Philippines: Negotiations over lifting of Saudi Arabia deployment ban ongoing

On Monday, an official from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) stated that discussions over the potential lifting of the deployment ban in Saudi Arabia are still ongoing. "At this time, negotiations are ongoing, and there's an advanced team that will go to Saudi Arabia ahead of Secretary Susan Ople," DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi said in Filipino. "At this point, I cannot give a definite response yet because studies and consultations are still ongoing in preparation for the Secretary's visit to Saudi Arabia," he added. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) enacted the prohibition in November 2021, according to the DMW, and it has cost the Philippine government a sizable amount of tax income. A deployment ban on household service workers was enforced due to unpaid salaries of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia. The agency reported that 344 "distressed" OFWs were returned from Saudi Arabia in total on Sunday. Four OFWs with medical issues and five with mental illnesses were among them. Legaspi also mentioned the agency's National Reintegration Program for OFWs. The program was among DMW's priority projects aside from the One Repatriation Command Center and the OFW Mobile Application. "The goal of this reintegration program is to ensure assistance to OFWs who return to the country," Legaspi said. "It is stated in the law that we need to provide sustainable programs to them that are aligned with their skills as well as with their needs. A lot of OFWs have returned to the country in which their skills have not been seen," he added. BKM/ Expat Media
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