Protection for Philippine maids

The Philippines and Saudi Arabia signed a new bilateral agreement to protect the rights and welfare of thousands of Filipino domestic helpers in that Middle East kingdom. Vice President Jejomar Binay said the new Standard Employment Contract (SEC) raised from $200 to $400 the minimum salary of domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia. The agreement also covers other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), he added. The presidential adviser on OFWs concerns said one of the most important provisions of the new SEC is the observance of “mutual respect and dignity” of workers. “It contains stronger guarantees for the welfare and protection of households service workers working in Saudi Arabia, in addition to the strengthened policies and measures which the Department of Labor and Employment and its agencies, namely the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have set in place,” he said.-(Philstar)