The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development (MHRSD) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia values the significant contribution of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to economic and social development and shares the vision of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) of the Republic of the Philippines for a rights-based approach to labor migration.
The DMW recognizes the labor reform initiatives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to further enhance protection of migrant workers consistent with fundamental and technical ILO Conventions it has ratified and the UN Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Both the DMW and the MHRSD have agreed to work closely together to facilitate the decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights. Toward this end, both parties have reached a consensus to undertake the following:
- Constitute a Technical Working Group composed of representatives from both parties to monitor the implementation of labor reforms and jointly resolve concerns of workers;
- Implement a Blacklist and a Whitelist of Recruitment Agencies and employers in both countries, based on criteria to be agreed upon by both sides;
- Revise the Standard Employment Contract of OFWs to reflect all guarantees under the Saudi Labor Reform Initiatives including insurance for unpaid wages, timely release of salaries through electronic payments, and a pre-termination clause;
- Ensure the implementation of a fully-automated recruitment process in both countries;
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on combatting trafficking in persons, investigating and prosecuting offenders, and providing support to OFW victims of trafficking in persons in both countries; and
- Convene regular Joint Committee Meetings to ensure full compliance with the above agreements and explore all developments of recruitment procedures in both countries.
The DMW and the MHRSD will also study a proposal to modify the duration of the employment contracts of domestic workers to one (1) year, with possibility of extension to another year; with the consent of both parties.
In consideration of the above, the DMW and the MHRSD have reached an agreement to resume the deployment of Filipino workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia starting November 7th, 2022.