The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Labor Cooperation, marking the first comprehensive bilateral labor agreement (BLA) covering Filipino workers in the Caribbean.
The deal aims to promote ethical recruitment, strengthen protection, and ensure safe deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) across industries in The Bahamas, including healthcare, tourism, domestic work, and hospitality.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Bahamian Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick A. Mitchell led the signing at the Philippine Center in New York, witnessed by officials from the Philippine Consulate General in New York and the Migrant Workers Office in Washington, D.C.
The initiative stemmed from diplomatic engagements as early as March 2023, when Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez met with Bahamian Governor Cornelius A. Smith, and was reinforced by talks between Cacdac and the Bahamian labor minister in Riyadh in January 2025.
The agreement is the 7th BLA signed by the DMW this year and the first in the Caribbean and Central America. To date, the Philippines has 68 labor agreements with 36 countries, with more expected in Europe and other regions where demand for Filipino workers is rising.
As of June 2025, about 2,800 Filipinos live and work in The Bahamas, mostly in healthcare, domestic services, tourism, and hospitality, while Filipino seafarers serve aboard Bahamian-flagged vessels.
“This is a win for our OFWs,” Cacdac said, thanking The Bahamas for opening more opportunities and recognizing Filipino workers’ contribution to its economy.
