Lawmaker seeks blacklisting of Kuwait employers who abuse Pinoy domestics

Kuwaiti employers who have a record of committing violence and other abuses against Filipino household service workers should be blacklisted by recruitment agencies, OFW party-list Representative Marissa Magsino said Friday.

Magsino made the call as the country and the bereaved family of Filipino Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Jullebee Ranara continued to seek justice over her death in Kuwait.

Ranara was found dead in the desert, and there were allegations that she was sexually and physically abused before she was killed supposedly by the 17-year-old son of her employer in Kuwait.

“The deployment ban was lifted because we have a bilateral labor agreement with [Kuwait], but this agreement, as it is, is not enough. We need to fix this. Napakahina nito. Bakit? Kasi walang takot and Kuwaiti nationals na i-violate ito,” Magsino said in a press conference.

(The agreement is weak. Why? Because Kuwaitis are not afraid to violate it.)

“Their passports, iqama (residency permit) are still being taken from them [in violation of the agreement]. We need to strengthen this agreement to plug all the loopholes and to serve justice for our OFWs."

Magsino added that Philippines needed to have a database of those employers who abuse and disrespect OFWs, and these employers should be blacklisted from having OFWs as employees.

The Representative said that she would raise her proposal during the OFW party-list's scheduled dialogue with recruitment agencies.

“Ayaw na nating mangyari ito ulit,” she added.

(We don’t want this case of Ranara happening again.)

Pre-departure orientation

Magsino and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration head Arnell Ignacio said that there was a need for both the OFWs wishing to work as household service workers and the Kuwaiti employers to be well informed of the differences in their customs and culture to establish a good relationship, an orientation that could be incorporated in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for OFWs.

“There is a need for a more comprehensive training of the mind in going to the Middle East. You must be ready to adjust to an entirely strange environment. They have a different language, different culture. So many things are different, and that could be traumatic. Then you encounter extreme loneliness, it will all pile up,” Ignacio said.

“We are favored as a worker not only because we work hard but because meron tayong lambing (we show affection), we show joy, in doing things. We dance in between, we talk to our families, that is our natural environment. Kaya hindi iyon puede alisin basta [ng foreign employer] because if you do that, the qualities that make you favor Filipino workers will be gone,” Ignacio added.

(You cannot deprive these OFWs of the natural environment that makes them hardworking and joyful.)

Magsino, for her part, said that the PDOS, which typically runs for three hours, was simply too short.

“That timeframe is too short to learn about language, religion and a number of dos and don'ts,” Magsino said.

“Our OFWS need help, and that is why we are offering this kind of additional seminar and training for free, apart from the PDOS.” — DVM, GMA Integrated News