Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries | October 31, 2007 | AHN

Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries | October 31, 2007 | AHN: "Philippines To Seek Bilateral Labor Ties With Overseas Filipino Worker's Host Countries October 24, 2007 11:23 a.m. EST Preciosa Dumlao - AHN News Writer Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippine government should pro-actively negotiate for bilateral labor agreements with countries hosting Filipino workers, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada who is concurrent chairman of the Senate Labor Committee and of the Joint Congressional Committee on Labor and Employment. Estrada noted the report by Kanlungan Center, a private group assisting distressed overseas Filipino workers, that the Philippines has bilateral labor agreements with only 13 out of the 197 countries hosting OFWs, namely: Norway, United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Indonesia. 'Practically everyday, we hear of Filipino workers being abused and maltreated by their employers abroad, especially, in countries that our government does not have bilateral labor agreements with. Such agreements could prevent these misfortunes by laying down the necessary guidelines and provisions for the protection of our workers,' he said."