Philippine Embassy in Kuwait Third Secretary and Vice Consul Adrian Audrey Baccay and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Welfare Officer Eduardo Bellido (center) are flanked by (from left to right) Centre for Indian Migrant Studies Director Rafeek Ravuther, International Organization for Migration Kuwait Projects Officer Mayada Serageldin, and Migration Forum in Asia Regional Coordinator William Gois, following their meeting on orientation programs from Overseas Filipino Workers at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on 21 August 2019. (Kuwait PE photo)
22 August 2019 – The Philippine Embassy and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Kuwait met with representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and non-government organization Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) on 21 August 2019, to discuss ways to strengthen the post-arrival orientation of foreign workers in Kuwait as well as the rest of the Gulf Region.
In a statement, Embassy Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Mohd. Noordin Pendosina N. Lomondot said that “the meeting shows how international organizations as well as other labor-sending states look up to the Philippines as a model country on how it protects the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipinos Workers, wherever they may be in the world.”
“The Philippines is known worldwide for its forward-looking policies and programs that advance the welfare and well-being of OFWs—from the time they are recruited in the Philippines, until they return home following their overseas deployment. We are happy to share our experience in migration and development with our partners from the IOM and Migrant Forum in Asia,” Charge d’Affaires Lomondot further said.
In a meeting held at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait, Embassy Third Secretary and Vice Consul Adrian Audrey Baccay and OWWA Welfare Officer Eduardo Bellido shared with IOM and MFA representatives the experience of the Philippines in the conduct of Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) and Post-Arrival Orientation Seminars (PAOS) for OFWs bound for Kuwait.
The two officials presented the campaigns and programs of the Philippine government that equip OFWs, especially first-timers, with everything that they need to know on being a migrant worker—from their rights and obligations under Philippine and local laws, to information on the culture and society of their country of destination.
IOM and MFA officers who were present during the meeting include IOM Kuwait Projects Officer Mayada Serageldin, MFA Regional Coordinator William Gois, and Centre for Indian Migrant Studies Director Rafeek Ravuther.
The meeting with Embassy and OWWA officials is part of a study to address information gaps on the part of migrant workers upon their deployment in Kuwait. Inputs from the said study will be fed into the design of a proposed orientation seminar package that will be given to foreigners who wish to work in the Gulf region, with the aim of reducing barriers to their integration to their host societies. END
