NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines — Proposals to abolish the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in some parts of the Middle East were dismissed by a labor official, who said it would be “unwise” to do so at this time.

In a news release issued on Sunday, Labor Attaché Alejandro Padaen of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Lebanon said that officials should first engage with people on the ground and carefully research the circumstances in destination countries before making policy decisions.

Abdullah Mama-o, the newly appointed Secretary of the Department of Migrant Employees, wants the suspension on the deployment of newly hired skilled and domestic service workers to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, such as Libya and Iraq, lifted.

Padaen cited Lebanon as one example, saying the country is still recovering from political and economic turbulence and has yet to reach an agreement on a standard contract, particularly for domestic employees.

“Given the current economic situation, it may not be the best moment to hire new employees in Lebanon.” Several companies have gone out of business, and we haven’t sent out household service employees since 2007,” Padaen remarked in a recent virtual press conference.

“Those who come through the Balik Manggagawa (Returning Workers) program have relatives here and have come through informal ways.” Before we start deploying again, we should assess and study the situation first,” he added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs upped Lebanon’s Alert Level from 1 (Precautionary Phase) to 2 in January 2020. (Restriction Phase).

Returning to Lebanon is permitted for Filipino workers who have established contracts and are enrolled under the Balik Manggagawa program.

As a result, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued Governing Board Resolution No. 08, series of 2020, suspending the processing and deployment of newly hired workers heading for Lebanon, as well as crew changes, embarkation, disembarkation, and shore leave for seafarers.

Padaen proposed that the Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers be finalized while the Philippine and Lebanese governments reach an agreement.

“Negotiations came to a halt in 2012 and have not progressed since,” he continued.

According to Padaen, there were 17,000 to 19,000 Filipinos in Lebanon in June 2021, but due to current repatriation attempts, the number may be lower presently.

POLO shelter wards who had not received enough or on time salaries were among those returned in the most recent batch, which was completed last month.

The POLO is still processing task orders for its other jurisdictions, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Northern Cyprus, according to Padaen.

He believes Turkey’s employment prospects are bright, particularly if the Covid-19 situation improves.

Household service workers (HSWs) are in high demand in Turkey, and the POLO has already approved 11 overseas recruitment organizations.

An HSW’s monthly compensation is USD800 (about PHP41,000), which is nearly double that of other countries.

A job order for a huge tuna factory in Turkey has also been accepted by the POLO.

Meanwhile, workers in the oil and gas sector are welcome in Georgia and Azerbaijan, and tourists are welcome in Northern Cyprus.

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