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by Salima Lebel Agence France Presse KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AFP) — The murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait has triggered outrage and prompted Manila to impose a departure ban for its citizens planning to work in the Gulf state. But the estimated 252,000 Filipinos and Filipinas already working in Kuwait must weigh their fear of sharing the fate of Joanne Demafelis against the potential loss […]
by Mynardo Macaraig Agence France Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — After the murder of a Philippine maid in Kuwait, domestic helpers are streaming back to Manila with tales of abusive employers — but many are still prepared to take their chances overseas again. For them, the sometimes brutal conditions and the hide-and-seek with Kuwaiti police are outweighed by the need to provide for their families at home. “The mother of my boss, she would […]
by Sam Reeves / with Kiki Siregar in Jakarta Agence France Presse KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Trafficked to Malaysia, forced to sleep outside with a dog before dying from serious injuries -– the latest abuse case involving an Indonesian maid highlights a failure to protect domestic helpers despite repeated government pledges, critics say. Adelina Sau died earlier this month in hospital a day after being rescued from her employer’s house in Malaysia’s […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The employers of a Filipina maid found dead in a freezer in Kuwait were both arrested in the Syrian capital Damascus, a Lebanese judicial official said on Saturday. Syrian authorities surrendered Nader Essam Assaf to Beirut on Friday because of his Lebanese citizenship but his Syrian wife Mona remains in custody in Damascus, the official said. The murder of Joanna Demafelis sparked outrage in the Philippines and prompted President Rodrigo […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Philippine officials are headed to Kuwait on Thursday to seek greater protection for migrant workers after a diplomatic row over the alleged mistreatment of Filipinos in the Gulf state. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello told reporters Wednesday one of his deputies would lead the delegation, which is also due to stop in Saudia Arabia and Qatar to urge reforms. Topping the list are demands that Filipino workers be allowed to keep their cellphones and […]
ILOILO, Philippines (AFP) — More than a hundred relatives and supporters of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait brandished banners demanding justice as her coffin was returned home on Saturday. The family of Joanna Demafelis openly wept as the white casket was unloaded at an airport cargo terminal in the central city of Iloilo. “Justice for Joanna D. Demafelis,” was emblazoned on banners and on T-shirts worn by the crowd […]
(Eagle News) – The Department of Labor and Employment has qualified the government’s total ban on overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait, saying this only referred to “all types of workers being deployed for the first time for overseas employment in Kuwait.” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III clarified the “general coverage” of department issued Administrative Order No. 54 regarding the total ban on the deployment of OFWs in Kuwait. “The deployment ban covers all types of […]
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday threatened to ban Filipinas from working in the Middle East as he said Overseas Filipino Workers were being raped in Kuwait. Over two million Filipinos, many of them maids, are employed in the region, helping to prop up the Philippine economy with billions of dollars in salary remittances to their families each year. Last week, Duterte barred Filipinos from seeking work in Kuwait over reports of widespread abuse, exploitation and […]
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodia sent its first batch of maids to work in Hong Kong on Wednesday, December 27, as the Asian financial hub scrambles to meet growing demand for domestic helpers after a series of abuse scandals. Hong Kong is home to more than 300,000 foreign maids, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. But high-profile cases of abuse and forced labor have seized global headlines in recent years and threatened to […]
by David Harding Agence France Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar has set a temporary minimum wage for migrant workers worth around $200 a month, its labor minister said Thursday, a benchmark reform following widespread criticism of Doha’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup. Issa al-Nuaimi told AFP that the “temporary minimum wage of 750 riyals ($195, 166 euro) per month will immediately come into effect,” while officials work on setting a permanent rate. In […]
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Several thousand Brazilians demonstrated on Friday as part of a day of national mobilization against government austerity measures, including a labor law that will soon come into effect. Demonstrators were also protesting against a highly-unpopular pension reform project and the wave of privatization recently announced by President Michel Temer’s government. “We must prevent the destruction of our country, the loss of social gains and the threats against democracy,” said Telma de Barros, […]
(Eagle News) — The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing adult joblessness at 22.9% in March 2017, which is 2.2% below the 25.1% last December 2016, is an affirmation of the significant strides of the Duterte administration in sustaining the country’s robust economic growth and making it inclusive. The government increased investments in infrastructure will usher in the Golden Age of Infrastructure through our Build-Build-Build campaign which is expected to employ millions […]
