(Eagle News) — The Department of Migrant Workers on Wednesday said it will defer the processing of first-time applications for household service-related jobs in Kuwait.
Secretary Susan Ople said this holds until “significant reforms have been made resulting from upcoming bilateral talks.”
She said she opted for this approach instead of a total deployment ban, noting that “there are actual OFWs who have already worked in Kuwait for several years who still want to go back to their old employers or seek new ones.”
She added the Philippine government has been informed “through diplomatic channels of the willingness of the Kuwait government to engage in bilateral labor talks.”
She noted that as a result of such talks with Saudi Arabia, for instance, “a joint technical working group was created to thresh out various problems and concerns, and that group meets every week through virtual means.”
“We are preparing well in advance for these talks (with Kuwait), bringing with us an accumulation of abuse done over the years, hence the need for significant changes,” she said.
In the meantime, Ople said “Hong Kong remains a strong alternative and is much nearer to home.”
Singapore, she said, was also a good alternative, with the Philippines having “very good relations” with its counterpart ministry.
Senator Raffy Tulfo has called for a ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait following the death of Jullebee Ranara, whose body was found burned in a desert.
She had reportedly been raped and impregnated by her employer’s 17-year-old son.
