MORE or less 30,000 household service workers (HSWs) could immediately be deployed once the impasse between the Philippines and Kuwait is resolved.
This is based on the estimates of the Philippine recruitment sector as it looks forward to the potential resumption of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) deployment to Kuwait next year.
"A potential 30,000 HSWs can be deployed once the deployment ban is lifted as Kuwaiti employers prefer Filipina maids and skilled workers," said recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani in a statement.
To recall, the Kuwaiti government indefinitely suspended the visa issuance to Filipino workers back in early May, thereby stopping OFW deployment there.
Since then, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has repeatedly expressed its readiness to revive labor talks with Kuwait in a hope of resuming OFW deployment there.
According to Geslani, they are hoping that OFW deployment to Kuwait will resume by early 2024.
"The recruitment sector is hoping that deployment to Kuwait will start by the first quarter of 2024," said Geslani.
He said the local recruitment sector is already in talks with their Kuwaiti counterparts.
"The Philippine Agencies Accredited to Kuwait (PHILAAK) had met earlier with foreign recruitment agencies (FRAs) operating in Kuwait to start the process," said Geslani.
Records indicate that there are around 280,000 OFWs in Kuwait. Majority of which are HSWs at 260,000 while the rest are skilled workers.