MORE than two months since the suspension of deployment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) yesterday said newly-hired household service workers to the kingdom are still prohibited from departing.
“The suspension is still in effect,” said POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia.
In November 2021, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Saudi Arabia to temporarily suspend the verification of newly-hired domestic workers.
The temporary suspension was prompted by reports of labor abuse involving a retired general in KSA, identified as Ayed Thawah Al Jealid, and his Filipino household service worker.
Bello has said the suspension will remain until the issuance of new guidelines on the deployment of HSWs by the POEA.
Olalia, in a previous interview, said the POEA will try to come out with the new guidelines before the end of December 2021.
In a separate statement, recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani said thousands of HSWs have been adversely affected by the ban. He said there used to be a monthly deployment of 1,500 domestic workers to the KSA.
“The latest suspension of verification contracts for new household service workers for Saudi Arabia has impacted gravely in the HSW sector,” said Geslani.
He said local recruitment agencies have also been affected by the ban because their foreign counterparts, as well as the prospective employers, have started asking for the refund of paid advances for the mobilization and maintenance of the workers.
“These workers are also idly staying in accommodations provided by the agencies,” Geslani said.
