ON the heels of the back-to-back deaths of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday said it is conducting a review of its existing guidelines on the deployment of workers, especially domestic helpers or kasambahay to Kuwait.
Jenny Alvarado died due to suffocation from burning coal. Dafnie Nacalaban went missing for two months and her body in a state of decomposition was found in the garden of her employer.
In a statement, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured lawmakers that a review of the deployment system in Kuwait is already being prioritized for possible changes.
“We are reviewing our deployment policies and are also trying to review those for the welfare of long-time OFWs in Kuwait,” said Cacdac.
This was in response to Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s reiteration on Tuesday of his call for a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers, especially domestic helpers or kasambahay to Kuwait.
During the hearing of the Committee on Migrant Workers which he chairs, Tulfo said he is willing to bring his concern to President Marcos Jr. to bar the deployment of domestic helpers since that sector is the most affected by the abuses of their Kuwaiti employers.
“Even if we say each time an OFW is killed that Kuwaiti justice is swift, it happens very often, it defeats the purpose of our government to protect our OFWs. Sending our OFWs to the lion’s den, there should no longer be cases of anyone being killed. I do not need their swift justice,” Tulfo reiterated.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency will study Tulfo’s proposal and will come up with a position paper in a week.
Tulfo said once the total ban on domestic helpers is lifted, he will talk to Kuwaiti authorities to lay down policies in favor of Filipina house helpers.