Saudi ban hiring of domestic helpers from the Philippines

**Monseratto** · July 1st, 2011 11:28 PM

Effective tommorrow, Saudi Arabia bans hiring of Domestic Helpers because of the Philippine goverment demands ... Galing!!! Once that market get filled up with DH from other countries, it will never open again.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224839/p...he-philippines

Starting July 2, Saudi Arabia will no longer issue work visas for domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia because of its labor rows with the two countries.

“The Ministry of Labor will stop issuing work visas for domestic workers for the Philippines and Indonesia from Saturday (July 2)," Hattab Bin Saleh Al-Anzi, a spokesman for the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor said, according to report on news site Arab News.

The decision of the Saudi government will affect 180,000 domestic workers in Saudi, or about 15 percent of more than 1.2 million Filipinos working there.

According to the report, Al-Anzi said the ministry decided to stop hiring domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries imposed stricter conditions on prospective Saudi employers.

New contracts made by the Philippines require foreign employers of Filipino domestic helpers to pay a minimum wage of $400 a month.

The Philippine government has also urged employers to provide family information and the layout of the residence where the domestic helper will be working.

The Arab News said the Saudi government wanted the Philippine government to alter these requirements in the labor contracts of Filipino domestic workers.

On April 27, the Saudi Arabia sent a delegation to the Philippines to negotiate the labor dispute, but talks broke down, the report said.

The report said Philippine Embassy in Riyadh labor attaché Albert Valenciano expressed his sadness over the Saudi government’s decision on Wednesday.

Valenciano said the embassy had sent a “note verbale" (verbal message) to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 19 requesting for a meeting. It, however, had not received a response so far.

“This is a huge setback to the Philippine economy that is too dependent on OFWs remittances. It will also give rise to the already high rate of unemployment with about 11.2 million Filipinos unemployed in the Philippines," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

The group said Saudi Arabia is the No. 1 OFWs’ top destination and No. 4 in the deployment of domestic workers since 2003 to 2010.
Al-Anzi said Saudi recruitment agents intend to recruit domestic workers, including maids, from countries other than Indonesia and the Philippines.

He said, “Labor exporting countries have evinced keen interest" to send domestic helpers to work for Saudi families. — JE/ LBG/VVP, GMA News

**hein** · July 2nd, 2011 03:07 AM

Beggars can't be Choosers

**rattrapante** · July 2nd, 2011 03:13 AM

The Gov't should put more effort in providing jobs localy, we can't be too dependent on OFW since just like this case, a foreign government can cease employment for Filipinos at anytime they feel like it.

**chua_riwap** · July 2nd, 2011 08:02 AM

ok na rin yan.
marami rin kasing minamaltrato, inaabuso, at di pinapasuweldo sa kanila.
maraming balasubas na saudi employers dito.

**Monseratto** · July 2nd, 2011 08:29 AM

What jobs can this goverment provide an unskilled workforce w/ a salary of 15K?

**marg** · July 2nd, 2011 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by Monseratto

What jobs can this goverment provide an unskilled workforce w/ a salary of 15K?

Face it, many Pinoys are under-educated. With the state of the public schooling.

Keep the Poor, Keep them stupid.

**desert fox** · July 2nd, 2011 05:50 PM

Mas nakabuti ang nangyari...sa 2000 DH na nandito, maswerte na kung may 10% nito ay mapupunta sa mababait na employer...

Kaya naman kasi gustomng gusto ng mga nasa atin magpadala ng DH, kasi dagdag kita sa agency yan...

kada ulo, magkano din nakukuha nila sa employer at sa OFW to be....

2birds in one stone yang mga recruitement agencies....

tama lang yan....

**chua_riwap** · July 2nd, 2011 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Monseratto

What jobs can this goverment provide an unskilled workforce w/ a salary of 15K?

P15K ba suweldo ng DH?
hindi totoo yan sir. lubhang mas mababa pa ang tinatanggap nila.
may mga nakakausap kami rito....ang sweldo nila nasa $150.00 (around P6K+) lang. minsan mas mababa pa.

**shakatak70** · July 2nd, 2011 06:35 PM

Ok lang yan.... mas maigi nga na wala ng DH sa Saudi, sa hirap ng dinanas nila diyan sa lugar na iyan.

**Monseratto** · July 2nd, 2011 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by chua_riwap

P15K ba suweldo ng DH?
hindi totoo yan sir. lubhang mas mababa pa ang tinatanggap nila.
may mga nakakausap kami rito....ang sweldo nila nasa $150.00 (around P6K+) lang. minsan mas mababa pa.

Alam natin di naman 15K ang makukuhang suweldo ng DH, pero iyan ang minimum denedemanda ng iyong gobyerno bago makaabroad. Ang tanong, kaya ba bigyan ng ganun na unskilled trabaho na katumbas ng US$ 400 dito? Mas mabuti may trabaho at suweldo o wala?