MANILA – The Philippines partially lifted the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait, Malacañang announced on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said 20,000 “skilled and semiskilled workers” are expected to be deployed the gulf state.
“By now po, it should have been lifted already (ban on skilled and semiskilled workers), kasi iyon ang plano ni (Labor) Secretary (Silvestre) Bello (III),” said Roque.
President Rodrigo Duterte banned the deployment of Philippine workers to Kuwait after a Filipina maid was found dead in a freezer in the gulf state, prompting a labor row between the two countries.
Duterte then encourage Filipino workers still in Kuwait to return home.
According to Roque, the deployment ban on domestic helpers would “eventually” be lifted.
“Hindi ko lang po alam kung kailan at kung ano pa iyong mga repormang gagawin ng DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment),” he said.
Senators welcomed the partial lifting of the deployment ban.
Juan Edgardo Angara said the decision was “a step in the right direction.”
He hopes the lifting of the ban will normalize diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Kuwait and “[ensure] full protection of our kababayans in the gulf nation.”
“We hope our government will remain steadfast in ensuring that the labor rights of all Filipinos working abroad, especially domestic workers, are upheld and protected at all times,” he said.
Joel Villanueva, meanwhile, stressed the need for household service workers (HSWs) bound overseas to acquire certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority before deployment.
“We want to know [if] this has been complied [with], how many recruitment agencies are complying, how many HSWs have been certified prior to deployment, and what the problems encountered are,” he said.
HSWs should be armed with NC II certificates as professional service workers, and recruitment agencies should be required to deploy only certified HSWs, said the senator.
“We urge the DOLE and the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) to conscientiously pursue the upgrading of household service work as a profession with unique skills set and not slaves, consistent with ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Work,” said Villanueva./PN
