The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) hosted a dialogue with Philippine recruitment agencies (PRAs) involved in deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to address key concerns and gather suggestions for enhancing the protection of OFWs in these countries.
This social dialogue is part of the DMW’s ongoing consultations aimed at reviewing deployment guidelines to Kuwait, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to safeguard the rights and welfare of OFWs and their families.
Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation, Patricia Yvonne Caunan, emphasized the DMW’s commitment to ensuring OFW safety and well-being, highlighting the importance of concrete policies that prioritize worker protection.
The discussions brought up issues such as the monitoring of workers on-site, terms in employment contracts, and the compliance of both recruitment agencies and their foreign counterparts. PRAs proposed incorporating specific job descriptions and reducing employment contracts from two years to one year.
The DMW stressed the need for PRAs to closely monitor the conditions of their deployed workers and act swiftly in emergencies. PRAs were also reminded to guarantee workers’ safe return at the end of their contracts and to report any violations by foreign recruitment agencies.
The dialogue concluded with a mutual agreement to raise the salary of domestic workers and to include their families in pre-departure seminars to better understand the risks and opportunities of working abroad.
Representatives from the Philippine Association of Service Exporters Inc. (PASEI), the Philippine Recruitment Agencies Accredited to Saudi Arabia (PRAASA), and the Coalition of Licensed Recruitment Agencies for Domestic and Service Workers (CLADS) attended the event, which produced valuable inputs to further improve the safety and welfare of OFWs, particularly those working as domestic workers in Kuwait.
