With President Rodrigo Duterte standing firm with the ban on overseas Filipino worker (OFW) deployments to Kuwait, following reports surrounding the deaths of several migrant workers based in the Middle East country, allegedly at the hands of their employers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently suggested they may expand the ban to other countries.

“For example, in [Saudi Arabia], it is a common malpractice that the employer trades or switches their worker to other employers.” said DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

He also highlighted the kafala system, which is used in several Middle Eastern nations, wherein workers are typically provided an in-country sponsor, with hopes of acquiring a formal visa; however, in many instances, with the sponsor having such control over the worker, cases of abuse have become prevalent.

“An OFW, for instance, cannot quit work or transfer jobs without first obtaining the consent of his employer,” Bello explained. “[This] practically places the OFW at the mercy of his employer.”

“The minimum demand of our president is that we will only deploy in countries where our workers are properly and effectively protected,” he added.

According to a report, Middle Eastern countries comprised the top six destinations for OFWs in 2017, with Saudi Arabia as the top country of deployment./PLL, WDJ