Palace backs calls to review pact on OFWs’ protection with Kuwait

“I think we should because according to Secretary (Silvestre) Bello (III) there has been a breach in the agreement signed by the two countries,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a Palace briefing. (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

MANILA — Malacañang on Monday said it will support migrant rights groups’ calls for a review on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the protection of Filipino workers in Kuwait following the recent death of a Filipino household worker in the Gulf state.

“I think we should because according to Secretary (Silvestre) Bello (III) there has been a breach in the agreement signed by the two countries,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a Palace briefing.

Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is looking to reimpose a ban on the deployment of household service workers (HSWs) to Kuwait.

Citing DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Panelo said there is a need to revisit the pact since there has been a “breach” of the employment contract by the foreign employer.

Panelo was referring to the “Agreement on the Employment of Domestic Workers” signed between the Philippines and Kuwait on May 11, 2018 which contains a contract of employment template where provisions “particularly stated” by President Rodrigo R. Duterte are enumerated.

These provisions include requiring workers’ passports to be deposited to the Philippine Embassy and not confiscated by employers; workers given one day off every week; workers given seven hours sleep a day; workers provided with decent meals and sleeping quarters; and workers provided with cellphones.

Prior to the signing of the deal, Duterte imposed a total deployment ban on new workers to Kuwait after the murder of domestic worker Joanna Demafelis, along with a series of reported abuse and maltreatment of Filipino domestic workers.

Asked if government is considering the reimposition of the deployment ban, Panelo said the executive department will await the labor department’s report on the incident.

“The Secretary of Labor has already issued an official statement. He’s putting the government of Kuwait to task for the murder of our countryman. So he is investigating it and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) is waiting for an autopsy report,” Panelo said.

The DFA said 47-year-old Constancia Lago Dayag, a Filipino worker from Agadanan, Isabela, was deployed to Kuwait in January 2016 and returned in 2018 on a second contract with her Kuwaiti employer.

DFA has sought for the immediate release of the forensic report on Dayag’s death. She reportedly died from various contusions and hematoma, as well as signs of sexual assault.