PH Embassy Holds Seminar on Brunei Labor Law for OFWs

Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Christopher B. Montero (foremost, fourth from left) and officials of the Philippine Embassy and the Department of Labour of Brunei Darussalam pose with members of the Filipino community who attended the Seminar at the Consular Section of the Philippine Chancery. (Brunei PE photo)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 30 October 2019 — In line with its ongoing effort to create greater awareness on the host government’s labor laws and regulations, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam held the “Seminar on Brunei Labor Law and other Regulations” on 20 October 2019 at the Philippine Chancery.

Through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), officials from the Department of Labour under Brunei’s Ministry of Home Affairs gave a presentation to members of the Filipino community on pertinent laws governing Brunei’s labor and employment standards. A total of 230 participants, composed mostly of semi-skilled, domestic workers, and representatives of accredited recruitment employment agencies attended the seminar.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Christopher B. Montero noted the value of the seminar as part of the Philippine Government’s overall empowerment program for overseas Filipino workers. He likewise cited the Embassy’s ongoing initiatives to assist newly-arrived Filipinos in Brunei to adjust to their new environment through the regular conduct of the Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) and other stakeholder engagement activities, including the recent publication and circulation of the Basic Information Guide Booklet for Filipinos in Brunei. He underscored the valuable contributions of Filipino workers in Bruneian society, and encouraged them to always ensure observance of local laws, and respect for the religious and cultural traditions of their adopted home.

In his presentation, Senior Labour Inspector Zulfadhli Bin Suhai of Brunei’s Department of Labour provided an overview of the terms and conditions of employment contracts, as well as the standard provisions on the payment of salary, rest days, hours of work, public holidays, and labor dispute settlement.

During the open forum, Mr. Zulfadhli noted that the Labour Department has handled only eight cases involving disputes between Filipino workers and their employers for the current year. This, he said, is among the lowest number of cases registered compared to disputes and complaints lodged by other foreign nationalities.

For her part, Labor Attaché Melissa Mendizabal encouraged workers and employers to make it a point to visit POLO in order to amicably settle any issue or dispute before filing any formal complaint at the Labour Department.  

The attendees expressed appreciation to the Embassy for organizing the said event in terms of creating higher awareness on the rights of OFWs in Brunei. Participants were also provided with flyers and information guides from the Labour Department and the Basic Information Guide Booklet Philippine Embassy. END

Ambassador Montero (at the podium) delivers his welcome remarks during the seminar. (Brunei PE photo)

Bruneian Department of Labour Senior Labour Inspector Zulfadhli Bin Suhai (standing), answers questions from the Filipino community on the salient aspects of Brunei’s labor standards and regulations. (Brunei PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.bruneipe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassybrunei.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBrunei/.