(NI NOEL ABUEL)

DAPAT na maghanda ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) sa posibleng tuluyang pagba-ban ng mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sa Kuwait.

Ito ang sinabi ni Senador Joel Villanueva kung saan kailangan aniyang tiyakin ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan na may sapat na trabaho at oportunidad sa pagsasanay sa mga manggagawang maaapektuhan ng nasabing ban.

“We call on the DOLE and TESDA to ensure that there are available jobs and training opportunities for workers who will be affected by the ban. In the long term, we should exert all efforts to create more job opportunities locally so that our kababayan do not need to go abroad and leave their families to find well paying jobs,” paliwanag pa ng senador.

Sinabi pa ng senador na suportado nito ang desisyon ni DOLE Sec. Silvestre Bello na magpatupad ng partial ban sa mga OFWs sa bansang Kuwait.

“We support this move by Secretary Bello. While it limits the opportunities available to Filipino workers, it is also necessary to limit their exposure to risks and abuses. This policy also expresses our government’s outrage over the death of our compatriot who was allegedly killed by her employer’s wife. The welfare of our OFWs, particularly their safety and security in their places of work, is a paramount concern for our government, and our partners should recognize this especially the ones we signed bilateral agreements with,” aniya pa.

Giit ni Villanueva, mahalagang ipaintindi ng pamahalaan sa kanilang mga katuwang sa Kuwait na ang mga kababayan nating household service workers ay hindi nila pag-aari na parang gamit o tupa na maaaring itapon na lang kapag wala nang pakinabang o pagbuhatan ng kamay.

“Kung may problema ang mga employer sa kanilang mga household service worker, maaari naman nila idulog ito sa mga recruitment agency na kanilang pinagkuhanan ng manggagawa,” sabi pa nito.