Manila: As officials work to increase opportunities for Filipino professionals, the Philippines is seeking to establish a labour cooperation agreement with Morocco, Manila's envoy in Rabat said on Wednesday.

Around 4,600 Filipinos reside in Morocco, where more than half hold jobs in the household services sector while others find employment in the electronics and beauty industries.

The Philippines and Morocco have been talking about ways to increase their labour cooperation because both nations are "strong advocates of migration," according to Leslie Baja, Manila's ambassador to Morocco.

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According to Baja, any cooperation in this area could result in a potential agreement because "we are both interested in preserving the rights of workers."

The Department of Migrant Workers in the Philippines and the embassy are working together to start formal negotiations, even though they haven't started yet. The first agreement is anticipated to be a memorandum of understanding.

"This is a draught MOU, not a complete BLA [bilateral labour agreement]," continued Baja. Morocco sees this as the first step towards a comprehensive agreement. Cooperation is sought in the areas of labour, employment, and vocational education.

The agreement is anticipated to deepen cooperation between the labour departments of the two nations and open the door to further agreements, including ones pertaining to the employment of Filipino professionals.

"They recently stated a need for healthcare professionals like nurses," said Baja.

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Filipino nurses who speak English fluently are in high demand abroad and make up a sizable portion of the healthcare workforce in many nations like Canada and the US.

Since Manila's embassy in Rabat was reopened last year, relations between the two countries have improved. Due to financial limitations, the mission had been abandoned for about thirty years.

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As 2025—the 50th anniversary of the two nations' establishment of diplomatic relations—approaches, the two nations have become more involved.