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Showing posts with label moratorium for HSW deployment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moratorium for HSW deployment. Show all posts

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Philippines Plan To Ban Household Service Workers - First Saudi Arabia, Now Kuwait

Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. "Talagang problematic 'yung Kuwait eh. Ang daming complaints about how our HSW [household service workers] are maltreated. Hindi maganda ang pag-aalaga sa kanila, so we are seriously considering kung hindi man namin i-reduce, baka magkakaroon ng total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News <IMAGE> This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia. Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers. <IMAGE> As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move." "Napag-isipan naman namin na 'pag ginawa namin 'yun, baka isipin ng Kuwaiti government na retaliatory move ito so medyo pinapatagal namin, para sa ganon na hindi ganon ang magiging impression nila" he said. It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries. A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.



Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III.
Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. "Talagang problematic 'yung Kuwait eh. Ang daming complaints about how our HSW [household service workers] are maltreated. Hindi maganda ang pag-aalaga sa kanila, so we are seriously considering kung hindi man namin i-reduce, baka magkakaroon ng total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News <IMAGE> This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia. Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers. <IMAGE> As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move." "Napag-isipan naman namin na 'pag ginawa namin 'yun, baka isipin ng Kuwaiti government na retaliatory move ito so medyo pinapatagal namin, para sa ganon na hindi ganon ang magiging impression nila" he said. It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries. A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.
"The situation in Kuwait is really problematic. There are many complaints about how our workers are being maltreated. They are not being taken cared of properly, so we are seriously considering if not to reduce, there might be a total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News.
Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. "Talagang problematic 'yung Kuwait eh. Ang daming complaints about how our HSW [household service workers] are maltreated. Hindi maganda ang pag-aalaga sa kanila, so we are seriously considering kung hindi man namin i-reduce, baka magkakaroon ng total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News <IMAGE> This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia. Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers. <IMAGE> As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move." "Napag-isipan naman namin na 'pag ginawa namin 'yun, baka isipin ng Kuwaiti government na retaliatory move ito so medyo pinapatagal namin, para sa ganon na hindi ganon ang magiging impression nila" he said. It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries. A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.
President Duterte is flanked by Saudi Security as he went to speak with OFWs there during his State Visit to KSA-Bahrain and Qatar last week, April 2017.
This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary previously said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia.

Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers.
Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. "Talagang problematic 'yung Kuwait eh. Ang daming complaints about how our HSW [household service workers] are maltreated. Hindi maganda ang pag-aalaga sa kanila, so we are seriously considering kung hindi man namin i-reduce, baka magkakaroon ng total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News <IMAGE> This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia. Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers. <IMAGE> As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move." "Napag-isipan naman namin na 'pag ginawa namin 'yun, baka isipin ng Kuwaiti government na retaliatory move ito so medyo pinapatagal namin, para sa ganon na hindi ganon ang magiging impression nila" he said. It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries. A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.
An abused household service worker is being treated in a hospital in the Middle East. Her nationality is being withheld.  


 As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move."

 "We thought about it, if we do it now, the Kuwaiti government might think that this is a retaliatory move so it has to be well-timed so that they will not consider it as a retaliatory act" he said.
Following disturbing reports of maltreatment by employers, the Philippines may send less Household Service Workers out to Kuwait—if not a total ban in the country, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. "Talagang problematic 'yung Kuwait eh. Ang daming complaints about how our HSW [household service workers] are maltreated. Hindi maganda ang pag-aalaga sa kanila, so we are seriously considering kung hindi man namin i-reduce, baka magkakaroon ng total ban," Bello said in an interview with GMA News <IMAGE> This follows a very similar statement made during the President's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Amid incidents of abuses committed by employers and recruiters alike, the Labor Secretary said the Philippine government is seriously considering a ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to Saudi Arabia. Bello – who is with the entourage of President Rodrigo Duterte – said he had tasked labor attaches to strictly monitor the situation of OFWs already in the Middle East. He said labor attaches had been warned they would be replaced if they should fail to report incidents of abuses against Filipino workers, including domestic helpers. <IMAGE> As for implementation of the plan, Secretary Bello is expecting a delay because the government does not want to make it seem like a "retaliatory move." "Napag-isipan naman namin na 'pag ginawa namin 'yun, baka isipin ng Kuwaiti government na retaliatory move ito so medyo pinapatagal namin, para sa ganon na hindi ganon ang magiging impression nila" he said. It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries. A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.
It is not surprising to see images of cruelty in the Middle East. Many reports of foreign workers abused, raped or killed are heard of on a weekly basis. Many believe that the numbers are far more than what is being reported due in fact to the strict cultural practices in the said countries.




A recent video, seen above, is a good example of abuse in the Middle East. It shows a foreign household worker, believed to be Ethiopian, dangling from the window of their apartment. Employers are notoriously known to require any task from their workers, regardless of dangers. The worker is believed to be cleaning the window of their 7th floor apartment before she fell. The video was taken by her employer no less, instead of helping the poor lady.

 source: GMA, PCOO



©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO

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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

DEPLOYMENT MORATORIUM, NOW! --- OFW GROUPS

A 33 year-old household service worker in Kuwait died of severe beating by her employer. Amy Capulong Santiago was declared dead on arrival when her employers brought her at the Farwaniya Hospital due to severe beating on the very same day when another Filipina HSW, Jakatia Pawa was executed. Doctors found bruises all over her body. Her employers turn themselves over to the police and are now detained at Abdullah Al Mubarak Police Station. The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait vowed to take the case head-on and give justice to the bereaved family of the OFW. Santiago arrived in Kuwait on August 2015. Jakatia Pawa, on the other hand was executed due to the alleged killing of her sponsors daughter. However, her family believe that what has happened to Pawa was a set-up and the OFW was innocent. According to her brother during his conversation with Pawa over the phone, Pawa told him that her employer's 22 year-old daughter was caught by her employer having sex with her boyfriend. Out of anger, the employer killed her own daughter then called the police. When the police arrived, they saw Pawa cleaning the blood on the crime scene and arrested her. This explains the forensic findings that not a single fingerprint came from Pawa was found. Only the DNA on the gloves she used for cleaning was found and used as evidence against her. A growing number of abuse and maltreatment cases on HSWs revived the call for deployment moratorium in sending HSWs in Kuwait. OFW advocate groups cry for the deployment ban of HSWs, not only in Kuwait but for the entire Middle East. However, the Kuwaiti government downplayed the effect of the said deployment ban saying that Kuwait will not be affected by such actions of any country's decision to restrict their citizen from entering or travelling to Kuwait, nor affect the supply of domestic workers in the country. A new regulation for domestic workers is also on its way for implementation. It is said to standardize the cost of bringing in domestic workers to Kuwait, forcing domestic labor bureaus to abide by the regulations, and impose punishment of five-year imprisonment and/or fine of KD 5,000 for any manipulation of the regulations. The said regulation is expected to be published in newspapers prior to its implementation and will be endorsed by Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and Ministry of Interior. Meanwhile, the Philippines is not the only country to implement such moratorium or deployment ban, if ever. India, for instance, has an existing deployment ban on their women domestic workers from entering Kuwait due to maltreatment reports. The Ambassador of Nepal to Kuwait Yagya Bahadur Hamal said that their government decided to organize the process of sending domestic workers to Kuwait after receiving several complaints, saying that this move was aimed to protect Nepalese domestic laborers in the country. Ethiopia also has a temporary ban for their domestic workers, not only for entering Kuwait but the whole Middle east as well. The government of Indonesia, banned its nationals from traveling to the countries of the Middle East, not Kuwait alone, since 2009, to work as domestic workers. There are plans to extend that ban to include other countries in the world. Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa said that as of now , there are no directives or orders from the DFA regarding his recommendation of temporary suspension of deployment of HSWS in Kuwait but he assures that his office will implement the moratorium once the DFA issue the orders. RECOMMENDED: DOLE Sec. Bello in Kuwait OFW EXECUTED IN KUWAIT PRESIDENT DUTERTE VISITS ADMIRAL TRIBUTS DTI ACCREDITED CARGO FORWARDERS FOR 2017 NO MORE PHYSICAL INSPECTION FOR BALIKBAYAN BOXES BOC DELISTED CARGO FORWARDERS AND BROKERS BALIKBAYAN BOXES SHOULD BE PROTECTED DOLE ENCOURAGES OFW TEACHERS TO TEACH IN THE PHILIPPINES

A 33  year-old household service worker in Kuwait died of severe beating by her employer. 
Amy Capulong Santiago was declared dead on arrival when her employers  brought her at the Farwaniya Hospital due to severe beating on  the very same day when another Filipina HSW, Jakatia  Pawa was executed. Doctors found bruises all over her body. Her employers turn themselves over to the police and are now detained at Abdullah Al Mubarak Police Station. 
 The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait vowed to take the case head-on and give justice to the bereaved family of the OFW. Santiago arrived in Kuwait on August 2015.

Jakatia Pawa, on the other hand was executed due to the alleged killing of her sponsors daughter. However, her family believe that what has happened to Pawa  was a set-up and the OFW was innocent. According  to her brother  during his conversation with Pawa over the phone, Pawa told him that her employer's 22 year-old daughter was caught by her employer having sex with her boyfriend. Out of anger, the employer killed her own daughter then called the police. When the police arrived, they saw Pawa cleaning the blood on the crime scene and arrested her. This explains the forensic findings that not a single fingerprint came from Pawa was found. Only the DNA on the gloves she used for cleaning was found and used as evidence against her.

A growing number of abuse and maltreatment cases on HSWs revived the call for deployment moratorium in sending HSWs in Kuwait. OFW advocate groups cry for the deployment ban of HSWs, not only in Kuwait but for the entire Middle East. 

 However, the Kuwaiti government downplayed the  effect of the said deployment ban saying that Kuwait will not be affected by such actions of any country's decision to restrict their citizen from entering or travelling to Kuwait, nor affect the supply of domestic workers in the country.
A new regulation for domestic workers is also on its way for implementation. It is said to standardize the cost of bringing in domestic workers to Kuwait, forcing domestic labor bureaus to abide by the regulations, and impose punishment of five-year imprisonment and/or fine of KD 5,000 for any manipulation of the regulations.
The said regulation is expected to be published  in newspapers prior to its implementation and will be endorsed by Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and Ministry of Interior.






Meanwhile, the Philippines is not the only country  to implement such moratorium or deployment ban, if ever. India, for instance, has an existing deployment ban on their women domestic workers from entering Kuwait due to maltreatment reports. 
 The Ambassador of Nepal to Kuwait Yagya Bahadur Hamal said that their government decided to organize the process of sending domestic workers to Kuwait after receiving several complaints, saying that this  move was aimed to protect Nepalese domestic laborers in the country.
Ethiopia also has a temporary ban for their domestic workers, not only for entering Kuwait but the whole Middle east as well.
The government of Indonesia,  banned its nationals from traveling to the countries of the Middle East, not Kuwait alone, since 2009, to work as domestic workers. There are plans to extend that ban to include other countries in the world.

Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa said that as of now , there are no directives or orders from the DFA regarding his recommendation of temporary suspension of deployment of HSWS in Kuwait but he assures that his office will implement the moratorium once the DFA issue the orders.


©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO
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Friday, January 27, 2017

Secretary Bello Went to Kuwait to Tackle Proposed Ban of Kasambahay Recruitment

In the wake of OFW Jakatia Pawa's execution last Wednesday, an HSW in Kuwait who allegedly killed her employer's 22 year-old daughter, a call for the moratorium on sending Filipino HSW in the Middle East has been a cry for different OFW groups. Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III is now in Kuwait to tackle the proposed moratorium on sending Filipino HSWs. Bello arrived in Kuwait on Thursday, a day after OFW Pawa was executed. He went there to check on another OFW in the death row, Elpidio Lano. He was given a death sentence for killing a fellow Filipino, Nilo Macaranas on June 17, 2014. "I’m here on the instruction of President Duterte to know why Lano is on the death row and how we can help and save him. It also gave me a reason to look into the administrative lapse in the operation of our POLO office. Because we are all shocked, we learned about the execution (of Jakatia Pawa) on the very day that she will be executed. We were never aware that there were OFWs who are on death row,” Bello said. From the Airport, Bello proceeded to the Philippine Embassy to meet embassy officials led by Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa, as well as the POLO-OWWA officials in Kuwait. “I’m also here to personally check on the status of OFWs in Kuwait and the distressed OFWs in the POLO-OWWA shelter. I have also asked Attache Cesar Chavez Jr to go around the POLO offices in the Middle East in the next two weeks and check on the list of Filipinos in the jail or on death row so we can find ways to help them,” Bello added. The call for moratorium or temporary suspension of sending HSWs to Kuwait has been discussed with Villa and his team. “There has been a call to suspend or call for moratorium for quite a time now due to the high incidence harassment, maltreatment. It is time for me to make a serious study, consultation and come up with a decision,” Bello stated, stressing that the proposed moratorium should be seriously considered. He also said that in a matter of time,the Philippine Government will decide on the proposed moratorium. “There’s already a tentative decision but it may not be a good timing if we do it now because it may be perceived by the Kuwaiti government as a retaliatory move, hence, we have to do it at a proper timing,” assures Bello. In accordance with this, Villa disclosed that he made an endorsement of the said moratorium to Manila January last year and made a follow-upin September of the same year. Aside from initial talks, nothing has happened until now. “It’s about time that such action be implemented so both parties, Kuwait and the Philippines should talk due to the increasing number of runaway maids as well as the continuous deployment of household service workers who most of them become victims of various forms of abuses prompting them to escape from their employers and run to the embassy shelter,” Villa said. “We are appealing to President Duterte to hear our plea for a moratorium! How many more Jakatia Pawa have to suffer the same fate?” Mary Ann Abunda, the founder of Sandigan, an OFW advocacy group in Kuwait said. Around 158,000 HSWs are working in Kuwait, about more than half of around 250,000 OFWs working there. Kuwait has the highest number of distressed OFWs housed in the POLO-OWWA Shelter and Kuwait Migrant Workers Shelter in the Middle East. Source: Arab Times



In the wake of OFW Jakatia Pawa's execution last Wednesday, an HSW in Kuwait who  allegedly killed her employer's 22 year-old daughter, a call for the moratorium on sending Filipino HSW in the Middle East has been, once again, a cry of different OFW groups in social media.

 Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III went to Kuwait to tackle  the proposed moratorium on sending Filipino HSWs.
Bello arrived in Kuwait on Thursday, a day after OFW Pawa was executed. He went there to check on another OFW in the death row, Elpidio Lano. He was  given a death sentence for killing a fellow Filipino, Nilo Macaranas on June 17, 2014.


"I’m here on the instruction of President Duterte to know why Lano is on the death row and how we can help and save him. It also gave me a reason to look into the administrative lapse in the operation of our POLO office. Because we are all shocked, we learned about the execution (of Jakatia Pawa) on the very day that she will be executed. We were never aware that there were OFWs who are on death row,” Bello said.

From the Airport, Bello proceeded to the Philippine Embassy to meet embassy officials led by Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa, as well as the POLO-OWWA officials in Kuwait.




“I’m also here to personally check on the status of OFWs in Kuwait and the distressed OFWs in the POLO-OWWA shelter. I have also asked Attache Cesar Chavez Jr to go around the POLO offices in the Middle East in the next two weeks and check on the list of Filipinos in the jail or on death row so we can find ways to help them,” Bello added.




The call for moratorium or temporary suspension of sending HSWs to Kuwait has been discussed with Villa and his team.


“There has been a call to suspend or call for moratorium for quite a time now due to the high incidence harassment, maltreatment. It is time for me to make a serious study, consultation and come up with a decision,” Bello stated, stressing that the proposed moratorium should be seriously considered.

He also said that in a matter of time,the Philippine Government will decide on the proposed moratorium.


“There’s already a tentative decision but it may not be a good timing if we do it now because it may be perceived by the Kuwaiti government as a retaliatory move, hence, we have to do it at a proper timing,” assures Bello.


In accordance with this, Villa disclosed that he made an endorsement of the said moratorium to  Manila January last year and made a follow-up in September of the same year. Aside from  initial talks, nothing has happened until now.


“It’s about time that such action be implemented so both parties, Kuwait and the Philippines should talk due to the increasing number of runaway maids as well as the continuous deployment of household service workers who most of them become victims of various forms of abuses prompting them to escape from their employers and run to the embassy shelter,” Villa said.


“We are appealing to President Duterte to hear our plea for a moratorium! How many more Jakatia Pawa have to suffer the same fate?” Mary Ann Abunda, the founder of Sandigan, an OFW advocacy group in Kuwait said.


Around 158,000 HSWs are working in Kuwait,  about more than half of around 250,000 OFWs working there. 

 Kuwait has the highest number of distressed OFWs housed in the POLO-OWWA Shelter and Kuwait Migrant Workers Shelter in the Middle East.

Source: Arab Times

©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO
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