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A congressman who works closely worth overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is asking Philippine authorities to clarify with Kuwait what brought about the latter's suspension of all types of work and entry visas for Filipinos. Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo noted that on May 10, Kuwait announced such suspension after the Philippines allegedly violated a bilateral labor agreement with the country. "I am calling on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to immediately seek clarification on this alleged violation," Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said. "We need to find out what exactly is the violation so we can immediately take the appropriate action in addressing the same for the welfare of our OFWs already in Kuwait and those expecting to be deployed there," he said. "I also urge the DMW to establish an office within the department specifically tasked with engaging concerned officials of other countries on the implementation of our bilateral agreements so we can avoid being blindsided by sudden impositions like this. We need to adopt proactive measures to prevent similar occurences in the future,” added Salo. It was only last February when the Philippines imposed a ban on first-time workers to the oil-rich nation after the brutal death of Jullebee Ranara at the hands of the son of her Kuwaiti employer. “The welfare of our OFWs are of paramount national interest, and the government needs to immediately address concerns of the Kuwaiti Government,” stressed the Kabayan lawmaker. According to the latest data from the DMW, there are around 268,000 OFWs in Kuwait.