A Philippine NGO says a Kuwaiti celebrity who said domestic workers should not be given any days off should be barred from hiring Filipino domestic workers.
On Sunday, the Blas F Ople Policy Center, a non-governmental organization that specializes in the rights of overseas Filipino workers, urged the government to ban Sondos Al Qattan, a social-media celebrity and makeup artist in Kuwait, permanently from hiring Filipino maids, Rappler reported.
“By her words, publicly uttered and shared through social media, her undesirability as a foreign employer cannot be denied. She is not worthy to be even in the same room as our valiant and hard-working Filipino workers,” the NGO said in a statement.
Al Qattan was recently slammed online for her remarks on hiring Filipino domestic workers. She said they should not be given any days off and should not be allowed to keep their passports.
In response, Bernard Olalia, administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, said employers who do not comply with the agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait would be blacklisted against hiring Filipino maids, CNN Philippines reported.
“We will not allow those kinds of Kuwaiti employers to not follow the agreement when we deploy domestic workers,” Olalia said.
In May, the Philippines and Kuwait signed a bilateral agreement that ensures the protection of Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait after numerous reports of abuse. The agreement states that Filipinos are allowed one day off per week and are allowed to keep their passports and mobile phones.
Read: Kuwait celebrity says maids should not have days off
Read: Kuwait, Philippines to ensure maids’ protection in new pact
Yan ang napapala ng mga masasama ang budhi.napakaganda niya sana pero bulok naman ang pagkatao niya..gusto nila gawing alipin at bilanggo ang helpers.ayaw nilang bigyan ng pagkakataong makapagrelax kahit 1 araw sa 1 linggong walang kapaguran sa pagtatrabaho.tma lang yan,,huwag siyang hayaang magkaroon ng helper para malaman niya gaano kahirap sa kanila ang walang kasambahay.bwisit yan..nkakakulo ng dugo..eh di karma ka ngayon..