News Release
Department of Labor and Employment
April 10, 2022
Lifting of deployment ban unwise
A labor official has dismissed proposals to lift the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in some parts of the Middle East, saying it may be unwise to do so at this time.
Labor Attaché Alejandro Padaen of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Lebanon said officials should first consult with people on the ground and carefully study the situation in destination countries before policy pronouncements are made.
Abdullah Mama-o, newly appointed secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, is eyeing the lifting of suspension on the deployment of newly hired skilled and household service workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region including Libya and Iraq.
Citing the particular case of Lebanon, Padaen said the country is yet to recover from the political and economic turmoil and has yet to agree on a standard contract, especially those covering domestic workers.
“Considering the economic aspect, it may not be the right time yet to deploy new hires in Lebanon. Several companies have closed down and we have not been deploying household service workers since 2007,” said the Labor Attaché in a virtual media briefing last week.
“The Balik-Manggagawa that we process are those who have relatives here and have come through informal channels. It will be better if we assess first and study the situation before we start deploying again,” he added.
In January 2020, the Department of Foreign Affairs raised the Alert Level in Lebanon from 1 (Precautionary Phase) to 2 (Restriction Phase). OFWs with existing employment contracts and are registered under the Balik Manggagawa Program are allowed return to Lebanon.
Accordingly, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 08 series of 2020 which suspends the processing and deployment of newly-hired workers bound for Lebanon, including crew changes, embarkation, disembarkation, and shore leaves for seafarers.
Padaen meanwhile suggested the finalization of the Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers pending the agreement between the Philippine and Lebanese governments.
“I think we can explore the possibility of finalizing the Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers first. Negotiations stopped in 2012 and have not pushed forward since then,” he added.
Padaen said that there are 17,000-19,000 Filipinos in Lebanon in June 2021, but the numbers may be lesser now due to ongoing repatriation efforts. The latest batch of OFWs were repatriated last month.
Among the repatriates are OFW wards from the POLO shelter and most of whom complained of not receiving enough salaries or not receiving their salary on time.
Meanwhile, Padaen said the POLO continues to process job orders for its other jurisdictions, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Northern Cyprus.
He said the employment prospects in Turkey look favorable, especially when the COVID situation improves.
There is a demand for household service workers (HSWs) in Turkey and the POLO has already accredited 11 foreign recruitment agencies for their deployment. The salary of an HSW is at USD800 per month, which is almost double the salary of those in other countries.
The POLO has also approved a job order for a large tuna factory in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Georgia and Azerbaijan are open for workers in the oil and gas sector and Northern Cyprus in the tourism sector. END/aldm
====================================================
Pag-alis ng deployment ban hindi pa napapanahon
Hindi sinang-ayunan ng labor official ang mga panukalang alisin ang deployment ban sa mga manggagawang Filipino sa ilang bahagi ng Middle East, at ipinahayag rin ng kagawaran na hindi pa napapanahon na gawin ito sa ngayon.
Ayon kay Labor Attaché Alejandro Padaen ng Philippine Overseas Labor Office sa Lebanon, nararapat munang konsultahin ang mga taong nakatalaga doon at pag-aralang mabuti ang sitwasyon sa mga bansang pupuntahan bago gumawa ng pahayag ukol sa mga polisiya.
Binabalak ni Abdullah Mama-o, bagong hirang na kalihim ng Department of Migrant Workers, na alisin ang suspensiyon sa deployment ng mga bagong hire na skilled at mga household service worker sa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at iba pang bansa sa rehiyon kabilang ang Libya at Iraq.
Sa pagbanggit sa partikular na kaso ng Lebanon, sinabi ni Padaen na hindi pa nakakabangon mula sa pulitikal at pang-ekonomiyang kaguluhan ang nasabing bansa, at hindi pa rin tapos ang kasunduan para sa standard contract, lalo na ang mga sumasaklaw sa mga domestic worker.
“Kung isasaalang-alang ang aspetong pang-ekonomiya, maaaring hindi pa ito ang tamang panahon upang mag-deploy ng mga bagong manggagawa sa Lebanon. Ilang kompanya ang nagsara at hindi pa kami nagde-deploy ng mga household service worker mula noong 2007,” pahayag ng Labor Attaché sa isang virtual media briefing noong nakaraang linggo
“Ang Balik-Manggagawa na pinoproseso namin ay yung may mga kamag-anak dito at dumaan sa mga informal channels. Mas maganda kung pag-aralan muna natin ang sitwasyon bago tayo mag-deploy muli,” dagdag niya.
Noong Enero 2020, itinaas ng Department of Foreign Affairs ang Alert Level sa Lebanon mula 1 (Precautionary Phase) hanggang 2 (Restriction Phase). Ang pinapayagang makabalik sa Lebanon ay ang mga OFW na may umiiral na employment contract at nakarehistro sa ilalim ng Balik Manggagawa Program.
Alinsunod dito, naglabas ang Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ng POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 08 series of 2020 kung saan sinuspinde ang pagproseso at pag-deploy ng mga bagong-hire na manggagawa patungo sa Lebanon, kabilang ang crew change, embarkation, disembarkation, at shore leaves para sa mga seafarer.
Iminungkahi naman ni Padaen ang pagsasapinal ng Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers habang nakabinbin ang kasunduan sa pagitan ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas at Lebanon.
“Sa palagay ko, maaari nating tingnan ang posibilidad na maisa-pinal muna ang Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers. Huminto ang negosasyon noong 2012 at hindi na sumulong mula noon,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi ni Padaen na tinatayang may 17,000 hanggang 19,000 Filipino sa Lebanon noong Hunyo 2021, ngunit maaaring mas lumiit ang bilang ngayon dahil sa patuloy na pagsisikap sa repatriation. Ang pinakahuling batch ng mga OFW ay pinauwi noong nakaraang buwan.
Kabilang sa mga pinauwing OFW ay iyong mga nasa POLO shelter at karamihan sa mga ito ay nagrereklamo sa hindi sapat na suweldo o hindi nakakatanggap ng kanilang suweldo sa takdang oras.
Samantala, sinabi ni Padaen na patuloy na nagpoproseso ang POLO ng mga job order para sa iba pang hurisdiksyon nito, tulad ng Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, at Northern Cyprus.
Ayon sa kanya, gumaganda ang oportunidad sa trabaho sa Turkey, lalo na kung bubuti ang sitwasyon ng COVID.
May pangangailangan para sa mga household service worker (HSWs) sa Turkey at binigyan ng POLO ng akreditasyon ang 11 mga foreign recruitment agency para sa kanilang deployment. Ang suweldo ng isang HSW ay nasa USD800 kada buwan, na halos doble sa suweldo ng mga nasa ibang bansa.
Inaprubahan din ng POLO ang job order para sa isang malaking pabrika ng tuna sa Turkey.
Samantala, bukas ang Georgia at Azerbaijan para sa mga manggagawa sa sektor ng langis at gas, gayun din sa sektor ng turismo sa Northern Cyprus. END/ aldm/ gmea
