Migrant Workers USec. Hans Cacdac | The Source - video Dailymotion

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The Philippines welcomes the 'high-risk' designation of a section of the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait after a series of attacks endangering Filipino seafarers' lives.  Also, with the new year just around the corner, what kind of opportunities are opening for Filipinos eyeing to work abroad?  Pinky Webb speaks with Migrant Workers Undersecretary and officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac.   Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/  Follow our social media pages:  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

Transcript

00:00 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines. I'm Pinky Webb. The Philippines welcomes the

00:07 International Bargaining Forum's move to classify the Red Seas Southern Section as high-risk

00:13 areas. The Migrant Workers Department says the designation, which took effect December

00:19 22, will provide protection for Filipino seafarers, especially after a series of militant attacks.

00:25 In late November, Yemen's Houthi rebels hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea. Among the hostages,

00:31 17 Filipinos who are now safe. A tanker with two Filipinos on board was also hijacked last

00:37 month. Fifteen more Filipinos were endangered after the rebel group launched a drone attack

00:42 on another container ship this month. Let's go straight to our source today, Migrant Workers

00:47 Undersecretary Hans Kakdak. Sir Hans, so good to see you again. Merry Christmas. Advance

00:52 Happy New Year to you. Yes, Merry Christmas. Advance Happy New Year. Good to see you.

00:58 Sir, let's start with that. What exactly does it mean when that Southern Section of the Red Sea

01:06 has been designated as high-risk? Number one, what does it mean? And how does that actually

01:11 affect the seafarers? Yes, the International Bargaining Forum, this is a venue where

01:21 international seafarers groups such as the ITF and international employers groups such as the

01:26 INEG, International Maritime Employers Council, meet to discuss and agree on measures to protect

01:33 seafarers. So among others, they designate high-risk areas all over the world that could potentially

01:39 affect the well-being, the navigation of ships carrying seafarers, particularly Filipino

01:47 seafarers. So when the Galaxy Leader attack happened on November 19 and the succeeding

01:55 attack on the Central Park which affected Filipino seafarers happened, we already registered our call

02:05 to the social partners, seafarers and employers groups, to expand the high-risk zone with respect

02:10 to the Red Sea. Because we only have that high-risk zone off the coast of Yemen, but now

02:16 we welcome this development where the International Bargaining Forum, the social partners,

02:21 have designated the southern section of the Red Sea, including the Bab-Almandeb Strait,

02:27 that's the narrow body of the river between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where ships must

02:35 pass through and where some of the drone attacks have transpired. So we welcome this and essentially

02:41 this means, number one, that our seafarers have a right to refuse sailing if they know or are

02:49 informed that the ship that they will be on board will go through these high-risk areas, particularly

02:57 the Red Sea, southern section and the Bab-Almandeb Strait. Second, if a seafarer does agree

03:03 to come on board ship, then there will be bonuses in terms of their wages as well as

03:10 double compensation in the event of disability or death. And then finally, security arrangements

03:17 have to be enhanced once an area has been designated as a high-risk zone. In other words,

03:22 it kind of gives you already a warning that this is a high-risk area and there are benefits

03:30 in the event that you still accept to take these routes or this route that may possibly

03:39 endanger your life. Yes, that's right. It's added protection and of course we know already,

03:47 we're thankful to the efforts of the maritime security forces already patrolling the Red Sea

03:53 area, Gulf of Aden. So we're already very thankful because in the Central Park incident, for instance,

04:00 the attack was averted and spared the lives of the crew as well as the ship. So we are

04:09 we are aware of these measures but of course there's nothing better than protecting of the

04:16 measures directly protecting the seafarers themselves such as the declaration of a high-risk

04:21 zone in the Red Sea area. And while we're talking about this, Usec, any update on the 17 Filipinos

04:26 that were taken hostage by the Huti rebels? Well, we know that the families, the president has

04:35 instructed the DMW to handhold and continually assure and support the families of the 17 seafarers.

04:42 So we've been meeting them periodically. In fact, there will be another meeting this afternoon

04:46 with them. So we know that the 17 seafarers have contacted, been allowed to contact their families

04:53 and have said that they are safe on board ship. But having said that, we also know that the DFA

05:01 is working on the safe return, release and return of the 17 seafarers. The ship is still reportedly

05:10 off the coast of Yemen. And we know that certain foreign governments have been engaged to

05:16 negotiate or to work on the safe release and return of the 17 seafarers. So we will leave

05:25 the details and the effort and the process to the DFA along these lines. So definitely it is the DFA

05:33 that is handling this particular situation. But Usec, any information if all of them are in good

05:40 condition? Yes, yes, we do have this information because the 17 seafarers have been accounted for

05:50 on board ship and have contacted their families directly. And we have received direct information

05:57 from the families themselves that they had spoken to their loved ones on board the ship.

06:02 And we're hoping, of course, that their safe release and return will come soon.

06:07 Yeah, actually, I wanted to find out from you, but knowing that it is really the DFA spearheading

06:14 this, the question really is, what is the possibility of them being released before

06:19 the new year? We will leave that matter, the process currently undertaken with respect to

06:29 their safe release and return to the DFA. So I'm sure that the efforts are currently underway.

06:35 Usec, I just need to take a break. We'll be right back.

06:47 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines. I'm Pinky Webb, our source today, migrant workers

06:52 under Secretary Hans Kakdak. Usec, any update or any development on the release of the unpaid

06:59 wages of Filipinos who worked in Saudi Arabia? Well, right now we're still working with the

07:07 Saudi authorities, the Saudi government. I'm stated to visit Saudi Arabia, hopefully in January,

07:15 to open discussions, reopen discussions again with the Saudi side. We know that there are currently

07:22 efforts to already contact the beneficiaries. And we're still keeping things as modest as we could

07:36 until we are clearly sure, until we are sure that the funds indeed are forthcoming.

07:45 So I leave it at that at this stage, Ms. Pinky, because we'll definitely be working on this.

07:51 The directive of the president is to persistently pursue the matter on the release of the funds,

07:58 because definitely the Saudi side had already spoken and said that the funds are indeed

08:05 already there. And it takes the mechanics of distribution to set the funds in motion.

08:12 And you will go to Saudi Arabia next month to further accelerate this, possibly?

08:19 Yes, yes, that's the goal. And hopefully, that there will be progress in the discussion so that

08:31 there will be more concrete developments in the first part of next year.

08:36 And maybe as a last question, Yusek, for those wanting to work abroad,

08:40 would you be able to tell us which countries are looking at hiring Filipino workers,

08:47 more so in high demand of Filipino workers abroad?

08:55 Yes, let's start with Saudi. Our late Secretary Tuts Obe, Sec Tuts herself,

09:03 had initiated the talks with the Saudi side already with respect to the possibility of a

09:10 special hiring program with the Saudi government to coincide with the Saudi vision 2030,

09:16 their vision of a thriving economy. And indeed, the Saudis are bullish, I should say,

09:24 about economic development, infrastructure projects, Saudi, their main cities as tourism hubs,

09:30 and of course, the development of the hospitality sector there, as well as healthcare in coordination

09:39 with our DOH here, we'll make sure of that. So we're looking at Saudi first and foremost.

09:44 And then of course, there's also the matter on Europe. We've been engaged in talks even during

09:53 Sec Tuts' time with Hungary. Around 6,000 were deployed to Hungary over the last year

09:59 by the program started by Secretary Tuts. And as mentioned in previous news reports,

10:07 there is also Japan. Secretary Ueno had just opened the Japan desk, together with Ambassador

10:16 Milena Garcia and the Japanese authorities to facilitate the deployment of workers to decent

10:22 jobs, decent skilled jobs in Japan. And then of course, there are other markets who have been very

10:31 supportive and open in discussions with us, such as the UAE. And South Korea, as also mentioned,

10:38 we're pleased to have a pilot program for the deployment of caregivers to South Korea.

10:42 All right. Migrant Workers Officer in Charge and Undersecretary Hans Kapdaksir,

10:48 thank you so much for your time as always. And I'll speak to you again. Happy New Year.

10:52 Yes. Thank you, Ms. Pinky. Take care. God bless.

10:56 You too. And thank you for joining us here on The Source. I'm Pinky Webb. You're watching CNN

11:00 Philippines.

Migrant Workers USec. Hans Cacdac | The Source

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