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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH to hold talks with Kuwait amid work visa suspension

PH to hold talks with Kuwait amid work visa suspension

Published May 13, 2023 11:06 am
The Philippines will soon send a delegation to Kuwait to tackle labor and migrant workers issues, including the recent suspension of new work visas for Filipinos by the Kuwaiti government, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday, May 13. *(Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)*
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes revealed that the Philippines routinely sends a team to Kuwait and other countries to ensure the protection and welfare of Filipino workers. “Palagi naman may discussions ang Kuwait and Philippines very often, in fact, itong month of May talagang pupunta iyong delegation natin doon to discuss among others labor concerns (Kuwait and the Philippines very often have these discussions. In fact this month of May, we have a delegation going there to discuss, among others, labor concerns),” the official said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). “Nagkataon lang na may ganitong klaseng mainit na isyu pero meron at mayroon pupuntang DFA delegation kasama rin ang mga DMW nating colleagues na pupunta doon to discuss itong mga challenges na ito (It just so happened that there’s a hot issue like this and a DFA delegation will go there together with our DMW colleagues to discuss these challenges),” he added. Cortes explained that the DFA instituted a “constant communication forum.” This, he stressed, was “not only with Kuwait but all the others to make sure na we’re always on track as far as protection and promotion of the well-being of our migrants are concerned.” The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry recently announced the temporary suspension of issuing visas to Filipinos because of some supposed violations committed by the Philippine government on the bilateral labor agreement signed by the two countries. Cortes confirmed that Kuwait had already sent an official note to the Philippines regarding the suspension of new visas last Friday. “We were told na it is only for those na bago – meaning kung wala kang resident visa o iyong tinatawag nilang ‘iqama’… hindi ka pwede pumasok. Pero kung babalik ka ng Kuwait dahil doon ka naman na nagtatrabaho at—iyon nga, have been living there, working there, pwede ka namang pumasok (We were told that it is only for the new — meaning, if you do not have a resident visa or what they call iqama… you cannot enter. But if you are going back to Kuwait because you are working there and have been living there, working there, you can enter),” the official explained. He also assured the affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that they would receive assistance from the government since they would be included in the National Reintegration Program of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), among other forms of assistance. Reports said the Kuwaiti government wants to remove the shelters for runaway household workers that the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait operates. Citing Republic Act (RA) 8942, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, Cortes stressed the embassy must have a shelter for distressed Filipino workers. There is also a provision in the bilateral labor agreement with Kuwait that allows this, he added. “We have that in our law to operate shelters within our jurisdiction, which is an embassy or consulate,” he said in a Quezon City media forum. The DFA said there are between 275,000 to 300,000 documented Filipinos in Kuwait, of which 70 percent are household workers and 30 percent are non-household workers.

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DFA OFWs bilateral labor agreements DMW Kuwait work visas
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