PINOY WORKERS URGENT

Qatar drafting 'model job contract' for Pinoy domestic workers
ROSE-AN JESSICA DIOQUINO, GMA News November 10, 2011 4:50pm
Qatar is drafting a “model job contract" for Filipino domestic workers, which would enable them to work in the country should the Philippines decide to include it in the list of banned countries, the news site “The Peninsula" said on Thursday.

According to the report, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Crescente Relacion said a committee— composed of members from the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labor— is working on a “model contract," which will cite specific provisions to guarantee the protection of the rights of Filipino household workers.

Relacion said the Philippine Embassy there is waiting for the committee to finish its proposed model contract policy, which will serve as the Qatar government’s “stop gap" measure should the Philippine government impose a ban on the recruitment of Filipino maids in the gulf countries.

GMA News Online tried to reach the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for comment about the report but the agency has yet to reply.

‘Partially compliant’

According to last year’s statistics, Qatar ranked fourth in the top destinations for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), following the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (first) and the United Arab Emirates (second).

However, along with three other top destinations, these Gulf countries were not included in the board resolutions released by the POEA early this month— one that identified 76 “OFW-friendly" countries and another that imposed a deployment ban to 41 destinations.

According to Labor Communications head Nicon Fameronag, they are classified under “conditional (or partial) compliance" because they provide protection only to skilled workers.

“Binigyan pa ng palugit ng Congressional Oversight Committee ang DFA na patuloy na i-assess ang naturang mga bansa bago sila magbigay ng bagong certification sa Governing Board ng POEA," he said.

“Sa kaso halimbawa ng Saudi Arabia, signatory ito sa mga conventions, pero may mga skills na hindi allowed," he added.

Deferment period

The POEA issued the resolutions in line with the amended Migrant Workers Act (RA 10022).

According to the law, Filipino workers can be sent to a destination country only:

•if the receiving country has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers;
•if the receiving country is a signatory to and/or has ratified multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of migrant workers;
•if the country has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers; and
•if the receiving country is taking positive and concrete measures to implement the first three criteria.

However, after the release of the resolutions, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) asked the POEA to delay its implementation, which was set on Nov. 18.

POEA head Carlos Cao Jr. said it is “looking into the letter of request from the [DFA] for a 90-day deferment on the ban."

On Wednesday, the DFA said it was withdrawing the certifications it issued, which became the POEA’s basis for issuing the ban.

In a text message to GMA News Online, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said an official communication was sent to the POEA that day.

The department will use the deferment period to reassess the 41 countries “with the view of moving toward compliance" of RA 10022.

“We will submit new certifications after 90 days, taking into account results of DFA’s dialogue with countries concerned and new developments in those countries with respect to protection of migrant workers," Hernandez said. - VVP, GMA News