Solon Seeks to Stop Deployment of HSWs to ‘Unsafe Countries’

The Philippine government has been advised to discourage the deployment of Filipino household service workers (HSWs) to countries where they are not adequately protected by the “rule of law.”

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel has cited the Jan. 25 execution of housemaid Jakati Pawa in Kuwait for the proposed move as she professed innocence till the end, reported InterAksyon.

 As Pimentel made his suggestion, initial reports pointed out that the Labor department was dismayed by reports that another HSW in Kuwait was killed on Jan. 26, with her body showing signs of physical abuse.

“As it is, our HSWs abroad are already susceptible to abuse, not only because their skills are easy to replace, but also because they live in virtual isolation with their employers. If we continue to send them to work in countries where the rule of law is perceived to be weak, they become even more exposed to potential harm,” Pimentel reportedly warned.

 The January 25 hanging of Filipino HSW Pawa in Kuwait has put the spotlight on the Philippines’ export of labor, especially low-skilled HSWs, said the news portal.

 Pawa, a native of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, was put to death for the 2007 murder of her Kuwaiti employer’s 22-year-old daughter, the report said.

 But Pawa’s family claims that the 41-year-old widow and mother of two was a victim of miscarriage of justice, and was framed by her employer.

 Up until her execution, Pawa had maintained that her employer’s daughter, who was stabbed to death, had been “arranged” to marry somebody, but was caught having sex with another man, thus enraging her parents and leading to her killing.

“It was a very shameful violation, considering that the family is prominent and wealthy. Pinatay na lang yung anak. Ibinintang dito kay Jakatia [They just killed their daughter, and blamed it on Jakatia],” InterAksyon quoted ACTS OFW Party-list Rep. Aniceto John Bertiz as saying.

 HSWs account for 38 out of every 100 “newly hired” land-based Filipino workers placed abroad, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. The figures exclude those who are “rehired”.

In foreign labor markets, Filipino HSWs compete not only among themselves, but also with nationals from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh, with such ease of being replaced partly accounting for the cavalier treatment they get, the report said.

(Source: FilipinoTimes.ae)