Saudi allows 160 runaway OFWs to leave
RIYADH – The Saudi government has allowed about 160 undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are victims of illegal recruiters to go home, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said yesterday.
Bello said he raised the plight of undocumented migrant workers during his meeting with Saudi Arabia labor minister Ali bin Nasser Afis last Tuesday.
“I mentioned to the minister of labor that there are about more or less 160 runaways and requested the minister to consider allowing all these OFWs presently in shelters to come back to the Philippines upon the return of President Duterte,” Bello told reporters here.
“To my surprise, he positively responded to our request,” he added.
Duterte is on a three-nation visit in the Middle East during Holy Week.
Bello said “runaway OFWs” are undocumented migrant workers who were victims of illegal recruiters and sold to other employers. Once they are sold, they lose any legal standing and they run away from their employers.
“This phenomenon has been here for a long time,” Bello said.
Bello recalled that last year, he ordered labor attachés to ensure that about 400 runaways would return to the Philippines by Christmas.
“We were able to do it but after they returned home, we have to attend to new runaways. This is a continuing problem,” he said.
Before leaving for his three-day state visit here, Duterte said he would bring home with him some stranded OFWs.
Asked if it is possible that the 160 workers would return to the Philippines with Duterte next week, Bello said: “There is a possibility. It will depend on how fast the ministry of labor can act on our request.”
Bello said government agencies may also shoulder temporarily the unpaid wages and benefits of Filipino workers who lost their jobs because of the economic downturn.
He said the amount of OFWs’ unpaid claims range from P1 million to P5 million.
“I sent an augmentation team one week ago. I told them to validate the claims and the unpaid wages end of services benefits. Once you verified that they can be collected, then we can advance the money to them,” Bello said.
“Another procedure is to allow them to borrow from the OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) fund and use the claims as collateral,” he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the first batch of Filipino workers who availed of the 90-day mass amnesty program of Saudi Arabia will arrive today.
A total of 67 Filipino workers who availed of the amnesty will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 at 10:05 a.m. via Philippine Airlines flight PR 0655.
The Saudi monarch offered the amnesty to foreigners who have overstayed or are illegally working in the kingdom. This will give them opportunity to exit without penalty or correct their work status.
The amnesty was offered to workers whose iqama expired on or before March 19; workers with work permit but no iqama ID card; runaway workers who reported leaving their employers; Umrah and Haj (pilgrimage) overstayers; pilgrims without Haj permit and so called “infiltrators” crossing Saudi borders.
Iqama is a small green booklet that allows a foreigner to live or work in Saudi Arabia.
Boost trade, security cooperation
President Duterte and Saudi Arabia King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud have agreed to boost cooperation on trade and security during their engagement in Riyadh yesterday that was described as “a meeting between friends.”
Duterte is on a three-country trip to the Middle East, the Philippines’ largest source of oil imports and the source of $7.6 billion worth of OFW remittances.
Duterte arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first time a Philippine president visited the country in eight years. The President left for Bahrain yesterday and will cap his Middle East trip with a visit to Qatar.
One of the highlights of Duterte’s three-day state visit is his meeting with King Salman in the monarch’s private residence.
“The President and King Salman met and had a productive discussion. They acknowledged that the President’s visit here will strengthen the Philippines’ relationship with Saudi Arabia. They discussed possible areas of cooperation on the economic, trade and security areas,” acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said in a press conference.
“It was more of a meeting between friends. On the whole, there was very good rapport,” he added.
Manalo said Salman informed Duterte of his policy to create employment opportunities and expressed hope that the Philippines would take advantage of this.
Duterte thanked the Saudi monarch for hosting the more than 600,000 Filipino workers and also thanked him for pardoning those who committed crimes.
Manalo said the two leaders also discussed terrorism, which they considered the “largest threat to the world today.”
He said Duterte and Salman vowed to support each other’s campaign against terrorism and violent extremism.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to support peace and stability in their respective regions,” Manalo said.
Duterte and Salman also discussed the campaign against illegal drugs and closer cooperation between their defense institutions.
“Officials from the defense department and their defense ministry will hold discussions on how we can exchange information and intelligence and conduct training of our officials,” Manalo said.
At the end of their meeting, Duterte and Salman witnessed the signing of three agreements on political consultations, diplomatic academies and labor.
The memorandum of agreement on political consultation seeks to establish a mechanism that would allow the Philippines and Saudi Arabia to coordinate closely on issues of common interest. – With Pia Lee-Brago
Source:Philippine Star
Bello said he raised the plight of undocumented migrant workers during his meeting with Saudi Arabia labor minister Ali bin Nasser Afis last Tuesday.
“I mentioned to the minister of labor that there are about more or less 160 runaways and requested the minister to consider allowing all these OFWs presently in shelters to come back to the Philippines upon the return of President Duterte,” Bello told reporters here.
“To my surprise, he positively responded to our request,” he added.
Duterte is on a three-nation visit in the Middle East during Holy Week.
Bello said “runaway OFWs” are undocumented migrant workers who were victims of illegal recruiters and sold to other employers. Once they are sold, they lose any legal standing and they run away from their employers.
“This phenomenon has been here for a long time,” Bello said.
Bello recalled that last year, he ordered labor attachés to ensure that about 400 runaways would return to the Philippines by Christmas.
“We were able to do it but after they returned home, we have to attend to new runaways. This is a continuing problem,” he said.
Before leaving for his three-day state visit here, Duterte said he would bring home with him some stranded OFWs.
Asked if it is possible that the 160 workers would return to the Philippines with Duterte next week, Bello said: “There is a possibility. It will depend on how fast the ministry of labor can act on our request.”
Bello said government agencies may also shoulder temporarily the unpaid wages and benefits of Filipino workers who lost their jobs because of the economic downturn.
He said the amount of OFWs’ unpaid claims range from P1 million to P5 million.
“I sent an augmentation team one week ago. I told them to validate the claims and the unpaid wages end of services benefits. Once you verified that they can be collected, then we can advance the money to them,” Bello said.
“Another procedure is to allow them to borrow from the OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) fund and use the claims as collateral,” he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the first batch of Filipino workers who availed of the 90-day mass amnesty program of Saudi Arabia will arrive today.
A total of 67 Filipino workers who availed of the amnesty will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 at 10:05 a.m. via Philippine Airlines flight PR 0655.
The Saudi monarch offered the amnesty to foreigners who have overstayed or are illegally working in the kingdom. This will give them opportunity to exit without penalty or correct their work status.
The amnesty was offered to workers whose iqama expired on or before March 19; workers with work permit but no iqama ID card; runaway workers who reported leaving their employers; Umrah and Haj (pilgrimage) overstayers; pilgrims without Haj permit and so called “infiltrators” crossing Saudi borders.
Iqama is a small green booklet that allows a foreigner to live or work in Saudi Arabia.
Boost trade, security cooperation
President Duterte and Saudi Arabia King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud have agreed to boost cooperation on trade and security during their engagement in Riyadh yesterday that was described as “a meeting between friends.”
Duterte is on a three-country trip to the Middle East, the Philippines’ largest source of oil imports and the source of $7.6 billion worth of OFW remittances.
Duterte arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first time a Philippine president visited the country in eight years. The President left for Bahrain yesterday and will cap his Middle East trip with a visit to Qatar.
One of the highlights of Duterte’s three-day state visit is his meeting with King Salman in the monarch’s private residence.
“The President and King Salman met and had a productive discussion. They acknowledged that the President’s visit here will strengthen the Philippines’ relationship with Saudi Arabia. They discussed possible areas of cooperation on the economic, trade and security areas,” acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said in a press conference.
“It was more of a meeting between friends. On the whole, there was very good rapport,” he added.
Manalo said Salman informed Duterte of his policy to create employment opportunities and expressed hope that the Philippines would take advantage of this.
Duterte thanked the Saudi monarch for hosting the more than 600,000 Filipino workers and also thanked him for pardoning those who committed crimes.
Manalo said the two leaders also discussed terrorism, which they considered the “largest threat to the world today.”
He said Duterte and Salman vowed to support each other’s campaign against terrorism and violent extremism.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to support peace and stability in their respective regions,” Manalo said.
Duterte and Salman also discussed the campaign against illegal drugs and closer cooperation between their defense institutions.
“Officials from the defense department and their defense ministry will hold discussions on how we can exchange information and intelligence and conduct training of our officials,” Manalo said.
At the end of their meeting, Duterte and Salman witnessed the signing of three agreements on political consultations, diplomatic academies and labor.
The memorandum of agreement on political consultation seeks to establish a mechanism that would allow the Philippines and Saudi Arabia to coordinate closely on issues of common interest. – With Pia Lee-Brago
Source:Philippine Star
