DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega (Screenshot from Facebook live)



There is no quick resolution to the issue on the Kuwaiti government’s suspension on the issuance of Filipinos workers' entry visas. This can be gleaned from the remarks of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega Monday afternoon, May 15 during a hearing of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs. "I have hope for the future," De Vega said. Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo chairs the House panel. De Vega branded the Kuwait's suspension of entry visas as its "response" to the Philippines' own suspension of the deployment of first-time household workers in the oil-rich last February. Manila's move came at the heels of the brutal killing of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jullebee Ranara, in Kuwait. She was reportedly raped, murdered, burnt and thrown in the desert. “We’re sending a team, DFA, DMW (Department of Migrant Workers), [and] OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), to sit down with the Kuwaitis and see how we can move forward because we have to see what actually are the things they have been complaining about," De Vega said. De Vega said he hoped negotiations would begun soon regarding the Philippines' deployment suspension on household workers, but Kuwait responded with the visa restriction instead. "But, let's be optimistic. Lahat may solusyon (Everything has a solution). Let's hope na itong (Let's hope that this) negotiating team will come home with progress. Hindi agad na pagbalik nila, tapos na. No (It's not like once they come back here, it'll be over. No)," the DFA official said rather somberly. "Tulad ng sinabi ko, ang inaasahan sana ng DFA, magkaroon ng meeting mismo si Secretary [Susan] Ople sa Kuwait at kung ano man ang lifting ng ating suspension, mangyayari only after the meeting (Like what I said, what the DFA was expecting was for Secretary Ople to have a meeting in Kuwait, and that the lifting of our suspension will only happen after the meeting). "Kasi dapat mag-usap mismo ang ating DMW doon sa Kuwait (It's our DMW that should talk to those concerned in Kuwait)," De Vega explained. As for the DFA, he said the plan is to resolve the issue using "full bilateral relations" between the two countries. "Just like the way we protect our national territory, our economici interest, our cultural values--we’ll always resolve things in diplomacy but not at the expense of the national pride and honor.”