Sen. Tulfo wants Kuwait OFW deployment ban after 2 deaths

Senator Raffy Tulfo has proposed a deployment ban of household workers to Kuwait following the recent deaths of two OFWs, Jenny Alvarado and Dafne Nacalaban.

He urged the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to recommend this ban to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Tulfo cited repeated cases of abuse and deaths among Filipino workers in the Gulf state, emphasizing that preventing deaths is the priority.

Alvarado, who had worked in Kuwait for almost 10 years, allegedly passed away from suffocation caused by a metal coal stove, an autopsy by the NBI confirmed.

Nacalaban, who had been in Kuwait for five years, was found dead in a decomposed state, with the prime suspect, a Kuwaiti national, admitting to the crime.

The DMW is currently studying the proposal for a ban, with Secretary Hans Cacdac stating that they are considering stricter requirements and other measures like whitelisting and blacklisting of recruiters, and electronic on-site monitoring.

The proposed ban would exempt domestic workers with existing contracts returning to Kuwait, and any ban would not affect OFWs already in Kuwait.