The most affected by the diplomatic rift between the Philippines and Kuwait are some 260,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state.
The uncertainty of the fate of the OFWs in Kuwait begs the question, “What can Philippines do next for OFWs there?”
In an article published in Forbes, columnist Richard Heydarian wrote that the Philippines may have something up its sleeves to save OFWs from this “fallout” – the booming economic condition of the country.
Heydrian noted that the country’s economic condition, which is dubbed as the fastest growing in the region, can afford to bring home OFWs from the Gulf state. At the same time, the country’s need for laborers can provide OFWs opportunities to earn money without being away from their families, which can cause a number of negative social effects.
Heydarian explained that the construction industry, in particular, is in dire need of more laborers.
“It’s now in a better position to provide employment at home. In fact, amid a $180 billion infrastructure buildup, the Southeast Asian country is running short of labor, particularly in the construction sector,” Heydarian wrote.
Heydarian added that many investors have also added more benefits and began to offer higher compensation to skilled and semi-skilled workers in the retail, business process outsourcing, and real estate sectors which could serve as an opportunity for OFWs to choose to work home.
The columnist, however, noted that despite these opportunities laid out for OFWs to return home, the country may be unable to convince all OFWs overseas to return home.
“It may take decades, however, before the Philippines is developed enough to attract back millions of its citizens, who have chosen to search for greener pastures abroad,” Heydarian wrote.
