Good news to all Filipinos who want to work as a household help in Kuwait! According to the Labor Department, they can fly to Kuwait as early as next week.
The decision was made after the department has finalized the implementation of the rules and regulations of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) which was signed by the Philippines and Kuwait that aims to provide protection for OFWs.
“According to administrator Olalia, the guidelines will be available next week. But this guidelines only refer to all household service workers. Skilled workers are still not covered by this MOU,” says Secretary Bello.
As stated by the Philippines-Kuwait MOU guidelines, employers need to follow the detailed rights of Filipino household workers which includes the right to open a bank account, a decent place to stay, sufficient food, ample time of rest and the right to use a mobile phone. There will also be an OFW helpline.
“The DFA shall continue its determined efforts to answer the calls for help of any of our kababayans anywhere in the world,” says USEC. Ernesto Abella, Office of Public Diplomacy, DFA.
Furthermore, part of the memorandum is the creation of a joint monitoring team that is entitled to monitor the status of household workers in Kuwait.
As for skilled workers, they are allowed to go to Kuwait as early as tomorrow, as stated by Secretary Bello.
Bello says that skilled workers with expired visas or medical certificate will be immediately assisted by the DFA and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Even recruitment agencies said that they have strengthened their monitoring process of household workers in Kuwait.
“We gave them our numbers and even the government numbers in case they encounter problems,” says Estrelita Hizon, POEA Governing Board Representing the Private Sectors.
Also, the Philippine Overseas Welfare Administration (POEA) will propose putting up a performance bond to prevent more cases of abuses of Filipino migrant workers. Bello says only 10,000 out of the 117,000 household helpers are reported abused by their employers. Majority of them, he says, are undocumented.
The controversial video of the rescue operation is also being reviewed by the committee. The possible sanction against responsible personnel or official will be implemented, according to Senator Joel Villanueva.
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