JEDDAH — The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jeddah announced that Secretary of the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz will visit Saudi Arabia this month. Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) spokesperson Ronald S. Reyes said the labor chief would attend the signing of an agreement regarding domestic worker recruitment with the Saudi Ministry of Labor. Baldoz will be accompanied by various officials. Reyes said the signing on May 19 between Dimapilis-Baldoz and Labor Minister Adel Fakieh would seal an agreement finalized and signed on March 16 between the Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Danilo P. Cruz and the Ministry of Labor's Deputy Minister for International Affairs Dr. Ahmed F. Alfehaid. The highlights of the agreement include articles where both countries work toward a mutually acceptable recruitment and deployment policy for Filipino domestic workers in the Kingdom. Aside from the historic signing, Reyes said the delegation would also meet Filipino communities in Jeddah and visit hospitals that employ large numbers of Filipinos. Baldoz will also visit undocumented Filipinos camping beside and inside the consulate during her visit.
