OFWs in Saudi may get pay hike soon — DOLE

Filipino workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may soon get salary increases and other benefits, the labor department said yesterday.

Secretary Arturo Brion of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said labor officials assigned in the Kingdom are currently reviewing wage rates and other employment policies affecting Filipino workers there.

"Our labor attachés, welfare officers and other concerned personnel in Saudi Arabia met last week to discuss the wage rates of Filipino workers in different job categories," Brion said.

The officials also discussed the jurisdiction of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in case management, contract verification and processing.

According to Brion, there is a need to review and synchronize the operational systems and policies involving Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern country is the top destination of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), based on data of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), with close to 200,000 hired last year alone.

The Kingdom accounts for more than 70 percent of the aggregate deployment in the Middle East. Other countries in the region with high number of Filipino countries are United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar.

Income certificates for OFWs

Meanwhile, the country’s largest labor group urged the government yesterday to issue a certification that would allow OFWs to easily secure loans.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) secretary general and former senator Ernesto Herrera said OFWs are having difficulty getting funding for livelihood projects due to the absence of proof of personal income.

"Right now, many OFWs and their families find it difficult to obtain a credit facility here since they do not have a Philippine income tax return (ITR) or any other admissible document showing that they are earning," Herrera pointed out.

He also noted that lack of ITR also hinders OFWs from acquiring housing loans because they are unable to readily prove income or establish their capability to pay back loans.

To provide OFWs easy access to financial support, Herrera asked the POEA to find ways to produce a "verified personal income certificate" for OFWs.

"This should not be difficult since POEA is supposed to be in constant touch with licensed recruiters that, in turn, deal routinely with employers or principals abroad," he explained.

Congress may also mandate the POEA to produce the verified personal income certificate for OFWs, said the former lawmaker. — Mayen Jaymalin