OFW deployment ban to Jordan stays - DoLE says
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government has not lifted the deployment ban to Jordan, according to acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, denying reports quoting a labor official of Jordan.
“I have not signed any decision yet to lift it," Roque said in a telephone interview Monday.
He asserted that removing the deployment ban to Jordan “is not even in the agenda with POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration)."
The Jordan Times quoted Amjad Weshah, the country’s director of recruitment for the labor ministry, as saying that the Philippine government lifted the ban imposed January this year.
The report said Weshah learned of the Philippine government’s decision through Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Julius Torres when the two met last Wednesday.
Roque insisted that Filipino workers are still prohibited from seeking employment to Jordan. The report about the lifting of the ban, he said, “definitely did not come from us."
Asked if it is possible that the decision came from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the acting labor chief said it should have at least informed him out of courtesy.
“There should be at least a department courtesy because we are the one deploying (our workers)," Roque pointed out.
The Jordan Times reported that the Philippine government has decided to lift the deployment ban on condition that work contracts would have to be approved by the embassy and the Filipinos would receive a minimum monthly salary of $400.
Claro Cristobal, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said it is establishing contact with the Philippine embassy in Jordan to confirm it.
Last January 21, the Philippine government imposed an indefinite ban in the deployment of new workers to Jordan after about 120 to 150 OFWs, mostly household helpers, sought refuge at the embassy when they fled from their employers because of alleged abuses, including rape and non-payment of wages.
The deployment ban only covers the new hires, and not returning workers who don’t have problems with their employers.
In 1990, the Philippines also imposed a deployment ban to Jordan due to high cases of maltreatment and exploitation committed by Jordanian employers.
However, in 2005, the labor department ordered the lifting of the ban with the opening of a Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Amman and the implementation of a “special work contract" which provides liberal welfare provisions to foreign household service workers.
Jordanian officials have consistently denied claims of abuse of Filipino workers. "The issue had nothing do with abuse claims. It was about a number of domestic helpers, who had problems related to their residency, and we tried to help them return to their country," according to Weshah.
Through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the government raised in December 2006 the minimum salary of domestic helpers, or household service workers, to $400, from $200, and required language proficiency and skills training and assessment on workers prior to deployment.
The Jordanian labor official said 45 Filipino domestic helpers had since been sent back to the Philippines after settling their financial claims from their employers.
According to the report, a joint committee formed to identify and solve the problems on the recruitment of the Filipinos to Jordan had addressed most of the workers’ grievances, which were primarily against their employers for delayed or non-payment of salaries, accumulated work permits and residency fines.
The Jordan interior ministry had exempted at least 140 Filipinos from the payment of fines, and 75 of this batch have returned to work, and 60 are set for repatriation to the Philippines, the report said.
The number of Filipino domestic helpers in Jordan has been estimated at 15, 000. - GMANews.TV
“I have not signed any decision yet to lift it," Roque said in a telephone interview Monday.
He asserted that removing the deployment ban to Jordan “is not even in the agenda with POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration)."
The Jordan Times quoted Amjad Weshah, the country’s director of recruitment for the labor ministry, as saying that the Philippine government lifted the ban imposed January this year.
The report said Weshah learned of the Philippine government’s decision through Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Julius Torres when the two met last Wednesday.
Roque insisted that Filipino workers are still prohibited from seeking employment to Jordan. The report about the lifting of the ban, he said, “definitely did not come from us."
Asked if it is possible that the decision came from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the acting labor chief said it should have at least informed him out of courtesy.
“There should be at least a department courtesy because we are the one deploying (our workers)," Roque pointed out.
The Jordan Times reported that the Philippine government has decided to lift the deployment ban on condition that work contracts would have to be approved by the embassy and the Filipinos would receive a minimum monthly salary of $400.
Claro Cristobal, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said it is establishing contact with the Philippine embassy in Jordan to confirm it.
Last January 21, the Philippine government imposed an indefinite ban in the deployment of new workers to Jordan after about 120 to 150 OFWs, mostly household helpers, sought refuge at the embassy when they fled from their employers because of alleged abuses, including rape and non-payment of wages.
The deployment ban only covers the new hires, and not returning workers who don’t have problems with their employers.
In 1990, the Philippines also imposed a deployment ban to Jordan due to high cases of maltreatment and exploitation committed by Jordanian employers.
However, in 2005, the labor department ordered the lifting of the ban with the opening of a Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Amman and the implementation of a “special work contract" which provides liberal welfare provisions to foreign household service workers.
Jordanian officials have consistently denied claims of abuse of Filipino workers. "The issue had nothing do with abuse claims. It was about a number of domestic helpers, who had problems related to their residency, and we tried to help them return to their country," according to Weshah.
Through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the government raised in December 2006 the minimum salary of domestic helpers, or household service workers, to $400, from $200, and required language proficiency and skills training and assessment on workers prior to deployment.
The Jordanian labor official said 45 Filipino domestic helpers had since been sent back to the Philippines after settling their financial claims from their employers.
According to the report, a joint committee formed to identify and solve the problems on the recruitment of the Filipinos to Jordan had addressed most of the workers’ grievances, which were primarily against their employers for delayed or non-payment of salaries, accumulated work permits and residency fines.
The Jordan interior ministry had exempted at least 140 Filipinos from the payment of fines, and 75 of this batch have returned to work, and 60 are set for repatriation to the Philippines, the report said.
The number of Filipino domestic helpers in Jordan has been estimated at 15, 000. - GMANews.TV
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