The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to ethical and regulated labor mobility during a high-level engagement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Saudi Arabia labor ministers on the sidelines of the Third Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC) held on Jan. 26-27 at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

In a social media post Thursday, the DMW said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac met with the ILO, together with the labor ministers from the KSA, Armenia, Bhutan, Djibouti, Egypt, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland, and Sri Lanka.

During the meeting, Cacdac assured that Manila would continuously work closely with Gulf countries and international partners to strengthen worker protection, promote transparent and ethical recruitment systems, and advance skills-based deployment that benefits both migrant workers and host countries.

“The Gulf region plays a crucial role in global labor mobility, and Saudi Arabia remains one of the main destinations for Filipino workers,” Cacdac said.

“By working closely with host countries and the ILO, we can promote fair recruitment systems that protect workers while meeting labor market needs,” he added.

Cacdac emphasized that the DMW is especially focused on upskilling Filipino domestic workers, noting their increasing recognition not just as household staff but also in caregiving roles such as childcare, elderly care, and long-term disability care.

While in Riyadh, Cacdac also attended the 10th anniversary celebration of MUSANED, Saudi Arabia’s unified platform for domestic worker recruitment, recognizing its contribution to improving systematic and regulated recruitment practices in Saudi Arabia. (PNA)