A few weeks ago, the Philippines and Kuwait once again found themselves in a familiar situation, which almost permanently marred the relations of the two, mainly due to an incident involving the death of a Filipina domestic worker in Kuwait.
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Last year, talks have been held to discuss such issues and to come up with an official agreement to set a solid foundation as to how incidences of abuse and injustice among the Filipino domestic sector in the Gulf State will be prevented and addressed.
Philippines, Kuwait Discuss Domestic Workers’ Rights & Protection
Only after a year has passed, the two countries are once again involved in a review of their agreement, which aims to finally put incidences of abuse and unwarranted death among Filipino domestic workers to an end, as shared in a report by the Kuwait Times.
And while the results of the re-autopsy requested by the family, with the support of the Philippine government, are yet to be released, high-ranking diplomatic officials from both countries have already begun talks to address the issue at hand.
Led by Kuwait’s Ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Al-Thuwaikh and Philippines Labor Minister Silvestre Bello, the meeting addressed bilateral issues highlighted by that of domestic helpers in Kuwait.
Based on the report, both sides had remarks about the contract from intended to be used to recruit labour from the Philippines and that a further meeting will be held between officials from both countries to discuss the matter.
Also, the meeting brought up updates on the body of a Filipina maid, Constancia Lago-Dayag – suspected to have been murdered – has already been shipped back to the Philippines a week ago and that the embassy is still waiting for the final forensics report about the cause of death.
Meanwhile, an update from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait revealed that no suspect has yet been identified in the brutal rape-murder of Dayag in Kuwait last week.
Last year, over 5,000 maltreated Filipino workers were repatriated by the Philippine government, as it issued a deployment ban on Kuwait after missing household helper Joanna Demafelis was found inside a freezer at the abandoned apartment of her employers.
The two countries have since signed an agreement to protect overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait, but now officials from both sides are taking the necessary steps to review the provisions of the said agreement, and how this is being implemented to serve the cause of the target population.