THE Department of Labor and Employment's (Dole's) deployment ban on the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) bound for Kuwait stays as the investigation for over 1,000 cases is still ongoing.
In an interview with Sun.Star Davao, Dole Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod for Labor Relations and Special Concerns, said that the suspension of deployment for Filipino workers in Kuwait is just temporary, but as of now, he could not provide yet the date on when it would be lifted.
"Dili nana magdugay [It is just temporary]. Thus, the response of the Kuwait Government, those undocumented nga OFW will be given amnesty, makauwi to para maayos ang papeles (they will come home)," he said.
Last month, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to stop the processing of overseas employment certificates (OEC) for Kuwait-bound OFWs after President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his apprehension on abuses againt domestic helpers there.
Duterte plans to talk with Kuwaiti officials after the series of deaths of Filipinos who are working there.
"What Dole did was temporary suspension para katong mga allegations imbestigahan (to investigate all allegations)," he said, adding that there is over 1,000 different cases of maltreatment, jailing and sexual abuses that were reported to them in Kuwait. Thus, before approving again another batch of workers, these cases are being prioritized to be solved.
Maglunsod said that they alerted Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) to investigate the allegations and make it a priority after receiving the reports.
They are looking into a bilateral agreement proposed by Dole with the government of Kuwait to protect the workers there and uphold their rights before the country sends workers there again.
Maglunsod said that there are around 10 million OFWs worldwide and one million are in the Middle East. In Kuwait, there are about 300,000 OFWs.