The Philippines has signed an agreement with the KSA to improve the recruitment of Filipino medical specialists to meet the needs of the labor market. The goal of the agreement in Saudi Arabia is to simplify the payment processing for applicants and introduce a 'white list' of foreign recruiting agencies. According to Villanueva, the administration has established 48 bilateral agreements with other countries, and 39 more await approval. Among the already signed agreements are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the KSA.
At the hearing in the Senate, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) proposed a budget of 8 million Filipino pesos for 2025. Along with the attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) DMW discussed key issues such as the budget, bilateral agreements, and guarantees for foreign Filipino workers (OFW).
Senator Joel Villanueva clarified that additional safety measures will be adopted for OFW, such as agreements on the protection of domestic workers, which is being signed and continuously evaluated and monitored in the countries of the Middle East. At the hearing in the Senate, DMW's efforts to protect OFW were discussed, including 39 signed international agreements and contracts on labor migration.
Kuwait, on the other hand, signed agreements guaranteeing the reinstatement of OFW under established additional safety measures, while Qatar established a direct labor policy to protect OFW from illegal recruitment. Moreover, DMW and the Social Security System (SSS) signed agreements on the enhancement of the pension system and ensuring better social security for OFW in the long-term perspective.
