PH, Kuwait to hold talks on draft OFW protection pact – labor official

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Kuwaiti government has expressed willingness to negotiate with the Philippines in drafting a bilateral agreement to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Gulf state.

In a press conference, Labor Undersecretary Claro Arellano said they were scheduled to meet delegates from the Kuwaiti government on the bilateral agreement on Wednesday, March 7.

“We received a memo from our officer-in charge labor attaché in Kuwait informing us that the Kuwaiti side expressed willingness to negotiate with the Philippine government in Manila,” Arellano said.

The agreement may be finalized a week after their scheduled bilateral agreement, the Labor official also said.

“(The agreement) may be finalized next week as well as the signing, but the signing may be done in Kuwait. (Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello) said they were willing to go to Kuwait to sign the agreement,” Arellano noted.

Among the proposals of the Philippine government in the agreement were the rights of OFWs to hold their passports and to use their mobile phones while at work. Philippine officials also want to include in the agreement the banning of recruitment firms that have records of employers abusing OFWs.                       /kga