PH bans deployment of new domestic workers to Kuwait

Based on Governing Board Resolution 01, series of 2020, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) declared a partial ban on the sending of Filipino workers, particularly newly hired HSWs, effectively immediately. (File Photo: Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)/Facebook)

MANILA — The government on Friday announced the ban on the deployment of newly-hired household service workers (HSWs) to Kuwait.

Based on Governing Board Resolution 01, series of 2020, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) declared a partial ban on the sending of Filipino workers, particularly newly hired HSWs, effectively immediately.

“Now, therefore, the POEA Governing Board, in a meeting duly convened, resolves as it is hereby resolved, to adopt the said memorandum and effect a deployment ban for newly-hired domestic workers to Kuwait effective immediately,” the order said.

“Reloaded that a moratorium on the verification, accreditation and processing for individual contracts and additional Job Orders (JO) for the same category of workers shall be effected,” it added.

On the other hand, the Governing Board clarified that those workers with overseas employment certificates (OECs) issued on or before 5 p.m. of January 3 will be allowed to depart for Kuwait.

After consulting Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Undersecretary Brigido Dulay on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who also chairs the POEA Governing Board, issued a memorandum to POEA to immediately convene the Board for the immediate issuance of a partial deployment ban involving Visa 20 (domestic workers) new hires and “balik-manggagawa”.

The memo also instructed the POEA to include a moratorium on the processing and verification of individual contracts and additional job orders for the same category of workers.

Bello issued the memorandum amid reported cases of maltreatment and deaths involving OFWs in Kuwait, specifically the death of Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende.

On Feb. 12, 2018, the Philippine government imposed a total deployment ban on the sending of OFWs to Kuwait due to the series of reports of abuse and deaths of OFWs in the host country, including the death of Joanna Daniela Demafelis.

The ban was lifted in May 2018 after then Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and officials of the Gulf state signed an agreement on the employment of domestic workers.