500 OFWs in shelters in KSA seek assistance, repatriation — DMW

By JAMIL SANTOS, GMA News Published September 15, 2022 2:21pm Some 500 overseas Filipino workers staying at shelters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are seeking assistance and repatriation amid bilateral talks between the Philippines and the said country, the Department of Migrant Workers said Thursday. advertisement "In our shelters, there are about 500 OFWs kingdom-wide or in the three areas where we are present, that need assistance, mostly household service," DMW Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a mix of English and Filipino at a public briefing. "This is the biggest source of worry for Secretary Toots (Susan Ople). She visited all shelters and talked to the OFWs there," Cacdac added. Ople and other DMW officials visited Saudi Arabia recently and reached an agreement with the government there to undertake measures “to facilitate the decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights." "Ang isa sa mga tinake up ni Sec. Toots and Minister Al-Rajhi is dapat bigyang daan 'yung pagpapauwi ng isang OFW na may reklamo sa kaniyang kontrata at may reklamo ng pang-aabuso para siya'y makauwi," he said. (One of the things that Secretary Toots and Minister Al-Rajhi tackled is to process the repatriation of OFWs who have complaints in his or her contract, and complaints of abuse.) "Walang sinuman ang makakapilit sa isang tao na magtrabaho, lalo sa ibang bansa, dahil slavery na 'yon, kung hindi pa siya pinauuwi at gusto na niyang umuwi at ayaw na niyang magtrabaho doon," Cacdac added. (No one could force a person to work, especially in another country. It is already considered slavery if he or she no longer wanted to work but is prevented from going home.) The Philippine government is set to lift its Saudi deployment ban on November 7 after the completion of bilateral discussions with Saudi Arabia.—AOL, GMA News

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