DOLE not ready to lift suspension of deployment to Jordan

MANILA, Philippines - While the Jordanian government is all set to include the protection of migrant workers’ rights in its labor laws, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment is adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude before relaxing a ban on deployment of Filipino workers to the Mideastern kingdom.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque told GMANews.TV on Thursday that the Philippine government would have to wait for the implementation of protection measures before allowing Filipino domestic workers to be deployed in Jordan.

Earlier, Salah Jaber, a lawyer of the Ta’amneh law firm in Jordan, told GMANews.TV on Wednesday that the Jordanian government wants to include migrant workers, particularly domestic helpers, in its labor law and secure their protection from various forms of exploitation and abuse.

Once implemented, Filipino domestic workers will be entitled to a minimum wage pay of 150 Jordanian dinar, equivalent to P10,580. Aside from this, workers will be entitled to a maximum of eight hours per day working schedule and a day a week day off.

“We have to wait until they implement the amendments," said Roque. “(But until that happens) the ban in Jordan remains."

Earlier reports said a memorandum being drafted in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Amman would give Jordan’s honorary consul in the Philippines a bigger role in supervising and monitoring the recruitment of Filipino workers for Jordan.

The government stopped the sending of Filipino workers to Jordan upon recommendation of the Philippine Embassy, which was alarmed by the rising number of Filipino women victimized by abusive employers.

Last August, Roque partially eased the ban and allowed returning household service workers in Jordan. Newly hired Filipino domestics, however, are still not allowed to enter the Middle East country.

Roque also instructed the Philippine Overseas and Employment Agency (POEA) and the Philippine Labor Office in Jordan (POLO) to resume the processing of employment documents of qualified returning HSWs.

Returning domestic helpers as well as skilled workers are allowed to be deployed to Jordan, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr said.


Ongoing deployment

Although the Philippine government has put a lid on the deployment of Filipino domestic workers there, a migrant workers’ leader in Jordan said the HSWs from the Philippines continue to pour into the country.

Hadeel Abdel Aziz founding member of the Justice Center for Legal Aid, told GMANews.TV that Jordanian employers have no problem looking for Filipino domestic helpers despite the January 2008 deployment ban.

Citing reports reaching her, Aziz said most Filipinos cross the border in Israel or Saudi Arabia to reach Jordan.

“I tell you, there is no problem with the supply of Filipino domestic helpers in Jordan. They keep coming," Aziz said.

Earlier this year, about 260 Filipino domestics sought refuge at the Philippine Embassy in Amman early this year, most of them claiming they were not paid their proper wages.

Since Filipino workers flooded the embassy and consular offices in Amman, the Philippine government decided to cancel the deployment of Filipino domestics to Jordan.

According to a recent study, one out of every two overseas Filipino workers last year ignored reports of harsh working conditions abroad and still chose to work in the Middle East.

A report by the National Statistics office (NSO) said that from April to September 2007, almost half or 46.8 percent of overseas workers were hired in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and other Middle East countries.

Last year, 45.8 percent of the OFWs worked in the Middle East during the same period, according to NSO. - GMANews.TV

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