Kuwaiti foreign minister: We are communicating with PHL on OFWs

By Minde Nyl R. Dela Cruz and Camille A. Aguinaldo

Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah said on Tuesday, Feb. 13, that his country is communicating with the Philippines on the situation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In the same briefing, US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson announced that the Philippines has joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which held its meeting also on Tuesday.

“Today’s meeting of the 74 members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS – and we were able to announce today it’s now 75 members because we welcomed the Philippines – this hosting by Kuwait is the kind of leadership that marks Kuwait’s efforts throughout this entire campaign,” Mr. Tillerson said.

For his part, Minister al-Sabah said that Kuwait is “in direct communication” with the Philippines regarding the conditions of 130,000 OFWs in his country.

“We actually condemn the statements of the president of the Philippines. And you know we are communicating with the president of the Philippines and with the minister of foreign affairs of the Philippines to try and explain the conditions of work of all Philippines workers,” Mr. al-Sabah said.

Here in Manila, also on Friday Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano in a briefing said he told the Kuwaiti ambassador to the Philippines that firm commitments on the OFW’s welfare must be made by Kuwait before President Rodrigo R. Duterte visits the Middle Eastern country.

Mr. Cayetano and Kuwaiti Ambassador Saleh Ahmad Alhwaikh met earlier on Thursday to discuss the protection of OFWs in Kuwait following the death of domestic worker Joanna Demafelis whose body was found inside her employer’s freezer.

Ms. Demafelis’s remains arrived in Manila Friday noon and will be airlifted to her hometown in Iloilo early Saturday by Philippine Airlines.

At a press briefing in Taguig City, Mr. Cayetano said the Kuwaiti ambassador asked about the President’s visit to Kuwait so they could show that a majority of employers in their country treat their Filipino workers well.

“I explained to them: before the President can go, we have to have substantial agreements and firm commitments with each other,” the DFA chief said. 

“We both know that the President will not go (to Kuwait) if there are no directions towards solving the Filipino community in Kuwait and in the Middle East, in general,” he later added.

Malacañang has confirmed that Kuwait had invited Mr. Duterte, no matter his ban on the deployment of OFWs to the Middle Eastern country.

Mr. Cayetano said he had asked for more protection for OFWs despite claims that only a portion of workers were abused.

“Our track here is the number of Filipinos who (have) problems. We can’t ignore them. We need more protection,” he said.

He said the Philippine government gave “confidence-building measures that will build trust” between the two parties while the Kuwaiti ambassador cited reforms on their part following the death of Ms. Demafelis.

“Basically the discussion was on how to end the impasse and how to not escalate and how to address OFWs’ concern,” Mr. Cayetano said.

He added that the Philippine government also requested a three-month extension on the amnesty program by the Kuwaiti government to undocumented Filipino migrants.

OFWs have until Feb. 22 to rectify their status or exit without being fined.

Landing rights for Cebu Pacific Air in Kuwait were also sought to bring home distressed Filipino workers back home. 

Mr. Cayetano said he will discuss in the next meetings practical solutions with the Kuwaiti government on commonly reported problems experienced by OFWs, such as the sponsorship program enforced by Kuwait and underpaid salaries to Filipino workers.

“If they will change (the Kafala system or the sponsorship system), it will solve half of our problems. Meaning, we’ll be treated like other foreign workers are treated,” he said.

However, he said he would expect some reluctance from Kuwait on proposed measures to change the sponsorship system.

“If there will be resistance, we can work around that. That’s not our only solution,” he said

Mr. Cayetano also proposed that passports be held for safekeeping by the Philippine embassy.

Under Kuwaiti laws, foreign workers must be sponsored by a local employer to get a work permit. Several OFWs have lodged complaints that Kuwaiti employers hold on to their passports to prevent them from reporting abuses.