MANILA - The Philippines has launched a review of all bilateral agreements in a bid to end the "kafala" system, a sponsorship practice blamed for the exploitation of overseas Filipino workers, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Thursday.

Commonly practiced in Arab countries, the kafala system requires migrant workers to have a sponsor in the host country so that a visa and worker's permit can be issued. This means that foreigners' right to work is dependent on their employers, making them vulnerable to abuse.

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Labor and foreign affairs officials started tackling the issue on Wednesday, said Bello.

"Nire-revisit namin lahat ng existing bilateral agreements with all the other countries, all with the end in view na tiyakin natin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga overseas worker na hindi sila nagiging biktima ng kafala system na iyan," he told dZMM.

(We are revisiting bilateral agreements with all the other countries, all with the end in view of ensuring the safety of our overseas workers so they wouldn't fall victim to the kafala system.)

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The Philippines and Kuwait last week concurred on a draft deal that prohibits common practices under the kafala, including the confiscation of OFW passports by employers.

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President Rodrigo Duterte earlier banned the deployment of new Filipino workers to Kuwait following the death of domestic helper Joanna Demafelis allegedly at the hands of her employers.

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Bello said the Philippines will not lift the deployment ban until justice is obtained for Demafelis.

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There are some 2 million Filipinos working in the Middle, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy, according to government data.