Labor chief signs lifting of deployment ban to Kuwait

By Camille A. Aguinaldo
LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III on Thursday officially signed the lifting of the deployment ban to Kuwait to be enforced effective immediately, as ordered a day before by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
I just signed the order lifting the ban on the skilled workers and professionals and as well as the household service workers,” Mr. Bello told reporters on the sidelines of a forum at the AG New World Manila Bay Hotel.
He said he had earlier recommended the partial lifting of the deployment ban, but Mr. Duterte proceeded with the total lifting order after he was “impressed” with the Kuwaiti government’s compliance with his conditions in behalf of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Persian Gulf state.
Mr. Bello also said around 5,000 Filipino workers were ready to be deployed to Kuwait while 15,000 were still in process.
Also on Thursday, Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III recommended retaining the ban on sending household service workers to Kuwait.
“Total ban can and should be lifted. But we still have to observe a limited ban on sending household service workers (HSWs) to Kuwait. Let us allow the sending of engineers, managers, drivers, construction workers, etc. but not HSWs,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Others senators, for their part, welcomed the lifting of the deployment ban to Kuwait.
Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito said he hoped the signed memorandum of agreement (MoA) would protect Filipino workers in the Persian Gulf State.
“All the more I am determined to push for my bill to increase and institutionalize Overseas Legal Assistance Fund for our distressed OFWs,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said the government should continue cooperating with the Kuwait to ensure the protection and welfare of OFWs.
He also called for a “tighter crackdown against illegal recruitment” and a monitoring of the conditions of OFWs.
For his part, Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said, “We hope that we can totally prevent abuses against our OFWs especially to our household service workers who are vulnerable to abuse,” he said in a statement. — with Gillian M. Cortez