MANILA, Philippines — Migrante Philippines is hoping the country can ensure that cash aid is distributed properly and secure the freedom of Mary Jane Veloso, who has been behind bars in Indonesia for over a decade now.
Ahead of this year’s Labor Day – the first under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. – the coalition of migrant workers’ groups and their families are hoping that the government can be more “proactive and transparent” in working on processes for overseas Filipino workers, such as the ongoing work to get the unpaid wages of 10,000 Filipinos employed by construction firms in Saudi Arabia.
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“Saudi OFWs are worried because while they submitted requirements by e-mail so that they will be part of the list, they do not have assurance that they will be among those given backwages from the Saudi government,” Arman Hernando, chairperson of Migrante Philippines told Philstar.com on Thursday.
Thousands of construction workers in Saudi Arabia lost their jobs in 2016 after the firms declared bankruptcy. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year told Marcos Jr. at the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Bangkok last year that they will be distributing compensation to the affected workers.
READ: Government allots P50 million for Saudi claimants
Saudi claimants
Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople in a statement on April 14 said they now “at the final stages of closing this most trying issue that has dragged on for years.” The Saudi government and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh already asked for a list of claimants that will be cross-checked by officials.
DMW ADVISORY
— Department of Migrant Workers - Philippines (@DMWPHL) April 15, 2023
Para sa mga displaced OFWs na mayroong unpaid claims and wages mula sa mga construction companies sa KSA na nagdeklara ng bankruptcy mula 2015-2019, maaari po kayong mag-email sa DMW sa saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph para sa mabilis na assistance. pic.twitter.com/DaRLWQ83d3
Ople will be heading to Saudi Arabia next month, May 24, to hold a bilateral meeting with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development on workers' concerns. The DMW said the unpaid claims will also be discussed.
“We want the assurance that all OFWs who have claims will be given the benefits due to them,” Hernando said.
10k financial aid
Meanwhile, Migrante is also hoping the government can already resolve and distribute the P10,000 cash aid due to overseas FIlipino workers who went home because of the pandemic.
OFWs on Thursday went to the Department of Migrant Workers to submit their petition asking for a quick release of the monetary assistance, saying some still have trouble finding jobs or are even looking to go overseas for work again.
Ellen Rosete, Migrante Caloocan Chairperson, told Philstar.com that OFWs have a hard time complying with the requirements set by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, an attached agency of the DMW.
READ: OFWs who came home due to pandemic call for release of DMW financial aid
Veloso’s freedom
The coalition once again called for the freedom of Mary Jane Veloso, an OFW who was caught smuggling heroin sewn into the lining of her luggage in 2010.
Veloso narrowly escaped the death row in 2015 but she has been behind bars since. The Philippines last sought for executive clemency on her behalf in September last year, during Marcos Jr.’s first state visit.
“We want Secretary Ople and the government of the Philippines through President Marcos to address the case of Mary Jane Veloso, who is still in death row until now despite her recruiters proven to be involved in illegal recruitment activities,” Hernando said.
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While it is the DMW that handles all OFW deployments in the country, Ople said early on that they will defer Veloso’s case to the Department of Foreign Affairs since they were the ones that handled her case from the very beginning.