A total of 1,264 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be employed in Jordan which has started to reopen its economy, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)-Jordan reported Friday.

Labor Attaché Armin Evangel Peña said they have so far processed the employment contracts of Filipino workers, with about 90 percent hired as household services workers (HSWs).

“Of the number, 725 are new hires while balik-manggagawa (returning workers) are 539,” Peña said in a virtual forum, adding that workers in the service sector are also starting to return in the Arab nation.

She added there is a proposal to increase the salary of HSWs from the current USD400 (about PHP22,000) to USD600 (about PHP31,000).

“It must have the approval of the Ministry of Labor and the bilateral agreement. The PRAs (Philippine Recruitment Agencies) are one with us in pushing for the across-the-board salary increase here in the Middle East,” Peña said.

Starting this month, the host country is no longer requiring reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test results from fully vaccinated arrivals.

“Those who are not vaccinated may be deported or fined,” Peña said. (PNA)