MANILA- A thousand jobs in Israel's tourism sector will be available to Filipinos by November, Israel's ambassador to the Philippines said Monday.

The government-to-government agreement is a fruit of President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to the Middle Eastern country last year, Israel Ambassador Rafael Harpaz said.

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"In November, finally, we are going to start the process of having Filipinos coming to work in the tourism industry," Harpaz said in a business forum.

Hiring of Filipino workers will be done through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as Israel seeks to avoid middle companies.

Contract for workers meanwhile will last around 5 years, Harpaz said as he noted that Jerusalem's agreement with Manila is the first of its kind given the warm hospitality of Filipinos.

"Filipinos are the best in Israel. Why do we love so much the Filipinos? Because you have the best service, you’re friendly and we have a wonderful experience with the caregivers that take care of our most beloved people," he saud.

Harpaz added that he hopes to see the first batch of Filipino migrant workers in Israel by Christmas.

“It’s another good news that by Christmas, I hope the first Filipino will go with visa to work in tourism. That would be history,” he said.

-report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News