The Philippines and the UAE’s joint decision to resume the recruitment of household service workers gives way for household service workers from the Philippines to be assured of a safe and legal means to get a job in the country.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Amb. Hjayceelyn Quintana lauded this milestone between the two countries that would not only ensure protection for aspiring overseas Filipinos, it would also enhance and streamline the recruitment process to manage expectations between employer and employee.
“The joint decision of the Philippines and the UAE to institute a safe, orderly, and regular pathway for the recruitment of household service workers (HSWs) from the Philippines into the UAE,” said Amb. Quintana
“(This decision) will redound to better labor cooperation between the two countries as it would further professionalize the recruitment process and protect the rights of all parties concerned,” she added.
This landmark decision was made possible through the efforts of the Philippines and the UAE’s Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) which comprise of officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) headed by Secretary Silvestre Bello, the UAE’s Ministry for Human Resources Affairs, headed by Saif Al Suwaidi, Under-Secretary at MOHRE, together with Amb. Quintana’s team from the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, namely Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes, Consul General Marford Angeles, Labor Attache Manuel Dimaano, and Labor Attache Felicitas Bay.
For his part, MOHRE Undersecretary Al Suwaidi is optimistic that this decision will signify a brand new phase of bilateral cooperation between the UAE and the Philippines to ensure the provision of household service workers to families of citizens and residents in the country.
A new beginning
Starting March 31, individuals who plan to work as household service workers in the UAE now have to go through the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) to begin the process of recruitment.
Meanwhile, in the UAE – employers will have to go through local recruitment agencies called ‘Tadbeer’ to express their intent to hire workers from the Philippines.
Both Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will play a key role to carefully scrutinize job orders from Tadbeer and ensure the implementation of the provisions in the employment contract.
Philippine Labor Attache in Abu Dhabi Manuel Dimaano welcomes the positive development as a breakthrough decision overcoming an impasse that spanned six years since the suspension of deployment in 2014.
He also stressed the importance of the measures included within the joint decision that promotes the welfare of each household service worker that would now be employed through proper channels from the Philippines.
“This process helps both the POEA and Philippine recruitment agencies vet and orient each and every household service worker, that the UAE employers would hire through the Tadbeer system. Meanwhile, Filipinos are now assured to get an employment contract that guarantees the protection of their rights and their person and with welfare provisions once they arrive here to begin their journey as OFWs,” said Dimaano.
