Philippines seeks pragmatic measures to protect OFWs in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines — Negotiations with Kuwait for a bilateral labor agreement have been going well, but the Philippines will not lift the deployment ban unless more pragmatic measures to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are included in the pact, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano expressed hope that more pragmatic measures could be included in the agreement so that the DFA could recommend its signing and the lifting of the ban on deployment of new workers. 

“Our negotiations with Kuwait have so far been going well but we need to put in place more practical measures that would ensure the safety and welfare of our kababayans working there,” Cayetano said in a statement.

Cayetano commended officials from the Philippine embassy in Kuwait and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for convincing their Kuwaiti counterparts to agree to the conditions laid down by President Duterte shortly after he declared a ban on the deployment of new workers to the Gulf state.

Cayetano said the negotiating panel, led by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Ambassador Renato Villa, was able to secure Kuwait’s commitment that would guarantee Filipino domestic workers a minimum monthly salary of KD120, at least eight hours of rest per day, possession of their passports and mobile phones and limiting their work to only one household. 

“As we move forward in the negotiations, we hope to incorporate more practical measures that would better protect our kababayans (fellow Filipinos) working there from exploitation and abuse,” he added.

Among the measures the Philippines wants to see in the agreement, according to Cayetano, is the payment of salaries direct to the bank account of Filipino workers whenever feasible.

“This will ensure that our kababayans do not get shortchanged and will receive the salary they originally signed up for,” he said.

Cayetano said the Philippine side wants to see an effective mechanism that would allow Filipino workers to file their complaints directly with Kuwaiti authorities. 

He mentioned instances where employers try to preempt cases against them by filing false charges such as theft against their Filipino employees.