The European Union acknowledged the achievements made by the Philippines in protecting the rights of Filipino workers abroad.
During the first-ever Sub-Committee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the new European Union-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), both sides recognized the strides the country made in overseas Filipino workers (OFW) issues.
Even amid the coronavirus pandemic, the country facilitated the repatriation of distressed Filipino workers abroad. They also took note of the country’s efforts in the fight against human trafficking.
The sub-committed also discussed migration and how its problems impact societies, noting “that women and girls constitute the vast majority of the victims” of human trafficking.
Migration, they said, “is a global phenomenon that requires global solutions and global sharing of responsibility.”
Also part of the meeting was the topic about “social dumping and the protection of the rights of third country au pairs in the EU.” Au pairs are helpers from foreign countries that work for and live with a host family. Au pairs help in child-reading and household work, and receive some type of allowance for personal use.
“The EU and the Philippines recalled their engagement to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” in this context, and discussed as well the situations of racism and xenophobia in the EU and of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines.