Negotiations over lifting of Saudi Arabia deployment ban ongoing, DMW exec says

Negotiations are still ongoing as regards the possible lifting of the deployment ban in Saudi Arabia, an official from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Monday.

"Sa ngayon po ongoing pa po ang negotiations at mayroon po tayong team na pupunta in advance bago dumating si Secretary Susan Ople," DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi said at a public briefing.

(At this time, negotiations are ongoing and there's an advanced team that will go to Saudi Arabia ahead of Secretary Susan Ople.)

"Sa ngayon hindi ko po mabibigay o masasagot nang diretso dahil ongoing pa po 'yung pag-aaral at saka mga consultations in preparation sa pagpunta ni Secretary sa Saudi Arabia," he added.

(At this point, I cannot give a definite response yet because studies and consultations are still ongoing in preparation for the Secretary's visit to Saudi Arabia.)

The DMW had said the ban, implemented by the Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) in November 2021, was costing the Philippine government a significant amount of revenue.

A deployment ban on household service workers was enforced due to unpaid salaries of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia.

The agency said a total of 344 "distressed" OFWs have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Among them were four OFWs with medical conditions and five suffering from mental illness.

Meanwhile, Legaspi also mentioned the agency's National Reintegration Program for OFWs. The said program was among DMW's priority projects aside from the One Repatriation Command Center and the OFW Mobile Application.

"Ang layunin po ng programa na para sa reintegrasyon ay dapat kailangang makita natin at matulungan natin ang mga OFW sa kanilang pagbabalik-bayan kasi ang mga OFW, kalahati po diyan ay pangingibang bayan at 'yung kalahati po 'yung pagbabalik," Legaspi said.

(The goal of this reintegration program is to ensure assistance to OFWs who return to the country.)

"Nandoon na po sa ating batas na kailangan nating magbigay ng sustainable saka naaangkop sa kanilang kasanayan at naaangkop sa kanilang kailangan. Alam po natin na marami ang bumabalik sa atin na hindi po nakikita at natitingnan sa ngayon 'yung kanilang kasanayan," he added.

(It is stated in the law that we need to provide sustainable programs to them that are aligned with their skills as well as with their needs. A lot of OFWs have returned to the country in which their skills have not been seen.) —AOL/RSJ, GMA News