A new door has opened for Filipinos dreaming of working abroad — this time, in beautiful Croatia.
On Tuesday, the Philippines and Croatia officially agreed on several key measures designed to protect and uplift overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) while expanding job opportunities in Europe.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), both countries are working together to make the deployment process faster, safer, and fairer. Among the new initiatives are the streamlining of work permits and residence cards, improved labor mobility, and stronger cooperation on Pre-Departure and Post-Arrival Orientation Seminars (PDOS and PAOS) — all aimed at preparing and protecting every Filipino worker before and after deployment.
Croatia also announced 435 new job openings in its hospitality sector, under a government-to-government pilot hiring program that guarantees no placement fees for Filipino applicants.
The agreement was signed at the DMW main office in Mandaluyong City by Undersecretary Jainal Rasul Jr. for the Philippines and State Secretary Ivan Vidis for Croatia. The signing coincided with the celebration of Philippines–Croatia Friendship Week, marking a deeper bond between the two nations.
“To our partners from the Croatian government and employment sector, thank you for your trust in the Filipino workforce and for upholding fair and transparent hiring practices under our bilateral agreement,” said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
Currently, around 12,000 Filipinos are working across Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia, mostly in hospitality, construction, and service industries.
With this new partnership, even more opportunities are expected to open — offering Filipino workers a chance to build better lives abroad without the burden of placement fees.
It’s a move that not only strengthens international ties but also honors the hard work, dedication, and world-class talent of the Filipino workforce.
