The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has suspended the manpower placement agency that hired household worker Jeanalyn Villavende who was murdered by her employer in Kuwait.
In a television interview, POEA Administrator Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the agency failed to provide a report regarding Villavende’s situation and grant her request for repatriation.
The POEA official also said that starting today, deployment of household workers to Kuwait was deferred, saying about 10,000 OFWs in the first quarter of 2020 will be affected following the partial deployment ban to Kuwait.
But Olalia said that only domestic helpers will be affected while professional and skilled workers are not included in the ban.
Agencies that have approved job orders in other countries could send the affected OFWs there as an alternative, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Olalia.
The POEA said affected OFWs may look for available jobs in other Asian countries, including Hong Kong.
He said Israel also needs more than 100,000 hotel housekeepers.
“There are also available caregiver courses in TESDA, as Japan and Europe will be needing health workers, who could have a minimum salary of about P77,000,” he added.
