Senator Pia Cayetano has urged migrant and airport authorities to look into the case of certain overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were made to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) that she personally witnessed when she traveled abroad only recently.
Cayetano, in a privilege speech, said she was shocked to see groups of Filipinos in complete PPEs and later on was told that they were OFWs.
“I’d like to point out that they are in complete PPE, including the footsies (shoe covers) that you only see in operating rooms. It’s like the height of ridiculousness that you have to wear those footsies because they are walking around the whole airport where thousands of people enter, walk around every day, so there is nothing hygienic about being in footsies, as opposed to being in their regular rubber shoes or walking shoes,” Cayetano said during the Senate plenary session on Wednesday, September 21.
“Tingnan niyo naman...may gloves pa. Nakakaiyak. And then may face shield pa (Look at them, Mr. President, they even wear gloves. It’s emotional. And they also wear face shields),” she said.
The senator said she alerted Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople who, in turn, promised to look into the photos she sent to the official. The photos she sent were taken at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 3 last Aug. 23, 2002.
As far as she is concerned, Cayetano pointed out many countries have already lifted the most stringest of COVID-19 protocols including the wearing of face shields, and presenting a negative RT-PCR test result.
“In the UAE, the requirement is as follows: vaccination certificate containing a QR code. They are not required to present a negative result of an RT-PCR test for COVID,” she said.
“Wala na ngang PCR test na required ipakita, tapos may PPE papunta doon (You’re not even required to show a PCR test, but they are wearing PPE). To be clear, hindi po ako 100 percent sure kung saan sila papunta (I’m not a hundred percent sure where they are going), but I am sure most of our OFWs go to these areas. So you know, we can kind of assume that some of these pictures I have shown, their (OFWs) destination, is one of these areas,” she said.
“For Kuwait, travelers are no longer required to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to Kuwait. The pre-departure testing requirement has been removed,” the senator also said.
“And then, for Riyadh, all non-Saudis who have not been vaccinated against COVID must abide by the following institutional quarantine procedures for seven (7) days. So there’s quarantine. All non-Saudis who are immunized are allowed to enter Saudi without the need for a quarantine period, provided that they present an official vaccination certificate and submit a negative PCR,”
“Wala akong nakikitang nakalista dito na naka-full PPE sila (I don’t see anything in the list where they are required to wear full PPE), your honor,” she stressed.
Cayetano said she can only imagine the discomfort and inconvenience the outbound Filipinos who were wearing PPEs had to go through during their travel.
“I am not sure what the protocols are now, but our OFWs are wearing it when they travel. Ang hirap kaya magbanyo na ganyan ang suot mo. Isipin na lang natin yun, dun pa lang (It’s so hard to go to the bathroom when you wear something like that. Think about it). And I wonder how much they were charged to comply with whoever’s requirement this is,” the lawmaker lamented.
Cayetano said she hopes the government would look into the matter considering the Philippines is party to the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families.
“I’d like to include in this speech Article 7 of the said convention, which states: States Parties undertake, in accordance with the international instruments concerning human rights, to respect and to ensure to all migrant workers and members of their families within their territory or subject to their jurisdiction the rights provided for in the present Convention without distinction of any kind such as to sex, race, colour, language, religion or conviction, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, nationality, age, economic position, property, marital status, birth or other status,” she said.
“I believe, your honor, that this is discrimination, if in fact there is such a requirement. I am not saying there is a requirement, but I am just putting on record that we are protected by this convention. That if based on the rules for entering the countries that I mentioned as I gathered from the websites are correct, I didn’t see anything about Filipinos, OFWs, or any other nationality entering their countries (they are required) to be in full PPEs,” Cayetano pointed out.
She also stressed that Article 16 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), on Occupational Safety and Health Convention, states that: "Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of PPE at work; PPEs should only be used as a last resort; If PPE is still needed after implementing other controls, employers must provide this for their workers free of charge."
“So, I leave this to our better, more in depth scrutiny. I hope we can help out our OFWs so that they won't have to pay extra to travel for work, and they don’t have to travel in this kind of discomfort,” she told her colleagues.