The redeployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will resume on Nov. 7, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
DMW Sec. Susan "Toots" Ople said this was the agreement reached during her meeting with Minister for Human Resources and Social Development Minister Ahmad Bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi.
The agreement on the redeployment of OFWs was also included in a joint statement issued late Tuesday afternoon wherein the Philippines and the KSA agreed to undertake joint measures “to facilitate the decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights.”
Both countries also expressed appreciation to the significant contributions of Filipino workers to the Saudi economy and the mutual regard for a rights-based approach to labor migration.
“We are grateful to Minister Al-Rajhi and the government of Saudi Arabia for sharing our concern for the rights of our workers. Likewise, we intend to move forward by working together in implementing mechanisms that would ensure the protection of our workers’ rights and welfare,” Ople said.
Ople expressed gratitude to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia for their “indispensable guidance and support” during the bilateral discussions.
"We followed the President's directive to work as a team and for the DFA and DMW to speak with one voice," Ople said, as she underscored the commitment of both countries to a joint partnership against the trafficking of migrant workers.
“There was a trailblazing convergence of concrete ideas and measures on how best to protect our OFWs while at the same time, deepening the ties between the two countries," Ople said.
The bilateral talks, Ople said, will resume on December 5-6 with the convening of a Joint Committee Meeting to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.