In a bid to strengthen their bilateral labor relations, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Ministry of Labor of the State of Qatar signed a Joint Statement promoting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan and Qatar Ministry of Labor Assistant Undersecretary Sheika Najha Abdulrahman Al Thani led the signing of the Joint Statement during the 5th Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) between the two countries in Pasay City on Wednesday, 7 August.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac highlighted the strong ties between the Philippines and Qatar in upholding safe and fair labor migration.

“The agreements forged during the meeting are milestones in ensuring the security and well-being of Filipino workers while contributing to the labor needs of Qatar,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Middle Eastern country expressed interest in hiring more skilled Filipino workers, such as nurses, architects, and engineers.

Both countries agreed to work together in facilitating the deployment of OFWs under improved terms and conditions, including the monitoring of the OFWs’ welfare.

In the Joint Statement, Qatar is stated as a “non-placement fee labor-receiving country” according to its labor laws. With this, both countries will place measures prohibiting the charging of placement fees following consultations with stakeholders.

The two countries also adopted a unified and enhanced standard employment contract for both domestic and skilled Filipino workers. This contract prescribes better working conditions, the entitlement of workers to end-of-service benefits that are higher compared to other countries, medical and social care, and decent accommodations that respect the workers’ cultural and religious needs.

The contract will also ensure job security for workers by stipulating a shorter probationary period of three months for new workers and establishing clear guidelines for the termination of contracts by both the employer and the worker.

In addition, both countries agreed to implement a system for the blacklisting and whitelisting of local and foreign recruitment agencies to ensure ethical recruitment practices.

For its part, the DMW, in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Qatar Ministry of Labour also agreed to collaborate on the development and implementation of improved country-specific pre-departure and post-arrival seminars for both workers and employers.