It hasn’t been a pretty year for the Philippines and Kuwait, from the start of 2018 when horrifying news broke out regarding the death of a Filipina maid – Joanna Demefeliz, whose body was found stuffed inside a freezer inside an abandoned apartment. The situation immediately escalated, with Philippine president Duterte enforcing a labour ban on the Gulf State in the country which lasted for almost two (2) months.
And with a series of roller coaster events which led to the expulsion of former Filipino ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa on the accusation of the Kuwaiti government on the ambassador of forming an embassy team to smuggle maids from their employers’ homes, a new chapter in the history of the two countries will begin soon – marking the completely ‘restored’ ties between the two nations.
DFA to name new Filipino Consul in Kuwait Soon
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is set to introduce a new Filipino ambassador to the Gulf State soon, as shared in a report by the Arab Times Online.
While not much detail has been disclosed regarding the upcoming change, the new ambassador is expected to arrive in the country by the end of the year. The expected development will, hopefully, put an end on the crisis that has affected bilateral ties between the two nations, once and for all.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) which aims to ensure the protection and safety of Filipino household service workers back in May, has certainly been a positive step towards a promising future, as it seeks to protect mutual interests of both parties in the long-term.
With this much-important development still in the works, we will provide an update regarding the progress of this report as soon as official changes have been set into place.
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