IN ITS bid to provide more opportunities for Filipinos especially Negrenses, the Northern Territory Government in Australia has presented the country’s potentials especially in terms of business and skills migrations.
Philippine Consul General to Northern Territory Januario John Rivas, who spoke at Business Migration Program Presentation at L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City Monday, June 10, said they are presenting opportunities for the province to engage itself and its people with migration pathways either through business or skills migration platform.
Rivas, who is a Negrense, said this means that the individuals may have the “trade or graduate skills” that will hopefully qualify them to gain entry to Australia and get migration permanency.
“We are having the first ever information seminar on business and skills migration run by the Northern Territory Government,” he said, adding that “the effort is part of our engagement with Negros Occidental which started in 2012.”
Manager Richard Foo, manager of Business Migration Department of the Northern Territory, presented the business and investment opportunities in Australia including the available occupations there.
The half-day seminar was attended by representatives of various groups from both public and private sectors in the province including graduates and business individuals.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and other provincial government officials were also present.
Also present during the activity was Sean Mahoney, chief executive officer and director of the International College of Advance Education – Darwin.
Rivas said Mahoney is promoting special program in enhancing the qualifications of Negrenses in the fields of hospitality and international cookery. They are providing trainings to help Filipinos become global employment ready.
Moreover, Rivas said the information seminar is aimed at addressing two major areas such as business and skills migration.
For business migration, the Northern Territory would like to assist Negrenses on how to get a visa for staying and operating small scale businesses in Australia.
“This means that they can get their supplies here and dispose over there and vice versa,” he said, adding that there are too many business facets that Negrenses can explore and the Northern Territory Government will certainly provide assistance to them.
In terms of skills migration, the consul general said they are banking on the good work ethics of the Filipinos and Negrenses as well as values like resiliency.
“We want to migrate them, we would like to use their degrees and trainings to get into the pathways,” Rivas said, adding that their collaboration with Negros Occidental is becoming stronger and expanding in many other horizons.
“We want to explore that sort of dream to get more manpower from here (Negros Occidental),” he added.