KUWAIT - The Philippine government is seriously considering a moratorium or the temporary suspension on the deployment of household service workers to Kuwait in view of the rising number of distressed OFWS in Kuwait.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III arrived in Kuwait on Thursday morning to check on the status of Elipidio Lano, another Filipino on the death row.

“Pumunta ako dito para alamin ang istorya kung bakit nasa death row siya. It also gave me a reason to look into the administrative lapse in the operation of our POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) office. Dahil nabigla kami, we learned about the execution on the very day na maimplement na ang execution and we were never aware that there were OFWs who are in death rows,” said Bello.

Bello’s visit comes a day after the execution of Jakatia Pawa, a domestic worker executed for the death of her employer’s daughter in Kuwait.

The execution of Pawa prompted a number of OFW advocacy groups in the Middle East to call for a moratorium on the deployment of Filipino household service workers to Kuwait. Some have taken their campaign on Facebook.

“Nakakalungkot na kinakailangan pang may isang OFW na mabitay para lalo lang pag-usapan at seryosong pag-usapan ang moratorium. Huwag na nating hintayin pa na may isa pang Pawa ang mabitay o magsakripisyo para sa mga OFWs,” said Dr. Chie Umandap, founder and chairman of AKO OFW.

Bello said its about time that the Philippine government tackles the moratorium issue seriously.

“Of course, this incident underscores the need to review the deployment of our household service work dito sa Kuwait dahil matagal nang may call to suspend or call for moratorium dahil sa high incidence of harassment, maltreatment. It is time for me to make a serious study, consultation and come up with a decision,” Bello said.

Bello added it's just a matter of time that the Philippine government will announce its decision on the temporary suspension on the deployment of HSWs to Kuwait.

“Meron nang tentative decision kaya lang it may not be a good timing if we do it now because it may be perceived by the Kuwaiti government as a retaliatory move. So siguro i-timing nating mabuti kung meron decision to call for moratorium or a suspension of deployment of our OFWs dito. Yong tama panahon para hindi nila sabihin na gumaganti tayo,” he said.

Philippine ambassador Renato Pedro Villa added, “Kailangan muna na magkaroon ng ganitong aksyon para mas magkaroon ang dalawang panig--ang Kuwait at ang Pilipinas--dahil patuloy ang pagdami ng ating mga runaways. Gayundin ang pagdating din ng mga household service workers na ang ilan ay inaabuso kaya sila tumatakas sa kanilang mag employers.”

Meanwhile, representatives of manpower recruitment agencies are against the implementation of a moratorium.

“Bakit natin pipigilan ito? Unang-una, kung ako ang gobyerno natin, nagbibigay ng sapat na halaga o pagkain sa mga hapunan sa mga lamesa, sa bawat pamilya, kaya nilang pigilan. Pero, as of now, hindi naman nila binibigay, so kawawa rin ang ating mga kababayan lalo na yong mga nasa probinsya na hindi naman natapos ng kolehiyo. So ito ang pagkakataon na maging domestic helper sa Kuwait, bakit nila pipigilan ito? It's not a good reason,” said Paulo Liwanag, secretary general ng Filipino Association of Secretaries of Employment Agencies in Kuwait.

Kuwait has the highest number of distressed OFWs housed in the POLO-OWWA center in the Middle East, reaching to almost 500 who are mostly victims of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.