A Philippine government delegation affirmed its full respect for Kuwaiti laws, adding that there are more than 200,000 Filipino workers who consider Kuwait their second home, stressing keenness on the development of friendly and historical relations between the two countries.
This came at the end of the official talks held by the visiting Philippine delegation with the concerned authorities in the country at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters on May 16 and 17, reports Al-Anba daily.
The delegation explained that all measures taken by the Philippine embassy and the Philippine government are only to ensure the safety and well-being of their citizens, stressing that providing protection for citizens of any country abroad is a firm duty of consular offices under international law and agreements.
The members of the delegation expressed their thanks to the Government of Kuwait for its hospitality throughout the delegation’s two-day visit, adding that their country would remain open to constructive dialogue on how to do so in order to address current concerns.
They stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Migrant Labor in their country wished to reassure their workers in Kuwait as well as their families by providing them with full government support.
The Philippines was represented by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Migrant Labor (DMW) as well as its affiliate agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
In the same context, an informed source said that the preliminary discussions on Filipino workers did not result in a breakthrough soon, indicating that a number of members of the delegation have already left the country, indicating that Kuwait rejects the dictates that the Philippines desires and also rejects the special amendments it requests put forward by the Philippines government for its workers, whether those dealt with by the visiting delegation or what was put forward in the Philippine Parliament.
The source pointed out that the Kuwaiti law on employment regulates the mechanisms for residing workers of different nationalities, and it is not possible to enact a special law for workers of a specific nationality.