President Rodrigo Duterte has urged all 260,000 Filipinos in Kuwait to return home and said a deployment ban imposed in February due to concerns over poor work conditions would now be permanent.
Speaking in southern Davao City on Sunday after his return from the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, Duterte said new jobs would be found for those forced to leave the Gulf sultanate, GMA News reported.
“The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment, especially for domestic helpers. No more,” he insisted, adding that it was up to Filipinos in Kuwait to decide whether or not to stay.
“For the household workers whose employers want them to stay, that is their choice, but choose the better option,” he said. “All I ask is that the employers treat the Filipinos with the humanity they deserve.”
Relations between the two countries have soured due to a series of alleged abuses against Filipinos, especially domestic helpers. The ban on deployments was announced after it was revealed a maid’s body had been left in a freezer in Kuwait City for more than a year.
On Wednesday Kuwait ordered Philippine ambassador Renato Villa to leave for allegedly violating the country’s sovereignty; employees at the Philippine embassy had reportedly been convincing maids to leave their employers, while Villa had criticised Kuwait in media reports.
Promising to arrange jobs for anyone who wants to leave Kuwait, Duterte noted that about 100,000 English teachers were needed in China and Japan was looking for carers. He said the Philippine government was also looking at deploying Filipino workers to Russia.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, about 65% of the Filipinos living in Kuwait are domestic workers.
Read: Kuwait orders Philippine ambassador to leave in a week
Read: Philippine govt apologizes to Kuwait over maid rescues
Kahit nman gusto ko umuwi ayaw naman pumayag ng mga amo ko. Bayaran ko daw muna sila sa nagastos nila sa agency. Tatakas sana ako pero kahit pamasahe papunta sa embassy wala ako.
Tama at yan talaga eksaktong desisyon ni tatay digong,dapat lang na iwanan na yang kuwait na yan,masyadong maraming abosado dyan,hindi naman nilalahat pero mostly,inabot ako nang gulf war dyan,kawawa sila,pero hindi pa rin sila nagbago nang asal,kaya tama lang si prrd
Totoo po yan din sabi ng amo ko at pareho din tayo sis kahit papunta embassy walang ipamsahe.
bad experience marami sa kuwait,,,iwan nio na yan,,matindi tlga dyan ..
Plz pres.wag ka ng mgbago ng desisyon.
Gawa kau ng paraan magpa saklolo habang may panahon pa at habang yan pa ang kasalukuyang tinututukan ng pangulo. Dahil pagkatapos niyan, sa ibang bagay na naman siya bz. Bago pa kau maka encounter ng di inaasahan gawa na kau ng paraan maka hingi ng tulong sa embassy. Hayaan niyl muna mag facebook. Isafety niyo muna sarili niyo
pag gusto maraming paraan, pag ayaw maraming dahilan
( no offense meant )
Huwag na kayong magdadalawang isip,,,kase baka kayo ang mapagbalingan ng mga local jan,,nalakasalbahe pa naman nila,,,baka sa huli na ang pagsisissi,,habang ngayon tutulongan pa kayo ni pres…
Tinulak yan ng mga hayop na amo kng nkitaan sya ng pagmaltrato..Sana ang saudi na yan ang BAN din forever
Rest in Peace
Kbayan
bakit naman wala kayong pamasahe hindi ba kayo pinapasahod?
Ju Mayos Mao – Tarnate tama gawa kayo ng paraan, tawagan nyo embassy
mábuti n man kalagayan n min dto company visa po kmi wla n man problema s sahod paano n ang familya nmin kng uuwi kmi kawawa na man ang family nmin…
Lovely Delgado hindi naman kayo pinipilit.ang sabi lang ni presidente yong mga gusto lang umuwi.kong maayos naman ang lagay nyo at mabubuti naman ang employer nyo nasa inyo na yon choicce nyo na yon.kong uuwi kayo or hindi.
Hintayin niyo nalang matapos kontrata niyo kong ok nman kayo at hinde sinasaktan
Lovely Delgado mas kawawa ka pag may masamang nangyari sayo dyan. Safety first bago isipin ang kikitain.
Lolly Gorospe madali mong sabihin yan, Wala ka sa sitwasyon nila…Yung ipinapalit na work, qualified ba sila?
ZOmilo Dy tama po..
Kahit gus2 ko nang umuwi… Ayaw nmn akng payagan ng amo ko… Gus2ng gus2 ko nang umuwi kaso sabi pa ng amo ko Hindi pede kc may problema pa ang goberno s kuwait at s pinas…. Lalo ngayon Manakit ung mga anak ng amo ko, pag mag sumbong ka namn s amo mo sabihan ka lang understand them? Hanggang kaylan??kanina ang anak nang amo ko spitting pa ginawa s mukha ko? Ayan ba may respito ayn bha dapat e itindihin?? Sana maka uwi n lng kami ng pinsan ko,….. Sana mn lng…
Hello Aisa Times— Your article is already outdated— There are new improvements in the PH-Kuwait relations.