SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Recruitment agencies in the Philippines and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) converged at Travelers Hotel and Event Center here for a three day conference ending Tuesday to discuss issues and concerns to protect the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom.
“These are crucial times when we need to work together. Our industry faces threats, both internal and external. There are many bumps on the road, but with a unified vision, we can hurdle all challenges,” said Imelda Enriquez, president of the Philippine Recruitment Agencies Accredited to Saudi Arabia (PRAASA), during the opening of the Joint PHKSA Industry Conference on the Welfare and Protection of OFWs.
Keynote speaker Sen. Cynthia Villar said this conference is really a good venue to discuss the various problems and issues confronting the Saudi labor market and PRAASA.
“Repatriation of distressed OFWs, as we call them, is the main activity throughout the year. It quite distressing for us to learn about the sad, sometimes tragic, fate of our OFWs. Many whom encountered problems with their employment terms and even many more were hurt, maltreated, abused or molested by their employer,” Villar said.
“In recent years, the cases of OFW abuse seem to have even worsened, as a number of them, are not distressed anymore, but already dead, citing the case of Joanna Demafelis who was found dead and stuff ed in a freezer at her employer’s home in Kuwait. The incident prompted our government to issue a deployment ban to Kuwait,” she added.
While she agreed to the deployment ban given the recent situation, Villar said it is just a “temporary solution” to the “perennial problem” faced by OFWs.
“We should really do a comprehensive review and assessment of the plight of OFWs in all countries where they are working, so that we can implement reforms and find lasting solutions,” she noted.
Villar cited in her recent interview, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should also look into why so many of our domestic workers especially in the Middle East are being deprived of their basic rights and subjected to abuse and exploitation.
Villar is also pushing for the creation of a separate government department that will cater solely to the needs of OFWs. “I have filed Senate Bill No. 146 or the proposed “Department of Migration and De velopment Act of 2016. ”It remained pending in the committee on labor and employment (chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva.)
The bill also seeks to create the P1-billion Special Assistance Revolving Fund for Filipino Migrants, including both documented and undocumented.
There are over 12 million OFWs out there that remit billions of dollars annually that prop up the country’s economy.
“Last year, OFWs’ cash remittances, those course through banks, reached $28.1 billion, Villar said. Dialogues and discussions such as this conference will really help in settling issues, addressing concerns, finding solutions to problems and implementing policies. At the end of the day, we are all here to protect our respective citizens and countries, Villar concluded.
