DOLE approves partial lifting of OFW deployment ban to Kuwait

FILE: Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III on April 27, 2018. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Some Filipino workers will now be allowed to fly to Kuwait after the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) decided to partially lift the deployment ban of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the Gulf state.

“The Board of POEA just came up with a resolution lifting ban partly. Partial lifting of the deployment ban,” Labor Secretary and POEA Governing Board chair Silvestre Bello III said in an interview Thursday.

Among those who will be allowed for deployment are newly hired and returning skilled and semi-skilled workers as well as professionals.

Meanwhile, the deployment ban on newly hired and returning household service workers remains in place.

Bello said the partial lifting of the OFW deployment ban was due to the recent signing of the harmonized contract of employment between the Philippines and Kuwait.

“Because finally the proposed harmonized contract of employment was agreed upon by the Kuwaiti government. This is a measure that would provide effective and efficient protection to our overseas workers,” said Bello.

The order takes effect immediately.

The salient provisions of the signed document between the two countries include prohibition for employers to keep any of the worker’s personal identity documents such as passport, and the entitlement of a worker to own a phone and use it outside the working hours provided that she keeps the secrets and privacy of the household, and use such phone in a manner consistent with public morals.

The OFWs are also entitled to a paid full day per week break and must not work for more than 12 hours a day. The worker should be allowed to have no less than an hour break after five consecutive hours of work, and the right to at least eight hours of consecutive night rest.

Employers are also prohibited to assign a domestic worker to work outside of the State of Kuwait or be transferred to another employer without the OFWs’ written consent.

If this occurs without the agreement of the worker, the worker will be returned to the Philippines at the expense of the employer.

Bello also reported that the employers of slain OFW Jeanelyn Villavende have been charged with murder.

“The first hearing was held yesterday and the Labor Attaché came out with a report that the couple, the policeman and the wife, who are employers of Jeanelyn were charged with murder. They are now presently detained at the central jail,” h said.

Last month, the DOLE imposed a total deployment ban due to the alleged attempt of the host government to cover-up the real cause of the OFW’s death.