President Bongbong Marcos said that he is not keen on imposing a total deployment ban for overseas FIlipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait.
The statement comes when asked about the government’s next course of action since the Middle Eastern country does not want to lift its visa suspension order.
He is responding to the call of Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Rachel Arenas to totally ban OFW deployment to Kuwait over heinous crimes committed to migrant workers.
“I’m never very comfortable ‘yung nagba-ban na ganun dahil parang ang pag-ban sinasabi mo forever na ‘yan, hindi na pwede,” Marcos said.
“I don’t know, ‘yung sometimes overreaction ‘yun na, basta’t ban lang tayo ng ban, hindi naman tama,” he added.
The chief executive said that the Philippine government will continue engaging Kuwait to resolve bilateral labor issues.
“Baka sakali down the road magbago ang sitwasyon, maibalik ngayon ang ating mga workers. Hopefully down the road, we will continue to work to improve that situation,” Marcos said.
The Department of Migrant Workers has started to distribute their financial assistance to affected Filipinos of the visa suspension order of Kuwait.
The DMW gave 30,000 cash assistance to those OFWS who are already holding their overseas employment certificates.
“They also went job matching for employment opportunities to other countries,” the DMW said in a statement.
“The DMW assured the OFWs of sustained employment facilitation assistance so that they can continue to earn for their families,” the agency added.
Some 815 Filipinos were directly affected by the ban according to the DMW.
“Sila yung ating paunang tinutulungan para sa job matching nila initially from last week we were talking to recruitment agencies na kung meron kaparehong trabaho the agency itself some of the agencies were complying tinutulungan sila,” DMW Assistant Secretary Kiko De Guzman said.
DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac remains optimistic that the visa issuance will be lifted soon.
“We are hoping na magpatuloy ang daan ng labor diplomacy para mabigyang daan ang both sides what we know so far is that last week nailatag ng PH side yung ating mensahe ng welfare and protection ng ating mga OFWs.” he added.
