THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday said it is not in favor of expanding the coverage of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) deployment program to Kuwait.
In an interview, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac frowned on allowing first-time domestic workers to be deployed to Kuwait, which reopened the market for OFWs last June.
“It’s only the third month of deployment, and only about 2,500 have been deployed. Let’s give it a chance for this requirement of having overseas experience,” said Cacdac.
“Let this system function for about a year or so, for now,” he added.
For the moment, he said they are focusing on making sure that all OFWs bound for Kuwait would be properly and adequately oriented.
“Aside from the (mandatory) Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar, before they leave, we are giving them one final orientation and briefing before they go,” said Cacdac.
The DMW chief said they are also strengthening their monitoring of OFWs deployed in Kuwait.
“We are monitoring all of them. We want this system to work. We want no one to be placed in a situation where they are abused and their rights violated,” said Cacdac.
The Kuwaiti government indefinitely suspended the visa issuance to Filipino workers in early May 2023, effectively stopping OFW deployment there.
Last June, the DMW announced the reopening of the Kuwait market to OFWs, specifically for professional, skilled, and semi-skilled Filipino workers and domestic workers with prior experience working overseas.
Since then, an estimated 2,456 OFWs have been deployed to Kuwait.
