By Camille A. Aguinaldo
Presidential spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. announced late Wednesday, May 9, that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Philippines and Kuwait on the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may be signed on Friday, May 11.
“Sa a-onse po ang araw na inaasahan natin na magkakaroon ng lagdaan po ng memorandum of agreement (On May 11, we expect that there will be a signing of a memorandum of agreement),” he said during a press briefing at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait aired via Facebook live.
Mr. Roque is currently in Kuwait along with Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, former Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, Labor Attache Rustico dela Fuente, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Kuwait Mohd Noordin Lomondot.
At the press briefing, the presidential spokesperson said the Philippine delegation met with top officials of Kuwait’s Ministries of Interior, Social Affairs and Labour, as well as Foreign Affairs.
He also assured that the finalized MoU contained provisions President Rodrigo R. Duterte earlier demanded to the Kuwaiti government on improved labor conditions of OFWs which included the following, among others:
· Their passports will be deposited to the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to prevent confiscation by the employer
· They are guaranteed weekly day-offs with pay
· They are guaranteed at least seven hours of sleep
· They must be given nutritious food
· They are allowed to own mobile phones so they could call for help during emergencies
During the negotiations, Mr. Roque further said the Philippine side also asked the Kuwaiti side to attach in the MoU a “model employment contract” which would also include the same living conditions for OFWs urged by Mr. Duterte.
The Kuwaiti government then clarified that it intends to craft a model employment contract applicable for all foreign household service workers in the country, he added.
Asked whether the total deployment ban to Kuwait would be lifted with the MoU signing, Mr. Bello reiterated that he has recommended to the President for a partial lifting of the ban to allow skilled Filipino workers and professionals to work in the Persian Gulf state.
“In a way, the president already gave his go signal but the MoU needed to be signed,” he said.
He also noted that the Philippine government would monitor the immediate effects of the MoU before lifting the deployment ban on household service workers to Kuwait.

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