THE National Government will give financial aid to Filipino workers affected by the suspension of work visas imposed by the Kuwaiti government.
In a press conference on Saturday, May 13, 2023, Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes said the affected overseas Filipino workers will be included in the National Reintegration Program of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) along with other forms of assistance.
“Para mabigyan sila ng tulong at ayuda considering alam nila kung ano iyong mga pinagdaanan at alam nila what they had to give up just to the flight to Kuwait,” he said.
The program provides the OFWs and their families with opportunities for accessing projects and services that would help them mitigate the social cost of migration and cushion the impact of forced repatriation due to unexpected events.
Cortes clarified that the move of the government of Kuwait only covers Filipinos with new entry visas or those who will enter the country for work for the first time.
“We were told na it is only for those na bago – meaning kung wala kang resident visa o iyong tinatawag nilang ‘iqama’... hindi ka pwede pumasok. Pero kung babalik ka ng Kuwait dahil doon ka naman na nagtatrabaho at—iyon nga, have been living there, working there, pwede ka namang pumasok,” the official said.
Cortes said officials from the DFA and DMW will travel to Kuwait as part of the ongoing discussions between the Philippines and Kuwait to tackle labor concerns and issues. (SunStar Philippines)