PH to ban deployment of new domestic workers to Kuwait

By Eimor Santos, CNN Philippines, 2 Jan 2020

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines. January 2) — The Philippines will stop sending new household service workers to Kuwait after the killing of another Filipino helper there, a Cabinet official said Thursday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told CNN Philippines he will issue an order anytime soon for a “partial deployment ban” to the Gulf state pending the possible reimposition of the work ban.

“[This] means hindi na muna kami magdedeploy ng bago, we will only allow the deployment of yung mga balik manggagawa, yung returning at saka yung skilled workers,” Bello said.

[Translation: This means we will not deploy new workers in the meantime, we we will only allow the deployment of those returning workers and skilled workers.]

He said in a statement that only first-time household service workers will be prohibited from going to Kuwait. He added a complete ban may take effect if justice is not served for Jeanelyn Villavende, the overseas Filipino worker who was allegedly killed by her Kuwaiti employer.

READ: PH gov’t seeks justice for OFW death in Kuwait

The suspect is now detained.

Bello said he had received an initial report that Villavende was black and blue when brought to the hospital. The exact date of her death remains unknown days after making headlines this week.

Villavende’s local recruitment agency will also face an investigation for failing to take the necessary action after the victim already reported in September that she was maltreated and underpaid. Villavende also requested for repatriation, but the agency did nothing, Bello said.

“We could either put them under suspension or cancel their license if they could not explain why they did not take the appropriate action,” Bello said.

In February 2018, the Philippines implemented a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait, in the wake of reports Filipino workers in Kuwait have been abused and some died, including the case of Joanna Demafelis who was found inside a freezer of her employer’s home.

The ban was lifted in May that year.

The two countries also signed an agreement for the protection of Filipino workers. Bello, however, lamented that the provisions have not been followed, including the drafting of a template employment contract that would allow Filipinos to keep their passports and cellphones which are often surrendered to employers. The working and sleeping hours should also be specified, Bello said.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the committee on labor, warned of graver consequences if the Kuwaiti government does not address the problem.

“We have already seen one OFW death in Kuwait too many. If we cannot get safety and security guarantees for our OFWs in Kuwait, a most basic and reasonable demand in our view, perhaps our government should make the ban permanent,” Villanueva said in a statement.

More than 200,000 Filipinos are in Kuwait, mostly household service workers.