Gov’t finalizing draft of agreement with Kuwait on OFWs

President Duterte bared yesterday that the government was already working on finalizing the draft for the agreement with Kuwait that seeks to improve the working conditions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state.

Duterte made the announcement as he explained why he was late for the 39th Commencement Exercises for the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) "Maragtas" Class of 2018 in Silang, Cavite where he served as guest of honor.

According to the President, he arrived late because he worked all night with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the draft which will be brought to Kuwait.

"Honestly, I was late because we were working on the final draft that will be brought to Kuwait by Secretary Bello and I added some requirements," Duterte said.

According to Duterte, he demanded that the agreement will be a contract of government to government which seeks to improve the working conditions of OFWs in Kuwait.

"There will be some mandatory provisions like they should be allowed to sleep at least seven hours a day," he said.

"That they will be fed nutritious food. And that I will not – we will not allow leftovers to be eaten by our countrymen. Palutuin sila ng kanila (They should be allowed to cook their own meals)," he added.

Duterte also said that he demanded that there will be no confiscation of passports by the employers of the OFWs.

"If at all, it will be surrendered diyan sa table sa (at the) arrivals [section] of any country where the Filipinos are working in numbers," he said.

He added that he also demanded that OFWs be allowed to take holidays off or holiday pay.

The draft agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait stemmed from the death of Joanna Demafelis, the OFW whose beaten body was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment for one year.

Duterte has lamented the death of Demafelis who was not only beaten to death but also stuffed inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment in the Gulf State. She was found early February after more than a year.

Duterte slammed the Kuwaiti government for being "oblivious" about the abuses and maltreatment of OFWs suffered in the hands of their employers in their territory, interjecting that the Philippines did not do Kuwait anything wrong.

The death of Demafelis prompted Duterte to implement a total non-deployment ban of new OFWs to Kuwait, and to order the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to facilitate the repatriation of all OFWs who wanted to go home within 72 hours.