The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and the Philippines Overseas Administration (POA) will work in collaboration in future in sending locals for foreign employment. The Philippines agreed to this following a request made by Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Keheliya Rambukwella at the Forum on Migration and Development in Manila, Philippines, SLFEB Chairman Kingsly Ranawaka said.

He said that Philippines was one of the countries that sends the most number of people for overseas employment.

They lead in every way- especially in their training. Their manpower is of the best quality. Therefore they get paid the highest salaries amongst migrant workers, he said. Training, licensing procedure, and the Foreign Employment Act of Sri Lanka and Philippines are also very similar, Ranawaka said.

However, they produce manpower of the highest quality. "Therefore the Ministry and the SLFEB has decided that it would be best to work closely with the highest ranker from next year. It would be easy for us to increase our bargaining power by working closely with them," he said.

An eight-member Committee was appointed with the two chiefs of the SLFEB and the POA heading the two groups. The POA members of the committee are scheduled to visit Sri Lanka during the first week of next month (December) to sign an agreement in this regard.