The recruitment of domestic helpers from the Philippines was resumed last Sunday, as six local firms completed the recruitment requirements officials in Manila had requested. The Saudi Embassy in Manila accredited 65 local offices in the Kingdom.
Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ezzedin Tago, said that 600 applications are being processed daily.
This development comes in the wake of a number of accusations and complaints by investors and businesses in the recruitment sector that the Manila Embassy is stalling the visa applications of more than 100 thousand domestic helpers.
Talking to Al–Eqtisadiah newspaper, Tago said, the recruitment application requirements include a number of documents: An application form, a valid English copy of the license of practice, a copy of the commercial registry from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with an accredited English translation, a copy of the landlord’s identification card, or the identification card of the person authorized by the recruitment office in Saudi Arabia, a copy of the recruitment license of the Philippines office, a copy of the agreement between the two offices, an application for Saudi Manpower and lastly a sketch, or the Google map coordinates of the Saudi office site.
He furthermore added that there were no delays, but the process of verifying the data submitted in the recruitment application, as per the agreement between Riyadh and Manila, takes time.
The Philippines Embassy announced earlier that the labor attaché offices in Riyadh and Jeddah would receive applications to specify the number of local offices that intend to work in the sector, on behalf of Saudi sponsors.
The embassy officials reassured that they were working hard to finalize stalled applications and justified the delays due to missing data that was omitted by the Saudi offices. The officials however emphasized that once they check the compliance of the requirements mentioned, they would send them immediately to the union offices in Manila.
Investors said Saudi Arabia hastily issued visas, even though the Philippines Embassy refrained from attesting the contracts of domestic helpers, until after they met the new requirements.
Abudallah Al-Harbi, a mediator, requested the Ministry of Labor to safeguard the rights of Saudi recruitment businesses, as the deadlock inflicted grave losses on the recruitment sector.
Recruitment of Philippine domestic helpers resumes
