BY ASHZEL HACHERO and GERARD NAVAL
THE Philippines and Kuwait governments have concluded two days of talks on labor and other issues, without a clear decision if the Arab nation would lift its ban on the entry of Filipino household workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
The meetings, which were held at the office of Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from May 16 to 17, were attended by senior officials from the DFA, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), representing the Philippine side, and Kuwaiti officials.
The discussions centered on resolving issues raised by the Kuwaiti government when it decided to suspend the issuance of new entry visas to Filipinos, supposedly due to Manila’s violation of provisions in the labor agreement between the two countries.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega has earlier said that the Kuwaiti government wanted the Philippines to remove the shelters it had established for runaway household workers because these are not allowed under its laws.
The DFA, in a statement, said that while the issue on the ban on the entry of Filipino workers to Kuwait has yet to be fully resolved, “the Philippines remains open to constructive dialogues” to address Kuwait’s concerns.
During the meeting, the DFA said the Philippines expressed its full respect for Kuwaiti laws and appreciation for the hospitality extended by its government and people to more than 200,000 Filipino workers who consider Kuwait as their second home.
In a separate statement, the DMW said it explained to Kuwaiti officials that the presence of shelters for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait is an integral part of the services of the Philippine government there.
“On issues related to services being rendered to our migrant workers, the delegation explained that all actions taken by the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine government are solely to ensure the safety and welfare of our own nationals,” said DMW.
“Providing protection to a country’s citizens abroad is a well-established duty of consular offices under international law and conventions,” it added.
De Vega had said last week that the purpose of the shelters was not to encourage Filipinos to run away from their Kuwaiti employers but for their protection because the Philippines is “obligated under our laws to maintain these shelters.”
Both the DFA and the DMW assured Filipinos living and working in Kuwait, as well as their families, of the government’s full support and assistance.
In a separate statement, recruitment analyst Emmanuel Geslani said the country can expect the suspension to remain in effect for a “few more months,” which he said means that at least 3,000 Kuwait-bound OFWs this May will be unable to leave the country.
“With this deadlock, expect the deployment ban on OFWs by Kuwait to extend for a few more months with no solution in sight by both our country and the Kuwaiti side,” said Geslani.
Government records showed that 185 Filipinos died of various causes in Kuwait since 2016.
Because of various labor-related issues experienced by OFWs in Kuwait, the Duterte administration implemented a ban on the deployment of household workers to the oil-rich nation that was only lifted in 2020 after a labor pact was signed between the two countries.
Under the agreement, the Kuwaiti government committed to ensure the protection and welfare of Filipino workers.
