The country has temporarily suspended the verification of new household service workers (HSWs) bound for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the abuses committed by a retired general against Filipinos.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said in a Facebook post on Saturday that it will abide by the order of Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III for Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in KSA to temporarily stop processing documents of newly hired HSWs until new guidelines are issued.
The memorandum was addressed to Labor Attaches Fidel Macauyag, POLO- Riyadh; Hector Cruz Jr., POLO-Al Khobar; and Roel Martin, POLO-Jeddah.
“In the interest of the service, you are hereby instructed to temporarily suspend the verification of new hires domestic workers effective immediately pending the issuance of the new guidelines by the POEA,” the directive issued on November 25 said.
“As such, a new order shall be issued for the resumption of the processing of documents once the new guidelines have been finalized and fully implemented.”
The memorandum does not cover HSWs with renewed contracts and the hiring of skilled workers.
