REP. HERRERA-DY CALLS FOR OFW SECTOR UNITY,
REP. ROMERO WANTS ‘COOLER HEADS TO PREVAIL’ ON KUWAIT DEBACLE
Herrera-Dy pushes for bill on OFW Department while Romero says diplomatic channels with Kuwait should be kept open
If President Duterte exercises his prerogative, he could order a ban on the deployment of OFWs to Saudi Arabia the same way he did in response to deaths of Pinoy DH expats in Kuwait, the chairperson of the House committee on women and gender equality said on Sunday.
“I am deeply saddened by the reported death of an as-of-yet-unidentified Filipina domestic helper in Madinah, Saudi Arabia,” Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon Party-List) said.
She asked the Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund secretariat to swiftly work with the OWWA to immediately include the qualified dependents of the deceased among the beneficiaries of the said scholarship fund.
The congresswoman, who is also a member of the House committee on foreign relations, asked for the convening of a congressional hearing in aid of legislation to receive recommendations from experts, the associations of Philippine OFW recruitment agencies, migrant workers’ welfare groups, and government agencies responsible for OFWs.
She noted that there are three pending bills calling for the creation of a separate department for OFWs.
“Given this latest development in Saudi Arabia, the diplomatic debacle of our country with Kuwait, and the hundreds of pending cases of abuse and criminal cases involving overseas Filipinos, Congress must expedite action.”
Herrera-Dy is hopeful a consolidated House bill on an OFW Department can be hammered out over the next several weeks while the Senate could also work on the similar bills pending in their chamber.
“It is probable that the new department can be created within this year. It is now clear as day the OFW concerns must be separated from the many concerns of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The overlaps of the DFA with the DOLE should not be allowed to fester any longer. The creation of an OFW Department is certainly the solution.”
She call on the OFW welfare community to send to Congress their proposed solutions to address their hardships overseas.
Meanwhile, Rep. Michael Romero (1-PACMAN Party-List) has urged the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Labor and Employment “to let cooler heads prevail and keep diplomatic channels open with Kuwait.”
“Replacing our ambassador to Kuwait with a new one is what the Philippines and Kuwait would need soon to refresh diplomatic ties. The most recent developments are but humps on the road. Sending a new ambassador there would be what is needed under the emerging circumstances and for the long-term,” House assistant majority leader Romero said.
Romero opined that the Philippines needs an ambassador to Kuwait “the Kuwaitis will know has the full trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte. That envoy must be intimately familiar with the diplomatic terrain in Kuwait, a highly skilled negotiator and a field operations specialist.”
“We also need a team captain for the Philippines’ embassies in the Middle East. That team captain would ensure coordination and consistency of our country’s foreign policies vis-a-vis the Middle East. The team captain for the Middle East would be the senior diplomat and to whom the Philippine embassies, consulates, and labor attaches would report for coordination and communication,” Romero said.
He also suggested the selection of “a relatively young envoy to Kuwait who is wise beyond his years. An ambassador’s job does require physical stamina and a compassionate heart, especially in a hardship post like Kuwait.” (END)
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Topic: Diplomatic channels with Kuwait should be kept open (Read 4255 times)