The Philippines and Saudi Arabia are still holding talks about possible lifting of the deployment ban on the Kingdom, a key Filipino official has said.
“Sa ngayon po ongoing pa po ang negotiations at mayroon po tayong team na pupunta in advance bago dumating si Secretary Susan Ople,” Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi was quoted as saying in local media reports.
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“Sa ngayon hindi ko po mabibigay o masasagot nang diretso dahil ongoing pa po ‘yung pag-aaral at saka mga consultations in preparation sa pagpunta ni Secretary sa Saudi Arabia,” he reportedly added.
The DMW had said the ban, implemented by the Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) in November 2021, was costing the Philippine government a significant amount of revenue, reported GMA News.
A deployment ban on household service workers was enforced due to unpaid salaries of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia.
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Meanwhile, Legaspi also reportedly mentioned the agency’s National Reintegration Program for OFWs.
The said program was among DMW’s priority projects aside from the One Repatriation Command Center and the OFW Mobile Application, the reports highlighted.
“Ang layunin po ng programa na para sa reintegrasyon ay dapat kailangang makita natin at matulungan natin ang mga OFW sa kanilang pagbabalik-bayan kasi ang mga OFW, kalahati po diyan ay pangingibang bayan at ‘yung kalahati po ‘yung pagbabalik,” Legaspi was quoted as saying.
