Desperate OFW electrocutes self in Saudi

ABS-CBNnews.com


JEDDAH – A Filipino electrician survived after electrocuting himself out of desperation in Saudi Arabia.
Edgar Magwate has given up hope of ever resolving his problems. He has been staying at the so-called Tent City for several months now after leaving his employer.
Magwate said he pawned his house and lot and loaned money just to be able to work in the kingdom as an electrician.
But his bid for a better future failed when his salary was delayed and he was not given an iqama. He also suffered culture shock in Saudi Arabia.
Magwate said he was not prepared for the job and the culture of his host country. He admitted that he left the Philippines without going through the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS).
"Galing kami sa Lanao, pagdating namin sa Maynila tapos ibinigay nila itong certificate na ito sa PDOS, tapos sabi nila, bukas na lang sa airport mag-PDOS. Tapos walang nangyari, hindi kami na-orient," Magwate said.

Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said that what Magwate experienced was likely to happen to OFWs whose agencies are in a rush to deploy them overseas.

"Maaring sa pagmamadali siguro, binigyan na lang siya ng certificate kahit hindi siya nag-attend ng seminar. Pwedeng mangyari iyon, pero bawal iyon. It's a violation ng rule ng POEA (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) at ng OWWA, na hindi dapat magbigay ng Certificate of Attendance na hindi naman naga-attend. Masama iyon at nanloloko iyon," Dimzon said.

Dimzon also appealed to OFWs to report to them agencies that are not providing their workers with the proper orientation before leaving the country.

"Huwag na nilang pabayaan na sila ay makaalis pa at magtagal doon. Mag-complain sila, kasi kailangan natin habulin ang agency. Kailangan maparusahan ang agency na hindi gumagawa ng hindi tama," she said.

Dimzon urged workers to report to them if their agencies failed to provide them with PDOS.
"Huwag na nilang pabayaan na sila ay makaalis pa at magtagal doon tapos magko-complain sila kasi kailangan nating habulin yung agency. Kailangang maparusahan yung agency na gumagawa ng mga ganitong bagay," said Dimzon.
The OWWA chief stressed that education is the best weapon for OFWs. Report from Charles Tabbu, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more