The Middle East and its Importance to the Philippines

At present, the Philippines is considered one of the most highly integrated countries in
the transnational movement of labor (Sevilla, 2020). This has been made possible through the
positive diplomatic alliances the country established among different nations. But importantly,
more opportunities have emerged when the Philippines undertook ties with oil-rich countries
such as those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) (Sevilla, 2011).

A relation with the Middle East, in particular, puts forward significant possibilities for the
country’s developmental, investment and political growth. However, throughout the decades, the
previous administrations have focused the country’s attention primarily on labor migration,
security of energy supply and the role of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the
peace process in Mindanao (Sevilla, 2020).

Labor Migration
Today, there are roughly 2 to 3 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in the Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) region. 90% of this population are working in the Gulf states
such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
This thrived in the 1970s when the Philippines was in the midst of an economic struggle.
During these times, foreign currency reserves have been drained and Philippine peso was
fluctuating. As a solution, former President Marcos Sr. passed the Labor Code of Philippines
which established frameworks for short-term migrant laborers. Consequently, Filipino workers
flocked to the Middle East to earn higher despite the low skill sets required.
However, along with the expansion of female OFWs coming into the Middle East, came
the increased issue of domestic violence. These worries have persisted as the number of OFWs
has grown and have significantly influenced the Philippines' foreign policy, notably in the
Middle East.
In the Aquino Administration, multiple efforts have been made to strengthen worker
protection in the UAE. Due to the cases of negligence, the Philippines has halted the legal
recruitment of maids and barred Filipinos from taking on jobs as domestic workers in the UAE.
In Saudi Arabia, as a way to respond to the increasing cases of abuse and violence among
Filipino migrant workers, former President Noynoy Aquino also banned the deployment of
domestic workers in the country.
Despite these efforts, the policy has proven to be ineffective as Filipinos still traveled to
the UAE on tourist visas then transitioned to work permits once in the country. This has led to
minimal worker rights making migrant workers even more vulnerable.
A formal memorandum of understanding "In the sphere of manpower" was signed by the
Philippines and the UAE in 2017 as a first step toward addressing the issue of illegal hiring and
unregulated employment. The MOU states, among many other things, that all OFWs must work
under contracts "authenticated by the UAE ministry of labor" and that "recruitment of manpower
in the Philippines and its workers' entry into the UAE will be regulated in accordance with
relevant laws, rules and procedure of the parties."
In light of the failure to outlaw domestic employment and the scant protections provided
by the 2017 MOU, the Philippine government wanted to conclude a new, more comprehensive
labor agreement.
In March of 2021 the new agreement was concluded and guaranteed domestic workers
eight hours of sleep, one paid day off each week, and one month of paid yearly leave. Aside from
this, The worker's passport or ID cannot be taken by the employer, and access to a cell phone
must be provided. Before engaging OFWs as domestic workers, employers must also submit to
verification by the Philippine government, and any contract renewals or employer changes must
also go through this process.
Additionally, employers cannot take the worker's passport or ID and workers must be
given access to a mobile phone. Employers will also undergo verification by the government of
the Philippines before hiring OFWs as domestic workers and any extensions of contract or
change of employer must go through the same verification process.

On the other hand, during the tenure of President Reodrigo Duterte, the country imposed
the same ban on migrant workers in Kuwait. This was following a contentious diplomatic dispute
over the Philippine Embassy's rescue of stranded Filipinos, President Rodrigo Duterte has made
the ban on the deployment of new migrant workers to Kuwait permanent in 2018. Previously, 7
Filipino workers were reported dead and Joanna Demafelis, a 29-year-old maid, was found dead
inside the freezer of her employer’s apartment, which made the ban much for the administration
to impose.
 The bans, however, leave open the prospect that Filipino laborers will turn to unrestricted
and risky avenues to enter Kuwait rather than addressing the exploitation of workers.

The Philippines and Kuwait reached a deal on Friday to provide protection for Filipino
migrant workers in the Gulf state in 2018, following the deterioration of relations between the
two nations. The agreement includes provisions for the establishment of a 24-hour hotline for
Filipino workers to report mistreatment and a specialized police unit to handle such complaints.

In many MENA states, particularly those on the gulf coast, Filipino workers make up a sizable
portion of the labor force. The money that overseas Filipino workers send home also plays a
crucial role in macroeconomic areas like payment balancing and currency stabilization, in
addition to supporting families. But because of the nature of a lot of the jobs that OFWs do, they
frequently face exploitation and cruel working conditions.