Rody appoints classmate presidential adviser on OFWs

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte has appointed his Muslim classmate at San Beda College of Law as presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

His first order to newly appointed OFW adviser Abdullah Mamao is to repatriate the thousands of Filipino migrant workers stranded in Saudi Arabia.

Thousands of OFWs are at risk of losing their jobs because of the financial crisis in Saudi Arabia.

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte issued the directive during a Cabinet meeting last Monday in Malacañang.

“The President wants to repatriate the stranded workers. He said they should be given assistance immediately,” Panelo told reporters in an interview last Tuesday.

“He wants them to be repatriated via a chartered flight,” he added.

Panelo said Duterte is worried about the plight of stranded Filipinos who may go hungry if they remain in Saudi Arabia. He is confident that the affected workers will be able to find work upon their return to the Philippines.

“They are skilled workers. I’m sure they will find jobs here,” Panelo said.

Thousands of Filipinos face an uncertain future in Saudi Arabia as the Middle Eastern country faces a huge budget shortfall and falling oil prices.

There are about one million Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.

Some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, said Garry Martinez, chairman of the Migrante group which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide.

Migrante coordinator Gilbert Saludo – who returned from Saudi Arabia last month after two years working there – said as many as 20,000 Filipinos could be affected.

Saludo said that while Manila had extended financial aid to them so far, it was not clear how long this could last.

The labor problem appeared likely to worsen, he added.

“It will get much worse because so much of the income of Saudi Arabia comes from oil... so their budget for infrastructure and other projects will not be met and more people will be affected,” Saludo told AFP.

The Department of Labor and Employment said Secretary Silvestre Bello visited Saudi Arabia last month to address the problem but would not elaborate.

Migrante officials also said Filipinos could not leave because they lacked proper permits or were still awaiting months of back pay.