President Duterte has sought the abolition of the kafala system to ensure the protection of overseas Filipinos workers (OFW) in the Middle East during his recent talk with Saudi Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud.
In an online press briefing, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said this was among the highlights of a phone conversation between the two leaders last Wednesday.
“We know that Saudi Arabia is leading the campaign to change the kafala system. So their talk centered on how to strengthen the protection of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia,” Roque said.
Kafala is a practice in most Middle East nations wherein a migrant worker is required to get a sponsor before they could work in the said countries.
The scheme is prone to be abused since the sponsors could exert unreasonable control on the movement and employment of migrant workers.
The President earlier said he wants the scheme to be finally abolished.
He also called for an intensified Philippine-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia cooperation to address the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly through vaccination, which was supported by the Saudi leader.
“His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has also called on the leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies to work towards affordable and equitable access to vaccines,” Malacañang said in a news statement.
The Saudi prince also committed that all Filipinos in the kingdom will be included in their vaccination drive.
Both leaders also talked about bolstering economic engagement between the two leaders.
Image credits: AP/Amr Nabil