NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Republic of the Philippines have signed a landmark Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Labour Cooperation, creating a framework for enhanced collaboration on labour mobility, workers’ rights protection, recruitment governance, and skills development.
The agreement was signed on September 24, 2025, at the Philippine Center in New York by the Honourable Frederick A. Mitchell, M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas, and the Honourable Hans Leo Cacdac, Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines.
The MOA seeks to strengthen cooperation to promote safe, orderly, and fair labour mobility between the two countries, with an emphasis on safeguarding migrant workers, improving working conditions, and advancing training that aligns with the needs of both economies.
The initiative traces back to diplomatic discussions in March 2023, when Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez met with former Governor-General Cornelius A. Smith. It was later reinforced during a January 2025 meeting between Secretary Cacdac and the Honourable Pia Glover-Rolle, M.P., Minister of Labour and Public Service, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The newly signed MOA marks the seventh bilateral labour agreement concluded this year by the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers and the first in the Caribbean and Central America. The Philippines currently maintains 68 labour agreements with 36 countries, with additional accords expected in Europe and other regions.
“This MOA reinforces our shared commitment to protecting workers while expanding legitimate labour mobility between our nations,” the statement noted.
The Bahamas and the Philippines established formal diplomatic relations in 1976, maintaining nearly five decades of cooperation grounded in mutual respect and friendship.
