Gov’t eyes more bilateral accords with ME

MANILA, Philippines - The government plans to forge more bilateral agreements with Middle East countries to ensure better working conditions for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Administrator Hans Cacdac of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration  said bilateral agreements will be negotiated with at least four countries in the Middle East this year.

“We hope to forge new bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Lebanon,” he said.

Cacdac said the Philippines has previously forged general agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.

“What we are pursuing this time are specific bilateral agreements that would provide better protection for our OFWs, particularly household service workers,” he said.

Most Middle East countries have no bilateral agreements with the Philippines, although they have been hiring a big number of skilled Filipino workers.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the government plans to negotiate bilateral agreements with other countries that the Department of Foreign Affairs has declared as non-compliant.

The newly amended Migrant Workers Act prohibits the deployment of workers to countries without existing bilateral agreement with the Philippines.