PH officials to visit Kuwait to clarify suspension of new entry visa issuance
MANILA — Philippine officials will visit Kuwait next week to clarify the suspension of the issuance of new entry visas for Filipinos, an official said Saturday.
“Mayroon pong napipintong pag-uusap sa susunod na linggo (na) magbibigay daan sa labor diplomacy na tinatawag, pag-uusap sa pagitan ng pamahalaang Pilipinas at pamahalaang Kuwait,” Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac told ABS-CBN TeleRadyo.
Cacdac said officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will lead the delegation.
The Kuwaiti government this week imposed an entry ban on Filipinos without a residence permit, according to a circular order, citing the Philippines’ alleged non-compliance to a labor agreement.
Paul Cortes, assistant secretary at the Migrant Affairs Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said news reports suggested that the Kuwaiti government may have taken such action after the Philippines created a “resource center” in the Arab state.
“Sa 2018 agreement natin na pinirmahan ng Pilipinas at Kuwait, nandoon sa provisions natin na the embassy will be operating a shelter para sa mga kababayan natin. Ngayon, ang sinasabi nila, allegedly, sa mga diyaryo, ay may paglabag sa batas, na hindi natin mag-agree in the first place,” he told reporters.
Cortes clarified this is not the official stance of the Kuwaiti government as far as what he knows so far, and said he is only citing news reports.
He explained that the Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) in Kuwait is meant to protect the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the country as mandated by Republic Act No. 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act of 1995.
“Kailangan natin magtatag ng shelter sa kababayan natin… That’s our law,” Cortes said.
“Kapag taliwas ‘yan sa batas natin dito, taliwas ang provision na ‘yan, allegedly may pagkukulang tayo sa greement na ‘yan, medyo false. Kasi hindi naman tayo nag-agree na we would not establish a center,” he added.
A government website showed these centers were created by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in countries with many migrant workers. These were managed by the Labor attaches and the Embassy of the Philippines.
Cortes and Cacdac said there is a need to clarify the reason behind Kuwait’s new policy, which is why officials from the DFA and DMW will visit there, hopefully middle of next week.
“Kailangan nating klaruhin ano ‘yung rationale, ano ‘yung dahilan, ano ‘yung mga issues na bumabalot dito sa suspension,” Cacdac said.
“At para malaman din natin kung ano ang mga posibleng solusyon… sa issues,” he added.
In February this year, the DMW implemented a deployment ban for newly hired or first-time domestic workers in Kuwait until Filipino workers were guaranteed protection following the brutal killing of Jullebee Ranara.
The 35-year-old domestic worker was found dead in a desert in the Gulf State on Jan. 21.
An autopsy report showed Ranara was pregnant at the time of her death.
Source: PH officials to visit Kuwait over suspension of new entry visa issuance | ABS-CBN News