Sides work toward amnesty ‘extension’
MANILA, Feb 18, (Agencies): The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the OFWs a majority of who are domestic workers are leaving the country taking advantage of the amnesty program of the government of Kuwait.
According to a reliable source, 130 OFWs arrived in Manila Saturday and 177 on Sunday, bringing the total number of the OFWs repatriated from their employers to 1,700 until date.
The repatriated Overseas Foreign Workers or OFWs as they are called, upon arrival in Manila are given 5,000 pesos ($96) by the Philippines government as assistance to continue their onward journey to their respective provinces.
In the meantime, the DFA continues to negotiate with the government of Kuwait for the extension of amnesty to allow undocumented OFWs to process their papers which are needed to work legally in Kuwait or leave the country without paying the fine.
According to some estimates there are approximately 250,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait, 75 percent of who are domestic helpers. It is believed, many of the distressed OFWs victims of illegal recruitment and entered Kuwait through neighboring countries.
Despite the grim plight of workers in Kuwait, the government said about 300 Filipinos continues to apply for work in Kuwait every day.
In the aftermath of the recent events the Philippines government has embarked on an aggressive campaign to educate and inform Filipinos about human trafficking in the hope of preventing them from falling prey to unscrupulous groups and individuals.
Initially the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had slapped a total ban on deployment of Filipino workers in Kuwait after the body of a Filipino was found in a freezer in an abandoned apartment unit, but later the Department of Labor and Employment issued a clarification saying those with existing contracts on vacation in the Philippines can still go back to Kuwait.
The number of distressed OFWs has increased in recent years, prompting the embassy in Kuwait to set up a temporary shelter for OFWs who escape from abusive employers.
“The DFA and the embassy continue to work closely with the Kuwaiti government in protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of OFWs in Kuwait,” the DFA said.