Rody vows assistance for displaced OFWs from Saudi

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte promised to provide assistance to 129 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia and have not received salaries from their employers as he welcomed them at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 yesterday morning.

“Give me time to fix the economy and you will have the opportunity to work here,” he  said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the government has sent lawyers to Saudi Arabia to help the OFWs get their back pay, separation pay and other benefits.

Duterte encouraged the migrant workers to start their own business in case they decide not to go to another country to work.

He has provided funds for the development of small and medium enterprises, he added.

Duterte also provided P5,000 to each migrant worker to help their families cope with daily expenses.

“If you are really facing difficulties, let me know. I can enroll you in the 4Ps,” he said.

He was referring to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a cash transfer program that benefits families who send their children to school and who avail of state health services.

Duterte also promised to shoulder the education costs of the children of affected workers.

“I will also establish an OFW bank where you can borrow capital,” he said.

OFWs to be repatriated

At least 2,000 stranded OFWs are expected to return home within three weeks.

Bello said the government is working to repatriate about 2,000 laid off OFWs from Saudi Arabia.

“I have appealed to our workers to avail of the government’s repatriation program and our goal is to bring home 2,000 from Aug. 20 to first week of September,” he said.

Bello headed a 40-man special mission to Saudi Arabia to convince all retrenched OFWs   to return home.

Bello some OFWs are hesitant to come home because they want to ensure that they will be paid their back wages and other monetary claims.

They just asked the OFWs to execute a special power of attorney authorizing the Philippine representatives to follow up their unpaid claims, he added.

Bello said only those who managed to secure another job will be allowed to extend their stay in Saudi Arabia.

Those  availing themselves of  the voluntary repatriation program will receive a package of comprehensive reintegration assistance and services from DOLE, he added.

OFWs are urged to wait a few more weeks to receive their financial grant from the government, he said.

Bello said the government is having administrative difficulty sending the huge sum of money to the welfare officers.

“Our welfare officers fear they would be asked to explain why they are receiving huge amount so we are looking to send it through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),” he said.

DOLE and DFA will soon sign an agreement for the sending of the funds for the financial grant, Bello said.

DSWD team to help OFWs

A Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) humanitarian team in Saudi Arabia will help bring home stranded OFWs.

Team leader Perlita Panganiban said inter-agency coordination and cooperation was crucial to address the myriad issues and concerns, particularly on legal matters and documentation.

“We want to provide  synchronized assistance to stranded OFWs,” she said.

The documentation efforts must be continued to monitor the status and whereabouts of OFWs using the data encoding system for factual statistics, she added.

Panganiban said interagencies must conduct regular feedback systems and harmonization of data in Jeddah and Al Khobar/Dammam.

“We also need to continue the provision of assistance to distressed OFWs from other companies with similar concerns, but their cases should be turned over to Philippine embassy/POLO for appropriate action after the humanitarian mission,” she said.

The DSWD team led by Panganiban includes Undersecretary for Operations and Programs Group Vilma Cabrera and Assistant Secretary Hope Hervilla.

Meanwhile, 127 stranded OFWs from Mohammad Al Mojil Group in Al Khobar were repatriated yesterday.

The DSWD provided them with food allowance amounting to  12,700 Saudi riyals.

The team reported that an inter-agency team in Riyadh continues to demonstrate teamwork in the provision of  assistance to live-out OFWs from Saudi Oger and Saudi Bin Laden Company. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Rainier Allan Ronda, Janvic Mateo, Delon Porcalla, Edu Punay