Philippine President and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Aim to Resolve Labor Issues Between Their Nations

RIYADH – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah have expressed a mutual desire to address ongoing labor issues between their countries. The commitment was made during a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

According to News Releases by Philippines News Agency, in a media interview held in Riyadh on Saturday (Manila time), President Marcos revealed that the Kuwaiti Crown Prince conveyed his dissatisfaction with the current state of Philippine-Kuwait relations. Contrary to expectations that the Philippines might need to issue an apology, the Crown Prince himself apologized and emphasized his own disagreement with Kuwait’s actions.

In detailing the meeting, President Marcos said the Crown Prince expressed that there was no need for an apology from the Philippine side, assuring that the issues would be resolved. Marcos noted that the Crown Prince initiated the meeting and referred to the historical support Kuwait received from the President’s father, saying, “He always supported us and we know that you will also always support us. That’s why we will fix this.”

President Marcos was optimistic about the progress, considering his trip to Saudi Arabia a success solely based on this discussion about resolving the disagreement between the Philippines and Kuwait. “Our trip is worth it just for that because we have fixed the problem on Kuwait,” Marcos said.

The labor issues have escalated in recent years due to Kuwait suspending the issuance of entry and work visas to Filipinos, citing non-compliance with a 2018 bilateral labor agreement by the Philippines. This led the Philippine government to temporarily ban the deployment of first-time household service workers to Kuwait after a series of unfortunate incidents, including the killing of Filipino citizen Jullebee Ranara, whose burnt body was discovered in the desert in January.

As of 2022, approximately 279,000 Filipinos reside in Kuwait. Remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Kuwait totaled USD 579,186 in 2022, slightly up from USD 576,059 in 2021.