Departure of 2 distressed OFWs from KSA delayed

Two distressed overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia are experiencing problems with their repatriation, an Arab news site reported Wednesday.

Arab News said the two housemaids — only identified as Leonora and Sofia — were scheduled to leave Riyadh on Tuesday night but had a problem with their plane ticket.

The housemaids had earlier escaped from their respective employers in Riyadh. They went to Majma, around 250 km north of Riyadh, where they stayed with five other Filipino housemaids.

Leonor and Sofia were later caught by authorities and were detained at a prison for women in Riyadh.

John Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the Philippine government is sorting out the housemaids’ problems so they could eventually be with their families back home.

“Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told me that he went to King Khaled International Airport to assist them. He was able to talk to Leonora who told him that there was a problem regarding their tickets," Monterona said.

Leonora, of Baguio City in Benguet province, went to Saudi to work as a caregiver but ended up as housemaid. She is separated from her husband and has children who are under her mother’s care.

Sofia, on the other hand, is from Kalinga province. — JE, GMA News

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