Ex-OFWs with unpaid wages in Saudi Arabia urged to contact DMW ---

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday called on former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia whose companies went bankrupt in 2015 and 2016 to reach out to the department. According to DMW Secretary Susan Ople, the concerned former OFWs could email the department at saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph so that they could be included in the list of claimants that the DMW will submit to Saudi Arabia. "The ball is now in our court, and so the DMW appeals to all legitimate claimants to please get in touch with us by sending an e-mail to: saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph," Ople said in a statement. She said the email should contain the contact details of the worker and his or her record of employment in Saudi Arabia. If the claimant is no longer alive, the appeal extends to his or her widow/widower or first-born children. Ople said the DMW has created a dedicated team to respond to e-mails and help workers submit clear, accurate information to validate their claims. Through a letter signed by Minister Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), the Saudi government has formally invited Ople to visit the Kingdom on May 24 for a bilateral meeting on labor concerns, including the workers' unpaid claims. Ople said before that date, the DMW will send an advance party led by Undersecretary Bernard Olalia to discuss the contents of the joint labor agreement and mechanisms for the payment of the claims. "We have accepted the warm invitation sent by the Saudi government through the MHRSD and look forward to a very successful and productive visit," shee said. In a meeting held last November 2022 in the margins of the APEC Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia informed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that his government would provide the funds to enable the aggrieved OFWs to claim the back wages and other benefits due them that should have been paid for by their private employers. Ople said once Saudi Arabia approves the list, payment will be made. The timeline and mode of payment will be discussed during the May 24 meeting, she added. —Tina Panganiban-Perez/KBK, GMA Integrated News

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