QUEZON CITY, (PIA) --The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is working with Kuwaiti authorities to bring down the number of welfare cases and bring home distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said today.
In a statement issued from Davos, Switzerland, in which the DMW Secretary is part of the presidential delegation to the World Economic Forum, Ople said the DMW’s goal is to reduce the number of welfare cases in Kuwait in partnership with the private sector and Kuwaiti government, while bringing home and assisting as many distressed OFWs as possible.
In line with the Secretary’s earlier directive, DMW officials led by Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Administrator Arnell Ignacio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) held several meetings in Kuwait with officials of the Kuwaiti government.
These include Dr. Fahad Ali Murad, head of the Public Authority for Manpower, as well as Amala (Labor Court) Deputy Officer Fahad Alkandari and General Walid Al Ali, head of the Talha Deportation Center.
The officials discussed ways to address the concerns of distressed OFWs particularly runaway domestic workers.
Ople also said the DMW is working to upgrade the facilities at government-run shelters in Kuwait and in other countries.
The Secretary added that she personally saw the congestion and unhealthy living conditions in the current shelter in Kuwait after a virtual tour conducted by one of the DMW’s overseas staff.
In Kuwait, the special DMW mission also looked at alternative buildings that can serve as temporary shelters for distressed OFWs.
“Based on our ocular inspection, the current place is not conducive to the good health and comfort of our workers. The Secretary also gave instructions that the new shelter should have enough room for learning sessions that can be offered to residents on financial literacy, mental wellness and TESDA courses for skills upgrades,” Cacdac said.
Also due to visit Kuwait as part of the special mission is Social Welfare Attaché Bernard Bonina who, together with other DSWD social welfare attaches, has been absorbed by the DMW.
“Social Welfare Attaché Bernard Bonina is tasked with making sure that our distressed OFWs in Kuwait will be accommodated in a much more dignified, comfortable and safe haven of care,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac earlier announced that the DMW is set to bring home at least 310 distressed OFWs from Kuwait this month.
“Secretary Ople gave explicit instructions that all these distressed OFWs would have to come home with the needs of their respective families also attended to by our department,” Cacdac said in a press conference from Kuwait Monday.
Ople had earlier instructed Cacdac of the DMW’s Foreign Employment and Welfare cluster to head a special mission to Kuwait. The mission was tasked to look into the conditions of distressed OFWs currently housed at a government run shelter. (dmw/pia-ncr)
