AMMAN - A delegation representing the ministries of labour and interior and the Domestic Helpers Agencies Association (DHAA) have failed to convince the Philippine government to completely lift the deployment ban on Filipino domestic helpers, a DHAA official said on Saturday.
The delegation, which arrived yesterday from a week-long visit to the Philippines, said no progress was made on the months-long dispute.
"Talks between Jordanian and Philippine officials reached a dead end and the ban on sending domestic helpers to Jordan is still being imposed by the Philippine government," DHAA President Ahmad Habahbeh told The Jordan Times yesterday.
He added that both sides agreed to continue talks on the deployment of Filipino workers to Jordan through diplomatic channels.
"The association, as well as the Labour Ministry, will continue their efforts to find a solution to this issue through the embassy of the Philippines in the Kingdom," Habahbeh said, adding that the DHAA will call for a press conference in the next few days to explain recent developments.
The delegation headed to Manila last Saturday to discuss the issue of Filipino domestic helpers with local officials, Labour Ministry Recruitment Director Amjad Weshah said in a previous statement to The Jordan Times.
The visit, which was taken on an initiative by the DHAA and the Philippine embassy in Amman, sought to facilitate the recruitment of Filipino workers and discuss pending issues, such as the conditions related to hiring domestic helpers by Filipino agencies.
Earlier in January, the Philippine government placed a ban on sending Filipino workers to Jordan in light of the rising number of reports of abuse, including nonpayment of wages and mistreatment by employers.
Early last year, around 260 Filipino domestic helpers sought refuge at their embassy in Amman over allegations of abuse by employers. They refused to go back to work and asked to be sent back to their country.
Several meetings between Labour Ministry officials, DHAA representatives and the Philippine embassy resulted in more than half of the domestic helpers being sent home.
Jordan hosts 11,000-12,000 Filipino domestic helpers, according to Weshah. Labour Ministry records show that around 70,000 domestic helpers work in the Kingdom including 20,000 Indonesians and 35,000 Sri Lankans.
If negotiations with the Philippine government reach an impasse, the Labour Ministry will begin recruiting other nationalities, according to Weshah.
The DHAA has previously submitted a proposal to hire domestic helpers from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Nepal.
By Hani Hazaimeh
© Jordan Times 2008
