Gov’t retains ban on deployment in Lebanon

The Philippines yesterday reiterated that the government-enforced ban in Lebanon will not be lifted until the working conditions for Filipinos in the Middle East state is improved.

A government ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Lebanon is still in place pending the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the protection of Filipino workers with Lebanon.

The agreement is being negotiated due to numerous labor violations and abuse claims by Filipino workers, mostly domestic helpers.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised potential Filipino jobseekers abroad not to accept jobs in Lebanon until an agreement seeking to protect and increase the salary of workers from the Philippines has been signed.

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto Asuque recently met ranking officials of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) and discussed the embassy’s protective measures for Filipinos.

The assistance provided by the embassy includes searching for runaway Filipino workers wherever they may be in Lebanon and bringing them to Philippine government shelters to resolve their immigration cases with the Lebanese authorities.

Two Filipinos staying at the shelter were invited to the meeting to briefly present their status and condition in Lebanon to the visiting HRW officials.

HRW executive director for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) division Sarah Leah Whitsom, HRW-MENA Division Researcher Nadim Houry, and HRW Germany director Wenzel Michalski led the 14-member delegation.

While in Lebanon, HRW officials assessed the status of the rights of migrant domestic workers and the efforts done by the Lebanese government in addressing migrant workers’ concerns over the protection of their rights and welfare.

A Philippine-proposed agreement, which hopes to increase the salary of Filipino domestic helpers in Lebanon from $300 to $400 a month, was rejected by the Lebanese government.

At present, there are more than 46,000 maids in Lebanon in addition to the 25,000 who opted to remain in Beirut during the 2006 war with Israel, he said.

The 46,000 managed to slip into Lebanon from July 2006 to December 2008 and many more have arrived since 2009.

Manila issued the ban to Lebanon in 2006 following the outbreak of hostilities between Israeli and Hezbollah forces.

Asuque told HRW that conditions must exist in Lebanon before Filipinos are allowed once again to be recruited and deployed there.

A new round of negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation with the Lebanese government is still ongoing, Asuque said, adding that he hopes for an immediate conclusion of the labor accord. –Michaela P. del Callar, Daily Tribune