The deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia will resume starting Nov. 7, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The announcement came after DMW Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople visited Saudi Arabia and had a formal bilateral discussion with the Saudi government officials, last week.
In a joint statement released, DMW and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRD) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said they have agreed to “work closely to facilitate decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights.”
In 2021, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered the temporary deployment ban due to the failure of the Saudi Arabia government to pay OFWs.
DOLE earlier reported that the unpaid benefit is worth Php 4 billion and 9,000 workers have not received any salaries for nearly two years.
To resolve the prior issue, DMW and MHRD had agreed to undertake the following:
- Constitute a Technical Working Group composed of representative from both parties to monitor the implementation of labor reforms and jointly resolve concerns of workers
- Implement a Blacklist and Whitelist of Recruitment Agencies and employers in both countries, based on criteria to be agreed upon by both sides
- Revise the Standard Employment Contract of OFWs to reflect all guarantees under the Saudi Labor Reform Initiatives including insurance for unpaid wages, timely release of salaries through electronic payments, and a pre-termination clause
- Ensure the implementation of a full-automated recruitment in process in both countries
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on combatting trafficking in persons, investigating, and prosecuting offenders, and providing support to OFW victims of trafficking in persons.
- Convene regular Joint Committee Meetings to ensure full compliance with the above agreements and address challenges in the implementation of these labor reforms
The two parties also stated that they will study the proposal of extending the employment of OFWs to another one year.
