Rep. Marissa Magsino of the OFW Party list assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that the Philippine government will negotiate a new Bilateral Labor Agreements for both General/Skilled Workers and Domestic/Household Service Workers with Saudi Arabia that will take place in October 2024.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the host countries with the hardest working conditions.
Magsino relayed the assessment of the OFWs themselves during a townhall meeting and dialogue organized recently by OFW Party List and the Philippine Embassy.
Currently there are 864,000 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.
Aside from the difficult working conditions, Magsino lamented the OFWs face challenges with their mental health due to limited social activities among their fellow OFWs because of difference in religion practices, as well as political and diplomatic reasons.
“Unlike their counterparts in other countries who enjoy a weekly day-off where they spend a whole day of fun, unwinding and relaxing, workers in Saudi Arabia are unable to do so due to the lack of access to public mass transport. They are without means to fund personal transportation; thus, they have fewer opportunities to socialize outside of work,” Magsino said.
“They (OFWs) also stay at their employer’s house or at their workplace, and so they are tasked to continue working even on their supposed rest days. Hindi lang ito nakakapagod physically, kung hindi emotionally and mentally din (This is not just tiring physically but also mentally),” Magsino added.
She added that she will look for ways to help OFWs have wider pathways for mental health services such as access to state-sponsored counselors and trained suicide-hotline operators via toll free number.
She also vowed to ask for increase of household service workers’ salary, which has remained at $400.00 since 2012.
“Just imagine with all the inflation and taxes imposed by the Saudi government, the OFWs are left with a small amount for them to send to their families and, mostly, they cannot save money.” Magsino said.
