Rights of migrant workers key topic for PH in ASEAN

SINGAPORE – Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Joseph Del Mar Yap said that the rights of migrant workers in the southeast Asian region is one area of importance for the Philippines in the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here.

Yap made the statement ahead of President Duterte's attendance to the summit from Tuesday and until Thursday. In an interview, he said that the Philippines has been pushing for the rights of migrant workers in the region.

“Now as to what are the key topics that are of interest – of importance to the Philippines, number one is of course our concern about migrant rights and migration. So that has been one of our important topics that we push for ASEAN and that continues to be an important topic,” he said.

Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippines is expecting an outcome document on the rights of migrant workers which has been shepherded by the country since the beginning.

Pinoys comfortable in SG Meanwhile, Yap said that the around 180,000 Filipinos in Singapore are enjoying a comfortable and secure working and living environment.

"I think basically our OFWs here, the Filipinos living and working here in Singapore, have enjoyed basically I think quite a comfortable, secure presence here in Singapore," he said.

According to Yap, the Singapore government continues to improve the conditions for OFWs in the country. He added that the embassy coordinates closely with the Ministry of Manpower, as well as other ministries of the government to improve the conditions of Filipinos in Singapore.

"I think the government of Singapore is very proactive in terms of protecting and promoting the welfare of our people here," he said.

"And in the few, few, very few instances where there are, for example, reported abuses by employers of our domestic workers, the Singapore government actually acts on the complaints," he added.

"There have been several cases already this year where employers were actually sent to prison for abuses against their domestic workers, not necessarily Filipino OFWs. But OFWs – I mean Filipinos – domestic workers in general," he continued.

Pinoys recognized in SG Earlier, Yap said that Filipinos are recognized in Singapore and that its citizens are happy having them around.

Yap, in an interview, said Filipinos in Singapore made a significant impact on the economic development of the country. Of the said figure, 60 percent are considered professionals or skilled workers while 40 percent are domestic or household workers.

"The professionals, for example, work in banks, in IT (information technology). They’re engineers, they’re architects. So they perform a lot of functions that are very much needed in Singapore. And then the skilled workers, they work in hotels, in restaurants, so they also provide very important functions," he said.

"Even our domestic workers I think, most of them are recognized at a much better level of worker than other nationalities. They are really recognized because even my Singaporean friends, many of them, tell me that they have domestic workers that have been staying with them for so many years and they are so happy with them and they are there like members of their family already," he added.