As GCC countries expand their efforts to promote more jobs for their respective nationalities, Philippine labor officials are proactively finding ways to ensure that overseas Filipinos would adapt to the changing landscape of work in the region.
During the press conference, Labor Attache Gregorio Abalos Jr. of Oman, stated that the change of leadership in the Sultanate put a spotlight on the country’s policy of Omanisation, particularly after the protest of Omanis demanding jobs from their own government.
“Just a few months ago, there were already protests coming from Omanis themselves asking for jobs. And therefore it became a signal for the Sultanate to really be serious about Omanisation,” explained Abalos.
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POLO Oman’s Labor Attache said that there is an opportunity to witness a rise in demand among Household Service Workers if both Omani parents would find work opportunities in their country.
“The implication of course is that once both Omani husband and wife will be given jobs, the clamor for Household Service Workers will increase. In Oman, approximately 50,000 Filipinos are here and 65% are Household Service Workers – right now that is the current trend,” said Abalos.
Meanwhile, Labor Attache Fidel Macauyag of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia shared that the wave of Saudization in their country already started in their malls.
“This Saudisation will result to loss of thousands of jobs for our OFWs. Right now, they have begun to cleanse malls and other enclosed establishments from expat workers. They want their citizens to work in these establishments and they are implementing it little by little,” explained Macauyag.
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He also hopes that the labor reforms in Saudi will be fully implemented by the end of 2021 as an important step to abolish the ‘kafala’ system in the country.
“Under this initiative, skilled workers are now given the right to transfer to another employer after they have served at least one year in their current employer. Maybe this is a stepping stone to achieve the eventual abolition of the ‘kafala’ system in Saudi Arabia because even skilled workers are also affected by the kafala system,” said Macauyag.
He added: “Now they are given this right to transfer without the right of the employer to question it. But there are still glitches that we are fixing, it is not yet fully implemented. We look forward to the abolition of kafala system, as far as HSWs are concerned because these are the most vulnerable workers.”
