The Department and Labor and Employment Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz expressed confidence that Filipino household service workers (HSWs) who will go to Saudi Arabia to work is assured of better protection as the government of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) recently agreed to the new Standard Employment Contract (SEC). The said contract provides stronger measures to ensure that the rights and welfare of HSWs are followed. The new SEC also signifies that the KSA government will again authenticate and verify employment contracts of first-time HSWs.

The Labor Secretary said, "This will pave the way for the resumption of the deployment of HSWs to the Kingdom, but with the new SEC both parties have hammered out and agreed upon, in addition to the strengthened policies and measures the DOLE and its agencies, namely the POEA, POLO, OWWA, and TESDA have set in place, we are very confident all Filipino overseas workers will get the protection they need and deserve should they find it still desirable to work in Saudi Arabia as HSWs."

The KSA suspended the verification and authentication of all employment contracts of Filipino HSWs on March 2011 which force the Philippines to stop processing the contracts of newly hired HSWs.

As a result of the suspension, the KSA- Philippines Joint Technical Committee was born. The meetings, discussions, and negotiations that were held by this committee led to the new SEC.

The Labor Secretary ordered the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Philippine Labor Attaches to Saudi Arabia and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) to collaborate with licensed agencies and start a massive information and education campaign to inform the public about the major provisions of the new HSW Standard Employment Contract.

Baldoz said, "I have directed the widest dissemination of a simple question and answer manual on the very important provisions of this agreement, which should give us the opportunity to really deliver the message to Philippine recruitment agencies, Saudi foreign placement agencies and employers, prospective Filipino HSWs, and the concerned Filipino public that we mean business when we say the deployment of HSWs is highly-regulated, with a very strong bias for welfare and protection."

"And as such, it should start with us at the DOLE. We should already take advantage of this new agreement to enforce a stronger regulatory regime for the deployment of HSWs and ensure that abuse and exploitation of our HSWs are stopped; and that uncaring recruiters, opportunistic middlemen, and abusive employers who do not treat our HSWs with respect and dignity as human beings and as workers are penalized and banned from ever participating in overseas employment," she added.

The new Standard Employment Contract for HSWs clearly states and provides for the following:

·         The minimum salary for HSWs is USD400

·         It should be paid trough a bank account that will be opened by the employer for the HSW in Saudi

·         The rest hours should at least be 8 hours of continuous rest) and 1 rest day per week

·         The HSWs should have a paid vacation leave in the Philippines (30 days for every two years of service with free round-trip economy class air ticket).

The employer of the HSWs should also provide/observe the following:

·         suitable and sanitary living quarters,

·         adequate food or equivalent money allowance;

·         allow the HSW to rest if she is sick,

·         to continually pay her salary without deductions

·         ensure timely repatriation including cases of termination when HSW is not at fault

·         shoulder the HSW's medical expenses

·         inform the arrival of the HSW to Saudi Arabia

·         HSW should  work solely for employer and immediate household

·         the employer should pay for the HSWs residence permit (iqama), exit/re-entry visa, and final exit visa, including renewals and penalties resulting from delays

•   the passport and iqama of the HSW shall remain in the possession of the HSW
  
• the HSW should be allowed to freely communicate with her family and the Philippine Embassy or Consulate at her expense