Bello: Partial payment of unpaid salaries of thousands of OFWs in KSA coming


By RONALDO Z. CONCHA
Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Hans Leo Cacdac are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss with their counterparts on the issue of unpaid salaries and benefits of Filipinos working for a troubled Saudi firm.
Thousands of OFWs, former workers of the Saudi Oger company, are fighting for their months of unpaid salaries, and end-of-service benefits.
According to Bello, Saudi labor officials said they would try to work for the partial payment of the claims for now.
Meeting of PHL and Saudi Arabia labor officials. RONALDO CONCHA
Meeting of PHL and Saudi Arabia labor officials. RONALDO CONCHA

Bello and Cadac flew to KSA early this week to discuss with officials of the Saudi Ministry of Labor to discuss the OFWs' claims.
In an exclusive interview, Bello told GMA News that Saudi labor officials, during their meeting, promised to find a way to address the Filipino workers' complaints.
While the Saudi officials did not set a date for the partial payment, Bello said Saudi crowned prince's scheduled visit to  the Philippines might be a good opportunity for the partial settlement of the Filipino workers claims.
Saudi Labor officials were quoted as saying that the date for the upcoming visit to the Philippines of the prince is yet to be fixed.
"May konting linaw sa dulo ng tunnel kasi kausap namin ang minister of labor aking counterpart at gagawa raw sila ng paraan na mabayaran kung hindi man kumpleto kahit man Lang partial, yung crown prince e dadalaw yata sa Pilipinas at maaari nang itaon na sa pagpunta niya duon ay madadala nya kahit man Lang partial ng settlement ng claims ng ating mga kababayan," Bello said.
Aside from the meeting with Saudi labor officials, Bello and Cacdac Bukod were also set to inaugurate the new POLO-OWWA office in Riyadh.
Sinabi din ni Bello ang kanyang pananaw sa usapin ng Department of OFW na ayon sa kanya ay naging neutral daw sya at hindi muna nag komento nung una dahil maapektuhan daw ang kanyang departamento pero dahil sa paki usap ng Pangulong Duterte ay susundin daw nya ang nais nito. —LBG, GMA News

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