Most OFWs in Kuwait unaffected by row —DFA



Published May 1, 2018 9:16pm 

Filipino workers in Kuwait are not likely to be affected by the current rocky relationship between the Philippines and the Gulf state, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday, allaying fears of pro-migrant groups.
At a press conference in Cebu, Cayetano said "96 percent" of Filipinos in Kuwait are in "good condition" and have no problems with their employers.
"The Kuwaiti is looking at them like family members. So whether or not there is ban, whether or not there's a rocky diplomatic relationship, hindi po napapahamak iyong 96 percent," he said.
The Philippines imposed a ban in February on facilitating Filipino employment in Kuwait and helped several thousand workers return home after reports of abuses and maltreatment of domestic helpers. The flashpoint was the discovery of the body of Joanna Demafelis in a freezer in an apartment unit previously occupied by her employers.
The diplomatic row started when Kuwait viewed as violation of its sovereignty the Philippine Embassy's move to "rescue" Filipino maids from their employers amid the reports of abuse.
The operation was captured on video and posted on social media, and was described by Kuwait as "inappropriate behavior." The Philippine government has since apologized for it.
Cayetano, during the press conference in Cebu, said their focus are the Filipinos who are being maltreated by their employers, the reason why the government intends to enter an agreement with Kuwait on the protection of OFWs.
He said unless Kuwaiti officials can guarantee the protection of OFWs, President Rodrigo Duterte will not lift the ban.
"Ang sabi ng Pangulo habang hindi protected ang 100 percent na Pilipino, hanggang walang agreement at implementing mechanism na protektado lahat ng Pilipino, ayaw niyang i-lift iyong ban at pirmahan iyong agreement," he said. —KBK, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more