Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the partial deployment ban of overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait

We support this move by Secretary Bello. While it limits the opportunities available to Filipino workers, it is also necessary to limit their exposure to risks and abuses. This policy also expresses our government's outrage over the death of our compatriot who was allegedly killed by her employer's wife. The welfare of our OFWs, particularly their safety and security in their places of work, is a paramount concern for our government, and our partners should recognize this especially the ones we signed bilateral agreements with.

Mahalagang ipaintindi ng ating pamahalaan sa kanilang mga katuwang sa Kuwait na ang mga household service workers natin ay hindi nila pag-aari na parang gamit o tupa na maaari nilang itapon na lang kapag wala nang pakinabang o pagbuhatan ng kamay. Kung may problema ang mga employer sa kanilang mga household service worker, maaari naman nila idulog ito sa mga recruitment agency na kanilang pinagkuhanan ng manggagawa.

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.

In the meantime, we also call on the DOLE and TESDA to ensure that there are available jobs and training opportunities for workers who will be affected by the ban.

In the long term, we should exert all efforts to create more job opportunities locally so that our kababayans do not need to go abroad and leave their families to find well paying jobs.