The Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople has said that he would keep in mind the safety of OFWs for lifting the ban on deployment in Saudi Arabia.
Ople said she tapped Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to discuss the deployment issue and wants “good ties” with the Kingdom.
“I really want to have bilateral talks but these would be focused on workers’ welfare and protection in general,” Ople said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual forum on Wednesday.
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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) suspended deployment to Saudi Arabia last year after 11,000 workers remained unpaid at construction agencies and also amid domestic helpers subjected to abuse by employers.
“‘Yun daw nangyayari na ‘yung insidente, na actually kami yung nag report sa DOLE noon, na meron Saudi general na every year nakakakuha ng domestic worker maski merong pattern of abuse so ‘yun ‘yung mga kailangan gamutin,” Ople said.
“Ang mensahe, recruitment agency ka man o foreign employer ka man o foreign recruitment agency ka man, shared ang responsibility [over the welfare of worker],” she added.
