The "Saudization" gambit: It's complicated

There is currently a lot of noise and murmurs, especially among the recruitment industry players, on the recently-announced policy shift by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to henceforth give priority to its own nationals. The recruiters are raising a lot of alarm on the possibility of a million or so of our OFWs losing their jobs in that Kingdom State. To our mind, there is much more than meets the eye in this gambit being poised by, with all due respect, some people who are supposed to represent such an honorable, friendly and noble nation as the KSA. If these guys did their homework well, they should have known better than expect us to fall for such a hackneyed bargaining chip.

Such a policy decision would have been perceived as a normal exercise of an inherent prerogative of any sovereign nation, if not for the fact that the announcement was made immediately after our government has rejected the demand of the Saudi government to lower the basic monthly salary of our domestic helpers from US $ 400 (which by itself has been more honored it its multiple violations) to a measly US $ 200, which if reduced, would not even have an assurance of being faithfully complied with. Because of the timing of such announcement and the manner by which it is being made, with more reasons that such a cheap gimmick does not deserve any iota of credibility.

By brandishing such a sword of Damocles, e.g. that our migrant workers in Saudi would lose their jobs there, these guys would like to push us into a position of being worried, disturbed, afraid and apprehensive, hoping perhaps that in such a state of panic and confusion, our government could be manipulated into agreeing to such an unconscionably onerous arrangement. We are however lucky to have a President who could not be arm twisted and a lady Labor Secretary who has enough competence and wisdom enough to remain firm in our official position not to be hoodwinked into an unfair term and condition. Therefore, I am sad that some of our recruiters would unwittingly support the position of KSA, rather than rally behind our national leaders on an issue of such strategic and far-reaching implications and consequences.

This is not just a matter of money or of jobs or of wages. This is a matter that precisely involves our national honor and dignity as a people. Yes, we are a poor country but we are not wanting of self-respect. Our women are beyond monetary consideration, their monthly services worth much more than US $400. That is too little compared to the social cost of the migration of women workers. That is too negligible if we consider how much they suffer in the hands of cruel employers, their exploitation and oppression, the violations of their human rights and all the forms of indignities they have to go through. If those who represent the Saudi government only did their homework, they would have known better than dangle before us such a hackneyed negotiating gambit.

These representatives should have asked their own people why they prefer the Filipinos over other nationals.  If all the hundreds of thousands of domestic helpers in Saudi would decide to leave their masters all at the same time, the KSA economy would surely be affected because our women are the ones taking care of their children, their aged and physically challenged family members. Our women are the ones tending the shops and restaurants, manning their hospitals and clinics, cooking their food, cleaning their homes and washing their clothes. Our men are constructing their buildings, highways and bridges, driving their cars and repairing their equipments, working in their factories and contributing immensely into their economic development.

And so, if, all of a sudden, they would send home these people, just because of the failure to get the low wages they want to pay, we may be constrained to call this gambit, and tell them to go and fly a kite. No, the Filipinos should be smarter than waht they think we are. of course, we don’t have the quantity of oil they have. But we have enough supply of common sense and self respect. If these people persist on their bargaining chip, let us just tell them to go and tell it to the marines. We were not born yesterday. We may not be as rich as them, but we are not stupid. We know better than what they are making of us.