DMW hopes for mutual understanding between PH, Kuwait amid visa suspension issue By RICHA NORIEGA, GMA Integrated News

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday said it hopes there will be a mutual understanding between the Philippines and Kuwait amid the suspension of visa issuances for newly hired Filipino workers. DMW Secretary Susan Ople said she agrees with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. rejecting the idea of imposing a total deployment ban against Kuwait. “So I think in time there will be a mutual understanding on the way forward, tama si Presidente let us not burn bridges, ano lang to, sa tingin ko kailangan lang dagdagan lang ang pagunawa and we respect their decision,” Ople said at a press conference. (So I think in time there will be mutual understanding on the way forward, the President is right, let us not burn bridges, that's all I think we need to give more understanding and we respect their decision.) “Yung sa atin naman, very clear na we would have been ready to continue the recruitment and deployment even for the first time kasambahays once both sides agree on protective measures,” she said. (As for us, it is very clear that we would have been ready to continue the recruitment and deployment even for first time domestic helpers once both sides agree on protective measures.) “Sa kanila they are talking about the violations done by the Philippine government ..., tayo we wanted sana to talk about protective measures for our most vulnerable workers. Yun ang pagkakaiba,” she added. (For them, they are talking about the violations done by the Philippine government ... For us, we want to talk about protective measures for our most vulnerable workers. That's the difference.) Ople also said that she agrees with the President’s foreign policy directions making clear that the Philippines is “a friend to all.” She said more than 200,000 households and companies have Filipinos working in Kuwait. The DMW official said they will help the affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “Meanwhile, tutulungan natin sa department yung mga apektado kasi that is our mandate. Yung mga gustong maghanap ng trabaho sa ibang bansa, we will gladly help them and guide them para hindi naman sila maging biktima ng illegal recruitment or human traffickers kaya maganda na makipagtulungan sa amin,” she added. (Meanwhile, we in the department will help those affected because that is our mandate. For those who want to find work in other countries, we will gladly help them and guide them so that they do not become victims of illegal recruitment or human traffickers, so it is good to cooperate with us.) Marcos said the Philippine government will pursue negotiations with the Kuwaiti government with regards to the supposed temporary suspension on issuing visas to Filipinos. Early this month, the Kuwaiti government announced a temporary suspension on the issuance of visas to Filipinos due to the supposed violation committed by the Philippine government on the bilateral agreement between the two countries. Due to this, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippine government is studying the possible lifting of the deployment ban in Kuwait. Last February, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) imposed a temporary ban on the deployment of first-time domestic workers to Kuwait following the death of OFW Julleebee Ranara and other cases of maltreatment of OFWs. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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