A day after releasing its new guidelines that will improve the protection of Filipino household service workers (HSW) in Kuwait, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Wednesday decided to make some last-minute revisions in the provisions of the said document.
The four-page memorandum circular containing the guidelines was temporarily removed from the POEA’s website yesterday for some revisions.
“There were only some small amendments,” POEA Administrator Bernard B. Olalia said in a text message to Business Mirror.
Olalia said they are still targeting to release the guidelines next week.
“The deployment [of HSWs to Kuwait] will start 15 days after publication in a newspaper,” Olalia said.
This was confirmed by Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras, who handles the migration affairs cluster of DOLE.
“The guidelines is on its final stage. We are just waiting for the representatives of the joint committee of Philippines and Kuwait to give final resolution on unsettled issues,” Paras said in a separate text message to Business Mirror.
“And also POEA is finalizing the template of the employment contract which would provide the agreed conditions that will strengthen the guarantee and safeguards against abuse and maltreatment by Kuwait employees,” he added.
In a television report in GMA on Tuesday, parts of the circular, particularly in ensuring the protection of Filipino HSWs, were already made public.
These includes providing them with free legal aid as well as the right to posses and use mobile phones or other communication devices.
It also prevents employers from retaining personal documents of a HSWs such their passports.
The guidelines will implement the provisions of the newly signed Philippines-Kuwait memorandum of understanding for the protection of Filipino HSWs.