Send Pinoy workers to ‘better’ countries, says solon

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Sunday stressed that overseas Filipino workers could have been sent to countries where “they could receive proper compensation and are treated with respect” like in Guam.

The senator’s remark comes following his proposal to consider a total deployment ban of OFWs to Kuwait after the tragic incident where a Filipino worker, Jullebee Ranara, was brutally killed by the son of her employer.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on Migrant Workers, said that bilateral talks between the Philippines and Kuwait could push through after a deployment ban.

However, Tulfo insisted that the terms and conditions of the Philippines must be considered.

The lawmaker said there should be a tight screening process and psychiatric exam for employers, including the members of their household, within the high-risk countries, to ensure that they are fit to hire OFWs in their homes.

Tulfo added that employers must ensure that OFWs do not suffer at work because of their traditions and norms.

While Tulfo stressed he has high respect for different cultures, he said, Filipinos must not suffer from what they are not used to — such as fasting during Ramadan.

Apart from Guam which he described as the new market for skilled OFWs, Tulfo said Filipinos can better work in Romania, Austria, and Hong Kong.

Tulfo said Ranara is not the first Filipino who was killed in Kuwait, citing the country has previously imposed a labor ban in the area due to the gruesome deaths of several domestic helpers.

The ban has been lifted after the Philippines and Kuwait signed a protection agreement for Filipino workers working in that country.

According to Tulfo, the death of Ranara could be a valid reason for the country to bring back the deployment ban in Kuwait.