Review of pact with Kuwait sought after OFW’s death

MANILA -- A labor group on Wednesday urged the government to review the bilateral agreement with Kuwait following the death of another overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the Gulf nation.

Sonny Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), also asked the Duterte administration to impose an indefinite ban on the deployment of household service workers (HSWs) to Kuwait.

“The Duterte administration has urgent responsibility to review our bilateral agreement with Kuwait and pending review for an indefinite ban on deployment of HSW in said middle eastern state,” Matula said in a statement.

The organization also joined the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other labor groups in strongly condemning the death of Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende.

“FFW joins the strong condemnation of the violent killing of Filipino household service worker Jeanelyn Padernal Villavdue

ende in the hands of her Kuwaiti employer,” Matula said.

“We also extend our condolences to her family and relative whom she left behind,” he added.

Matula said the deaths of Joana Demafelis, Irma Avila Edloy, Josie Lloren, and the Villavende being the latest, who all died due to abuse sustained while they worked as domestic helpers abroad “were compelling reasons to justify the call for a temporary deployment ban of HSWs in Kuwait and some countries.”

“The DOLE and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) need to address the slave-like situation of our HSW and renegotiate our bilateral agreements to ensure that HSW’s are protected by imposing limits on maximum working hours for maids, like to those of other workers observing regular hours of work,” he said.

“We also call to strengthen agreements that HSW will no longer be allowed to stay in their employers’ homes, which will ensure their protection,” the FFW head added.

In 2018, the Philippine and Kuwait governments have entered into an agreement on the deployment and protection of OFWs to be employed there.

Meanwhile, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center urged the Senate and House committees on labor as well as OFW affairs to conduct a joint hearing on the recent killing of Villavende, particularly on the capacity of both the government and private sectors to effectively monitor the conditions of domestic workers overseas.