ABU DHABI: An orientation program developed by the Philippine government for migrant workers could benefit other nationalities in the UAE, according to a Manila official.
Departing overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs, are required to attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation seminar (PEOS) on settlement issues and concerns, reported The National.
It includes information about the local culture and work practices of the labor-receiving country, as well as their rights and obligations, the report said.
As a follow-up, newly arrived workers attend an orientation seminar on rights, privileges and responsibilities in the country they have moved to. They also receive information on the assistance offered by Philippine diplomatic missions, it highlighted.
“What we are trying to implement is a comprehensive information orientation program or CIOP,” Rebecca Calzado, head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), reportedly said. “The endorsement to adopt the project came from the ministers of the member states, so I would think they consider it important for their respective workers.”
Calzado, who attended an Abu Dhabi Dialogue meeting in Dubai in May, was quoted as saying that the Philippines, as the main proponent, had offered a regional guide that identified the important elements and information that can equip workers overseas.
“It’s a follow through on what was approved unanimously at the ADD ministerial meeting held in Kuwait in November 2014,” she said. “Each country would have to localize or customize the program to suit their needs because Nepal, for instance, would have a different concern from that of the Philippines when it comes to deploying their workers abroad.”
First held in Abu Dhabi in 2008, the conference dialogue has attempted to develop greater partnerships between labor-receiving countries including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and labor-sending countries such as India, Nepal and the Philippines, reported The National.
“The idea is to get involvement of not just the labor-sending but also labor-receiving countries,” Ms Calzado reportedly said. “It will help a lot in terms of the adjustment process and raise awareness on the part of the worker about the culture, laws and other practices that will help to lessen problems between worker and the employer.”
CIOP is an education module for each of the four stages of migration: before departure, upon departure, upon arrival and after arrival, said the Abu Dhabi-based news portal.
Sri Lanka has a 45-day training program for its nationals leaving for employment abroad, but does not offer any post-departure orientation, the report said.
“They undergo training and are educated on the cultural aspects, how people get about, dress code and other matters,” said S J Mohideen, the Sri Lankan ambassador to the UAE. But once they arrive here, they are handed over to their employers and that’s it.”
Last Friday, Filipino diplomats launched the first post-arrival orientation seminar (PAOS). The plan is to hold one on the third Friday of every month, reported The National.
The seminar is aimed at newcomers but can also benefit Filipinos established in the UAE, Marieta Salon, head of recruitment at Rawafed in Abu Dhabi, reportedly said. “The only way to protect Filipinos here is to equip them with information on the U
