category that is most in demand is domestic work. In fact, domestic work registered the highest utilization rate for job orders abroad at 65%14. Hence, young women workers under 23 years old have lower chances of securing a job abroad. Also, it has been observed that abuses against migrant domestic workers take place across all ages. Based on the data on welfare cases gathered by OWWA between January and June 2011, a total of 219 cases were recorded on OFWs within the 15-24 age group. 15 Similarly, for OFWs aged 25 years old, a total of 126 cases were recorded than those of the younger ages (24 = 66, 23 = 63, 15-22 =90) respectively. 16 Domestic workers are also prone to abuse even in the local setting. The abuse experienced by women migrant domestic workers is rooted in the nature of the job itself regardless of age17, something the policy seemingly failed to sufficiently acknowledge. Item 14. Bilateral labour agreement with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia’s bilateral agreement with the Philippines, concluded in 2013, was celebrated for its progressive provisions for domestic workers.18 As the leading employer of Philippine migrant workers, and one of the largest employers of domestic workers worldwide (estimated at 1.5 million), Saudi Arabia hired 402,800 migrants from the Philippines, or 28% of all landbased workers from the country. Current reports, however, indicate that deeper structural reforms are needed for the agreement to provide substantive protections. The Philippine government must intensify its efforts to advocate the relaxation of the kafala system, a system which has been linked to human rights violations in the Kingdom. The Philippine embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah, reported that at the end of December 2014, 246 and 124 run away domestic workers were sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Riyadh and OWWA Center at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah respectively19. Six months later, the number of distressed migrant domestic workers staying in the shelters increased to a high of 1,014 in Riyadh and 446 in Jeddah20. The same trends may be gleaned from CMA's own case in-take. CMA Cases of Women Migrants in Middle East 2013 2014 Cases 29 39 Countries KSA – 8 KSA – 22 of Qatar – 7 UAE – 6 14 15 16 17 18 2015 61 KSA – 35 Kuwait – 8 2016 (Jan-May) 28 KSA – 17 Kuwait – 3 POEA. October 2012. Repatriation and Assistance Division OWWA, 2011 Repatriation and Assistance Division OWWA, 2011 Ibid. Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), “A first between Saudi Arabia and a country of origin, in 2013, historic agreement between PH and KSA sealed stronger protection for the Filipino HSW,” http://www.dole.gov.ph/ro_polo_updates/view/631. 19 Department of Foreign Affairs. Semi-Annual Report to Congress. July-December 2014. 20 Department of Foreign Affairs. Semi-Annual Report to Congress. January-June 2015.