Philippine lawmakers want ban on sending maids to Middle East

A fact-finding committee of the Philippine House of Representatives has recommended a total ban on sending Filipino maids or domestic helpers to the Middle East due to reported sexual and physical abuse by their employers.

A Philippine congressional committee formed by the country's House of Representatives wants a total ban on sending Filipino maids or domestic helpers to the Middle East. The call was made by members of the fact-finding mission after they found out that many of the Filipino maids working in different places in the Middle East were being treated as slaves and were sexually and physically abused. Rep. Carlos Padilla, a member of the fact-finding committee said 'Many of these affected workers are victims of illegal recruiters, who are now facing various charges. Others are runaway domestic helpers who are sexually or physically abused by their employers,” he told Khaleej Times. The fact- finding committee visited UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia where hundreds of Filipino maids staying in shelters and waiting for repatriation. Early this year cbsnews.com reports Jordan, like other Middle East countries, offers little legal protection for foreign workers, forcing governments like that of the Philippines to operate shelters. Many of the victims are women who accuse their employers of beating them, refusing to pay wages and forcing them to convert to Islam. While abuse of maids from poor countries by employers in richer ones is not limited to the Middle East, Philippine officials say it's particularly widespread in the region, including in wealthy states like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the report added. Responding to the call for assistance and protection for the welfare of Filipino maids and domestic workers in the Middle East, the Philippine government had imposed a ban on sending workers particularly to Jordan unless the government enacts a law to protect them. The Philippine government likewise demanded a minimum wage of $400.00 per month and a maximum number of working hours with day off in a week. The setting up of minimum wage of $400.00 for Filipino domestic helpers has resulted in the sharp decline of demand for Filipino maids and domestic helpers . Some countries in the Middle East have recently switched to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries that offers lower wages.