PH, Kuwait set talks on labor issues

AHIGH-LEVEL Philippine delegation is scheduled to fly to Ku wait next week to discuss the ban on Filipinos entering the Gulf state for the first time and the possible review of the 2018 lab agreement between the two countries.

“What we hope to achieve when we get there is to clarify the issues of why there was a visa suspension, what will it take to resolve these issues between the Philippines and Kuwait,” Foreign Affairs AssistantSecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Paul Cortes said in a briefing on Saturday.

He said the ban and suspension of entry visa issuance were only formally communicated to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday, but Kuwait has yet to officially provide a reason behind its decision.

Kuwaiti media, however, said the ban stemmed from the Philippines’ alleged non-compliance with the 2018 labor accord concerning the operation of a temporary shelter for distressed Filipinos inside the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.

Cortes, however, said Manila did not violate the deal if this was indeed Kuwait’s reason because the establishment of shelters inside the embassies, now known as Migrant Workers Overseas