-year contract have extended for a third year. We have a group on social media where we constantly post and report on their experiences, and monitor their living and working conditions. Overall, the guest workers are very happy with the conditions in Hungary.

The main motivation is to collect money and send it home to their families. They subordinate everything to this, looking for overtime, extra money. And of course we also see examples of love between Hungarians and Filipinos. We know of cases where a Filipino guest worker and his Hungarian colleague are now husband and wife.