Bahrain assures continuous support for Pinoy workers


Bahrain has assured the Philippines that it will continue to help and support overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the foreign country and increase their awareness about programs related to them, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola and Assistant Secretary Alfonso A. Ver meet Minister of Labor of the Kingdom of Bahrain Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan on Dec. 27, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Manama, Bahrain/DFA)

The commitment of Bahrain concerning Filipino migrant workers was reiterated during a meeting with DFA officials Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola and Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Alfonso A. Ver on Dec. 27, 2021 in Manama, Bahrain.

The Philippine delegation paid courtesy calls on Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Minister of Labor Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan. They also held separate meetings with MOFA Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs, Resources and Informatics Khalil Yaqoob Al-Khayat, Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) Advisor for Planning & Development Accounting and Deputy CEO for Operations Duaij Khalifa Albinali, and Chairperson of the National Institution for Human Rights Ali Ahmed Alderazi.

As Arriola applauded Bahrain’s efforts to further improve its labor reform initiatives during the meeting, their counterparts showed their commitment to help and support OFWs in Bahrain with Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) as well as expressed their interest "to partner with the Philippine Embassy towards increasing the community’s awareness about its programs and the mechanisms available to support expatriates in the Kingdom."

Arriola also cited that Bahrain’s model of labor reform program is now being followed by other countries in the GCC such as Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

She highlighted that Bahrain has been the cradle of labour reform initiatives in the GCC and cited that the cooperation between the Philippines and Bahrain to advance these reforms is a model partnership that is now being replicated in other GCC countries.

Al Zayani, on the other hand, affirmed that "the visit signifies the strong friendship and cooperation in various fields between the Philippines and Bahrain." He also praised the Filipino community’s role and contribution in advancing the development process in Bahrain.

The Philippine delegation also met the Filipino community in the Kingdom of Bahrain and provided cash assistance to distressed Filipinos.

The Filipino officials came back home on New Year's day with 100 repatriates from Bahrain.

READ MORE: 100 OFWs return home from Bahrain on New Year's day—DFA