President Duterte mulls expanding ban on OFW deployment to other countries

MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday floated the possibility of extending the ban on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers to other countries.

“The (deployment) ban will continue and it will extend to other countries. It will be difficult for them..Wala akong kaplano na ipadala kayo [OFW] doon tapos babuyin kayo. Hindi ko style ‘yan,” Duterte said in a speech during the founding anniversary celebration of the Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. held at Manila Hotel.

As for Kuwait, he said the total OFW deployment ban there would remain.

“Umuwi lang kayo dito maski na papaano matulungan ko kayo maski sa pagkain. And maybe in the fullness of God’s time, if we can really improve the economy, I could give you livelihood projects,” he said.

“I repeat, the Filipino is a slave of nobody. The Filipino seeks to work abroad to earn a living so that he can help his family because the economy here, local, cannot absorb the entire workforce who would want to,” the President added.