Labor Attache Rustico Dela Fuente speaks to Philippine Embassy officials and attached services employees on the PHL-KSA Domestic Workers Agreement. — Courtesy photo Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — In the run-up to Labor Day on May 1, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh held a series of refresher courses and seminars for all embassy staff and employees of attached service providing agencies on various laws and regulations affecting Filipino workers in the Kingdom. Ambassador Ezzedin Tago said, “The seminars are part of our efforts to ensure our embassy personnel are fully equipped to help our nationals within the framework of local laws. We must constantly and regularly update our personnel on changes in laws and regulations that affect our nationals, especially on the international level, and within the Kingdom and the Philippines. We are doing this ?rst at the level of our personnel before our officials embark on some outreach missions to update our nationals on laws that affect them.” The lectures and seminars were conducted by Labor Attache Rustico Dela Fuente and spanned over three days. They focused on the Saudi Labor Law and its recent amendments, changes in the residency regulations and penalties for violations, the PHL-KSA agreement on domestic workers and the royal decree approving the regulations on domestic workers, which codified a framework for the protection of domestic workers. Dela Fuente reminded the personnel about the recently launched website (www.musaned.gov.sa) by the Saudi Ministry of Labor that focuses on domestic workers, which has a comprehensive brochure in various languages including Tagalog. The embassy had earlier circulated the brochures and has posted copies around the embassy premises. Dela Fuente explained that, with the approval of Saudi regulations on domestic workers, household workers in all categories, including female HSWs, drivers, gardeners and others working in private homes, are now entitled to ?le their complaints through grievances committees with the Saudi Ministry of Labor. The embassy will soon conduct similar courses for community members and will strengthen its online presence with such advisories and regulations.
