MANILA, Philippines – Nearly 3,000 Filipino domestic workers will not leave the country to work in Saudi Arabia even as the Philippines resumes deployment of HSW and structure staff in the Middle Eastern country starting today.
Hiring representative Manny Geslani said the new age requirement prohibits thousands of Filipino domestic workers from working in Saudi Arabia.
Geslani said recruitment agencies are disappointed that HSWs can’t leave, despite having verified contracts, passed visas and passed medical exams.
“Your tickets have been paid for and booked for your departure,” he said.
MSW achieved safe work situations before the anti-trafficking law setting an age limit of 24 for working staff went into effect last July, according to Geslani.
The one-year suspension of government-imposed deployment prevented MSW from leaving the country.
Geslani said Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has begun accepting visa programs from foreign employers and recruitment agencies for Philippine nationals.
However, local and foreign recruitment agencies will introduce new visa programs for people over 24 years of age HSW.
The Migrant Workers Department admitted that the new age restriction would derail the departure of thousands of domestic workers.
The Coalition of Approved Agencies Implementing Domestic Services has asked Migrant Worker Secretary Susan Ople to allow MSW with all booked airline tickets to depart to fulfill their contracts with their employers in the Middle East.
The organization noted that the recruitment industry suffers from poor deployment due to the Saudi deployment ban.
The new age limit for HSWs will increase their operations, the organization added.
In addition to HSWs, personnel from the Philippine structure will also benefit from the resumption of deployment in Saudi Arabia, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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