Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo on Friday expressed elation over what he said was the good situation of Filipino workers in Bahrain saying “there are no distressed Filipinos needing shelter in that country.”
“I was satisfied that in my recent visit, I did not see any homeless and distressed OFWs in Bahrain needing refuge in the Bahay Kalinga. This is a good sign that our OFWs are taken good care of in Bahrain,” Salo said.
Salo, who chairs the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, had a consultation meeting with the Filipino community in Bahrain when he attended the 146th Assembly of the Interparliamentary Union (IPU). In his visit, he was warmly by Ambassador Anne Jalando-On Louis and Labor Attache to Bahrain Vicente Cabe.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to visit our kababayan in Bahrain and listen to their stories,” Salo said. “I am impressed by their resilience and hard work. Thus, we need to ensure that their welfare and protection are prioritized, and I will work towards this goal as chairman of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs,” he added.
Salo also met with foreign recruitment agencies in Bahrain and secured their commitment in ensuring the protection of OFWs.
“I reminded the recruitment agencies to ensure the protection of our OFWs,” Salo said. “In turn, they assured us that they conduct the necessary interviews and background check on their employers.”
The foreign recruitment agencies requested Salo to ensure that Filipino household service workers (HSW) are briefed of the norms in Bahrain before their deployment.
“I was also asked to ensure that our HSWs are properly briefed of the laws, culture, and norms in Bahrain before deployment, and that they are endowed with the appropriate skills for their jobs,” Salo explained.
“They can rest assured that we will remind our private recruitment agencies in the Philippines to properly train and brief our OFWs before sending them,” Salo assured.
He also called for the strengthening of the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS).
PDOS is a mandatory seminar for all Filipinos who are going to work abroad. Maricel V. Cruz
