19 March 2013 - The Philippines-Saudi Arabia Joint Technical Working Group (TWG) convened at the Ministry of Labor (MOL) in Riyadh to discuss and mutually agree on the provisions of the draft Agreement on Domestic Worker Recruitment on March 16.
The proposed agreement aims to enhance Philippine-Saudi cooperation on the recruitment of Filipino domestic workers, and seeks to protect the rights of both the worker and the employer and regulate the contractual relations between them.
The Philippine side was led by the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Danilo P. Cruz and included Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Mr. Josefino Torres, and Department of Foreign Affairs Executive Director for Middle East and Africa Mr. Nathaniel Imperial. Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago, Vice Consul Paulo Saret, and Labor Attachés Adam Musa and Alejandro Padaen joined the Philippine delegation during the talks.
The Saudi side included the Ministry of Labor Director General for Bilateral Affairs Mr. Waleed Orainan, and Messrs. Mohammad Al Toraibi and Mohammad Al Sharka.
Recognizing their longstanding good relationship, both parties expressed mutual appreciation for the convening of the meeting, as it is the opportunity to address issues and concerns raised in the submitted proposals and counter-proposals.
As a result of the fruitful and amicable discussions and exchange of views and information, both parties finalized the initialed draft Agreement on Domestic Worker Recruitment between the Saudi MOL and DOLE last March 17.
“With the Standard Domestic Worker Employment Contract being agreed upon last year by the Philippines and Saudi Arabia and now with the draft agreement on domestic worker recruitment being finalized, we expect not only the enhancement of the protection of the rights and the promotion of the welfare of our domestic workers in Saudi Arabia but also the strengthening of the bilateral relations between the Philippines and the Kingdom”, Ambassador Tago commented on the just-concluded TWG meeting.
Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz, head of the Philippine TWG, initialed on behalf of the Philippines, while Saudi Ministry of Labor Deputy Minister for International Affairs Dr. Ahmed F. Al-Fahaid, head of the Saudi TWG, initialed for Saudi Arabia.
Both parties agreed to take necessary steps toward the immediate approval and signing of the Agreement by Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz and Saudi Minister of Labor Engr. Adel Fakieh.
The draft agreement also prescribes the regulation and/or control of the domestic recruitment costs in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, grants to the parties the right of recourse to competent authorities in case of contractual disputes and provides for legal measures against recruitment entities for violation of applicable laws, rules and regulations
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