Locsin: Let PH-BH-KSA Cooperation be a Beacon for other States to Protect Migrants   

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. highlights historic reforms undertaken by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with PH and guided by the GCM, to better protect the rights of migrant workers, 19 May 2022.(Photo from NYPM)

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 23 May 2022  – The Philippines lauded the successful labor reforms in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that protect Filipinos, and encouraged other countries to do the same for the rest of the migrant workers around the world.

At a forum on labor mobility and human rights held on 19 May 2022 and organized by the governments of the Philippines, Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) at the United Nations Headquarters here, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. acknowledged the initiatives of the two Middle Eastern states that address abusive labor practices experienced by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“These developments were once aspirations; they are now reality. As a country of origin and a GCM (Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration) Champion, the Philippines commends these progressive reforms  that raise the standards of protection of  migrants to levels they deserve,” Secretary Locsin said during his opening remarks in the forum.

“Let these initiatives be a beacon for other countries to join in the common goal and responsibility of protecting migrants,” he added.

“This served as a ray of hope for many undocumented Filipinos as they were provided a pathway to be regularized by sponsoring themselves and working on a freelance basis. The flexi-visas also come with health insurance and a return ticket to those who wish to return home,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola added, saying that the Philippines strongly advocated for the reform of the Kafala sponsorship system in the Middle East that restricts the freedom and the mobility of OFWs.

Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, Amb. Enrique A. Manalo, who moderated the forum, said that the event aims to “highlight the strong partnership between the 3 co-organizing countries and show how the objectives of the GCM on fair and ethical recruitment and decent work, on availability of pathways for regular migration and on international cooperation and global partnerships influenced labor migration governance and reforms.”

The GCM is a comprehensive inter-governmentally negotiated agreement to improve the governance of migration. The IMRF is the primary intergovernmental global platform to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the GCM with the participation of all relevant stakeholders.

For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph  https://www.un.int/philippines  or https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/. END