175 more undocumented Pinoys arrive home from Kuwait



Close to 200 Filipino workers from Kuwait arrived home on Monday night after availing of the amnesty, GMA News' Ivan Mayrina reported on 24 Oras on Tuesday.
The 175 OFWs were on top of the over 2,000 that arrived in batches since the start of the amnesty for overstaying and undocumented Filipino workers last month.
Like in previous batches, many new repatriates have tales of abusive employers.
"'Yung amo po, ano, minamaltrato, kinukulong palagi 'pag galit siya. Tapos 'yung 'di nagpapasahod, 'di naman sumusunod sa kontrata," said one OFW in the report.
The Philippines has banned the deployment of newly hired Filipino workers to Kuwait amid reports of abuses, chief among them the killing of Joanna Demafelis whose body was found inside a freezer in an unoccupied apartment unit.
Philippine officials said the deployment ban would stay until the country and Kuwait hammer out an agreement that would protect Filipino workers.
"After n'ung deployment ban ang inaantay na ng mga families ng mga OFW ay 'yung conversion nito sa mas mabuting serbisyo," said Harman Hernando, secretary general of pro-OFW group Migrante.
Labor officials said the government has existing programs for the repatriates from Kuwait, although they admitted that they can't stop them from still seeking jobs abroad.
"Hindi rin natin maipe-prevent sila dahil nga, sabi ko nga, it's an opportunity for them. But we make sure na 'yung kanilang full protection is there," said Bernard Olalia of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
The repatriates are urged to check the POEA website for job openings abroad. —KBK, GMA News

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