PH-Kuwait talks deadlocked; Protection for OFWs upheld

By Rey E. Requejo

PHILIPPINE officials defended measures to protect Filipino migrant workers in Kuwait that triggered a retaliatory response from the Kuwaiti government, which banned the entry of new OFWs.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said its senior officials and those from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) met with their Kuwait counterparts in talks held

Tuesday and Wednesday.

"The delegation explained that all actions taken by the Philippine embassy and the Philippine government are solely to ensure the safety and welfare of our own nationals," the DFA statement read.

"Providing protection to a country’s citizens abroad is a well-established duty of consular offices under international law and conventions," it added.

During the talks, Philippine officials said they "expressed full respect" for Kuwaiti laws and thanked their Kuwaiti counterparts "for the hospitality of its