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BAHRAIN has renewed its commitment to protect the rights of Filipino Overseas Workers (OFW), as Manama and Manila committed to strengthening bilateral ties based on deep respect, shared values, and true friendship.
This commitment was renewed when the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa received the Presidential Assistant for Foreign Affairs Robert Borje, special envoy of President Rodrigo Duterte, on December 31.
During their meeting, Prince Salman stressed that relations between Bahrain and the Philippines were important and recognized the contributions of the Filipinos to the socio-economic development of the Middle Eastern kingdom.
For his part, Duterte, in his letter to the Crown Prince, conveyed his gratitude for Bahrain’s commitment to protecting the well-being of Filipinos in the country, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In particular, Duterte praised Bahrain for its “efforts to dismantle the atrocious kafala system” as it promised to work closely with the kingdom to “promote reforms.”
Under the sponsorship or kafala system, workers cannot transfer to other jobs without the consent of their employers.
In turn, the prince assured Borje that Filipinos in Bahrain will be cared for and that trust will not be abused.
Meanwhile, Sen. Cynthia Villar said Monday that concerns about the health of self-employed marine workers will ease as more countries implement their Covid-19 vaccination programs.
Villar said that he will ask the Department of Foreign Relations to report on the progress of Covid-19 vaccination programs in countries with OFW during the next Senate commission that analyzes the government’s own vaccination plans.
“As more countries implement their respective anti-Covid-19 vaccination campaigns, we will see the anxieties of our OFWs and their families ease because the health and safety of our workers will be more or less assured next year,” he said . .
With reports from JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
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