Press Release
February 11, 2018

Statement of Sen. Cynthia Villar on the deployment ban to Kuwait

The deployment ban issued by President Rodrigo Duterte to Kuwait signals the need for us to re-examine the social costs of labor migration especially for domestic workers. We need to strengthen our own domestic job market and increase the labor participation of women especially those in rural areas.

As a woman and as a legislator, I support the President's decision. The dignity and rights of our domestic workers should always be upheld.

I believe that the entire overseas employment program needs to be reviewed because it is more than 40 years old. Much has happened in the global workforce since its inception.

I also wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Joanna Dimafelis whose frozen body was recently discovered in Kuwait.

Let us use this time to reflect on what we can all do to help our women look for jobs here at home instead of leaving to work as domestic workers especially in the Middle East. They will go where the jobs are, and there are countries that take their contributions and sacrifices for granted.

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