DFA exec: Pandemic, abuse, wage theft among common problems OFWs faced in last 4 years

By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News Published May 20, 2022 10:30am An official of the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the pandemic, abuse, and wage theft are the common problems that overseas Filipino workers encountered in the last four years. At a press conference, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest challenge for OFWs, who became jobless and were stranded. “That was the biggest challenge talaga during the pandemic,” Arriola said. Arriola said OFWs cannot go home due to the closure of borders. Although the government can provide chartered flights, she said OFWs were still stranded due to the mandatory14-day quarantine before travel. She said the kafala system aggravated the situation of OFWs because they cannot return to the Philippines without an exit visa. Under "kafala," all foreign workers require a local sponsor—an individual or company—and they also need the permission of this employer to switch jobs or leave the country. “Aside from that, the usual, there are some abuses. There are wage theft. Meron din tayong cases na namamatayan tayo ng migrant worker (We also have cases that migrant workers died),” Arriola said. According to Arriola, there are already government channels in concerned countries that OFWs can reach out to in case they encounter such issues. Philippines representatives just attended the International Migration Review Forum 2022, which is done every four years, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on May 19, Thursday (New York time). — RSJ, GMA News

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