PHL Consulate General in Jeddah Begins Interviewing Saudi Employers of Filipino Household Service Workers

Social Welfare Attaché Razon giving a short talk about the rights of the workers and the obligations of their employers.

06 April 2018 JEDDAH - Beginning with its Consular Mobile Service in Taif City in the Mecca province of Southwest Arabia on March 9-10, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has begun interviewing Saudi employers of female OFWs who are working for them as household service workers (HSWs). The Consulate General started interviewing Saudi employers on April 5.

“The interview of Saudi employers is part of concerted efforts by the Philippine Consulate General and the attached agencies in Jeddah to protect female OFWs working as HSWs from potentially oppressive working environments,” said Consul General Edgar Badajos who led the Philippine consular mobile team in Taif and two other Southwestern provinces of Saudi Arabia that followed.

 As a protective measure, the interview works by raising the awareness of Saudi employers of the rights of their worker under Saudi law and of their obligations towards the latter, including providing their worker with safe and clean sleeping quarters, at least one-day off for every work week, right amount of salary and other benefits under Saudi law.

In line with the One-Country-Team Approach, the Social Welfare Attaché is tasked to interview the Saudi employers before they can proceed to the next step in the consular process, such as passport renewal or the authentication of documents, being availed of by their Filipino HSWs.  Saudi employers usually accompany the Filipino HSWs who visit the Consulate General to avail of consular services. 

The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah implemented this program in light of reports from HSWs and OFW advocates on maltreatment and abuse. 

“I believe that one way of minimizing the incidence of abuses is to sensitize Saudi employers to the rights of HWSs in their employ, and to their responsibilities toward the latter through the interviews,” added Philippine Consul General in Jeddah Edgar Badajos. END

For more information, visit www.jeddahpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/philippine.consulate.jeddah.

Social Welfare Attaché Razon answering questions of the workers and their employers during her talk.

Social Welfare Attaché Razon interviewing one of the Saudi employers.