OFWs deserve better treatment, protection: Villanueva

“In line with the recent cases of abuse that inflicted our kababayans abroad, we express our full support on the President’s move to implement a total ban on the deployment of all OFWs to Kuwait,” Villanueva said. (Photo: Joel Villanueva/Facebook)

Senator Joel Villanueva on Monday expressed support on President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to enforce a total ban on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) to Kuwait saying the migrant workers deserve “better treatment and protection.”

“In line with the recent cases of abuse that inflicted our kababayans abroad, we express our full support on the President’s move to implement a total ban on the deployment of all OFWs to Kuwait,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva pointed out that domestic helpers are the ones who are most suffering from maltreatment.

“Our migrant workers, especially household workers, have long suffered from maltreatment and it is only just to stop sending OFWs where they are not being treated humanely,” he added.

The Senator called on Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to further review their policies in deploying migrant workers.

“We therefore urge the DOLE and OWWA to further review their policies in sending migrant workers abroad and look at ways on improving the lending of assistance and protection to our afflicted OFWs,” the Senator said.

“We echo the President’s remarks that the Filipino is no slave to anyone, anywhere, and everywhere. Abuse, maltreatment, and violence have no place in every OFW’s workplace. Their safety and welfare should always be our government’s utmost priority,” Villanueva added.

President Duterte has ordered a total ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait as the Philippine government investigates the death of seven Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state.

He has earlier appealed to Kuwaiti government and other Middle Eastern countries to treat Filipino workers as “human beings,” following the recent cases of deaths of migrant workers in Kuwait.

[READ: Duterte to Kuwait, Middle East countries: ‘Treat my countrymen as human beings with dignity’]

“Can I ask you now just to treat my countrymen as human beings with dignity,” Duterte earlier said.