Stranded OFWs celebrate Christmas with get-together in Jeddah


Christmas spirit reached some 200 stranded OFWs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia over the weekend in the form a little get-together organized by Philippine officials there and food gifts from generous Saudi nationals.
The OFWs and officials and staff of the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) shared a meal on Sunday, with food donated by several Saudi nationals.
The OFWs were employees of Saudi Oger, one of the large Saudi companies affected by the drastic slump in oil prices. As much as 9,000 to 11,000 Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia alone lost their jobs as a result of the crisis.
According to the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, there are only about 200 OFWs working in Saudi Oger who remained stranded in Saudi Arabia, and they are expected to be repatriated by January 2017.
The Consulate said these OFWs are just waiting for their exit visas.
Consul General Imelda Panolong said assistance to these OFWs are ongoing. —Ronaldo Concha/KBK, GMA News

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