Kuwait has agreed to the conditions set by the Philippine government in exchange of lifting the total ban on deployment of first-time Filipino workers to the Middle Eastern state.
According to a report by GMA News’s “Unang Balita”, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was quoted as saying that Kuwaiti counterparts have agreed to conditions stipulated in the memorandum of understanding that aims to ensure safety and well-being of Filipino workers, especially domestic workers, in Kuwait.
The MOU strictly prohibits the confiscation of a Filipino worker’s cellular phone, confiscation of passport, and “trading” of workers to other employers.
Bello, however, clarified that even after the finalization of the MOU and bringing to justice Joanna Demafelis’ killers who stuffed her body inside a freezer in Kuwait, he would still recommend the lifting of the deployment ban only for skilled workers.
He added that the MOU with Kuwait would become the basis of ensuring the safety of Filipino workers in other host countries.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a total deployment ban to Kuwait after the discovery of the body of Demafelis inside a freezer.