By NG Seruela
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday (Sep. 22) reiterated the Philippines’ stand against the kafala system in the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
According to President Duterte, many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) work under “inhumane circumstances.” He called again for the abolition of the structures such as the kafala system that exploit workers.
“Millions of Filipinos work abroad under the most difficult and inhumane of circumstances. We call for the abolition of all structures that allow the exploitation and oppression of migrant workers,” he said.
He explained that the kafala system is “one such behemoth that chains the weak, the desperate, and the voiceless to an existence of unimaginable suffering.” He emphasized that nothing can justify the “continued existence” of the “unjust” system.
“While reforms have been made, the kafala system must be dismantled – sooner rather than later – in the name of justice and basic decency,” he pushed.
The kafala or the sponsorship system in the Gulf nations, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and United Arab Emirates (UAE), enables employers, who are usually the sponsors, to monitor and control the movement of their migrant employees.
This is one of the systems the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also wishes to change because it is open to abuse. According to the department, the Philippines has been advocating against the kafala system in the United Nations and in other international fora.
In his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, President Duterte also asserted the abolishment of the inhumane labor conditions experienced by the migrant workers in the Middle East.
“We called on the world to dismantle the heinous kafala system because the Filipino is no slave to anyone anywhere,” he said.
READ MORE: PRRD asserts for abolishment of Kafala system in his last SONA
In relation to this, he said at the UNGA that while efforts are being made to provide Filipinos with the “stable, comfortable, and secure life founded on freedom, justice, and equality” that they aspire for, there are still challenges to be faced.
“We have made significant strides to this end, after more than a century of nation-building. Today, the Philippines is a middle-income economy and a thriving democracy. But difficult challenges remain – this we do not deny,” the President said. – jlo
