The Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) is raising concerns that thousands of vacationing and returning Household Service Workers (HSWs) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may soon be displaced from their gainful employment because of the Philippine government’s INACTION.
On September 24, 2012 during the celebration of the National Day of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador announced that the Saudi and Philippine governments had already reached an agreement regarding the resumption of the deployment of Household Service Workers (HSWs) to Saudi Arabia.
Following this announcement, on October 04, 2012, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued Memorandum Circular No. 08. Series of 2012 regarding the “New Guidelines on the POLO Accreditation and POEA Registration of Saudi Recruitment Agencies (SRA) Hiring Filipino HSWs Bound for Saudi Arabia.”
PASEI learned that a middle management official at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) had ordered the suspension of processing of the New Standard Employment Contract (SEC) of all HSWs bound for Saudi Arabia. As a result of this suspension, the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) refused to process the Balik Mangagagawa clearances of the vacationing HSWs.
This coming Christmas, maraming mga HSW ang nais magbakasyon kaya sila ay kumukuha ng Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)/Balik Manggagawa Certificate upang muling makabalik sa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, matapos ang kanilang Christmas vacation.
Dahil sa naitaas na raw ang mga sahod ng mga HSW New Hires to US$400.00, even those vacationing Household Service Workers (after their 2-years contract) will “benefit” from this mandatory increase of New Salary Scale imposed by the Philippine Government through the DOLE and POEA. Meaning, IF the vacationing (Balik-Mangagawa Worker) OCW started with US$200 and was given a salary increase say, US$300 and now will be happy to take their vacation this Christmas, most likely they will “benefit” and gain a wind-fall of another US$100 (making the new HSW salary US$400 per month) IF and a BIG IF, the HSW Employer can afford and is generous enough to comply with the new mandated salary of US$400 starting now and if the HSW is in possession of an authenticated New HSW Standard Employment Contract.
BUT WHAT IF, the HSW and the Employer agreed only to US$300. Then, the workers can either lose her job OR they mutually pretend to agree on US$400 just to hurdle the “paper compliance” of paying the new salary.
However, this system must be supported by an authenticated New HSW Standard Employment Contract (SEC) which, at present, its authentication and release was ordered stopped by the Philippine side. So, all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO), Consulate and Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia are not acting on the request to have the New HSW Standard Employment Contract (SEC) attested.
So, for those without the New HSW SEC and their re-entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expires because of absence of the attested new HSW-SEC, these thousands of HSWs will lose their jobs, be unable to return after their vacation or their Employer will just tell them not to return to KSA for their not willing to pay their returning HSW the new US$400 salary.
The POLOs in KSA and the POEA must remedy this with dispatch lest the Saudi side starts to feel that the Philippine side negotiated this New HSW SEC in BAD FAITH. When that happens, we fear that future recruitment, even of skilled workers, may be at risk of being lost as well.
The best solution for these Balik-Manggagawa Vacationing Workers (especially his coming Christmas) to prevent them from losing their jobs are:
1. Let the Employer sign the New Household Service Worker (HSW) Standard Employment Contract (SEC) as attached to POEA Memorandum Circular No. 08, Series of 2012.
2. Have the Employer sign the Standard Employment Contract (SEC) at salary US$400 for the returning/vacationing worker.
3. Then, have the Standard Employment Contract (SEC) attested by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
For the NEW HIRES, they can wait for the New Revised HSW SEC for signing by the NEW hiring Employer and its attestation thereafter.
Note: Composed of more than 650 members, the PASEI is the biggest and single landbased association of legitimate overseas employment service providers (OESPs) that are all licensed by POEA.
