Stringent rules applied for HSW deployment to Saudi Arabia

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has resumed the deployment of household service workers (HSW) and mega recruitment companies to Saudi Arabia, but the deployment by local recruitment agencies is not automatic for all concerned parties as they need to be included in the so-called white list.

The guidelines are not a walk in the park as many agencies have to pass through the eye of the needle, so to speak, to qualify for and resume the deployment of their workers to Saudi Arabia, according to recruitment and migration expert Manny Geslani.

Geslani said that to facilitate decent and productive employment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the DMW and the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development have agreed to draw up requirements for the implementation of a “black list” and a “white list” for both private recruitment agencies (PRAs) and foreign recruitment agencies (FRAs).

Local recruitment has only two months to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Memorandum Circular 19, which may be a daunting task for some agencies.

The black list and white list are filtering and protective mechanisms to ensure the deployment and employment of domestic workers and workers with vulnerable skills under mega recruitment companies for their rights, safety, security and well-being.

PRAs and FRAs that will deploy their workers to Saudi Arabia must qualify for the white list and those on the black list will not be allowed to participate in the deployment of domestic workers and mega recruitment companies.

In the recent general membership meeting of the Coalition of License Agencies Deploying Domestic Services and the Philippine Recruitment Agencies Accredited to Saudi Arabia, 299 member agencies listened intently to DMW Undersecretary for licensing and adjudication services Bernard Olalia, who explained the requirements to qualify for inclusion to the white list.

Recruitment agencies with pending cases with the Department of Labor and Employment will have a hard time getting into the white list. Among these cases are the cancellation of license for recruitment violations, FRAs whose accreditation was canceled by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for persons with derogatory records who have illegal recruitment cases.

Another important requirement is the appointment of a Welfare Desk Officer and Counselors (WEDO) on the job site to render welfare and assistance services to workers deployed in a particular country.

The appointment of a full-time WEDO to attend to OFWs is a requirement before LRAs are allowed to participate in the deployment of HSWs and mega recruitment companies and the approval of job order.

The implementation of the black list and white list intends to remove recalcitrant agencies mostly foreign-owned and continue to violate Philippine Overseas Employment Administration rules and regulations.