Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's administration will give job placement priority, either local or abroad, to those repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) coming from Saudi Arabia who were displaced or laid off as their companies sank into financial quagmire, Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said here in Jeddah on the second leg of his latest 4-day visit to Saudi Arabia to get these workers off the hook. He was accompanied by a composite mission from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Public Attorney's Office (PAO) and OFW Partylist Representative at the Lower House of Congress Aniceto R. Bertiz III. The team arrived in Riyadh on Aug. 16, where they met with Saudi labor officials headed by Saudi Labor and Social Development Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani and discussed measures to assist the affected OFWs as soon as possible. Out of some 11,000 stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia due to cessation of work primarily in major construction companies Saudi Binladin Group and Saudi Oger, only around 8,000 are left after Bello's discussions with the Saudi Ministry of Labor during his first visit to Saudi Arabia last July in an effort by the Duterte administration to give them the necessary assistance and send them back to the Philippines as early as possible the deserted OFWs. According to Bello, another group of some 2,000 stranded OFWs were scheduled to return to the Philippines by clusters until Sept. 8, adding that the government's effort will be sustained till the last stranded OFW is bailed out, noting that "President Duterte's favorite timeline is three to six months." He expressed President Duterte's great appreciation and indebtedness to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for granting general amnesty to those affected OFWs and defraying the costs of the plane fares and travel document fees of those who decided to return to the Philippines, and facilitating the transfer to other companies of those who opted to stay. It was reported that President Duterte intends to visit Saudi Arabia to personally convey his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for magnanimity in easing the difficulty of those OFWs. In a press conference at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Bello, accompanied by heads and high ranking officials of other governmental departments and attached agencies which have a stake in the current plight of several thousands stranded OFWs who are still stranded in the Kingdom, assured the full commitment and sincerity of the Duterte administration to rescue and bring them back to the Philippines in the shortest time possible. He said these OFWs, upon their return to the Philippines, will have their skills profiled, and will be given preferential option to land in new jobs where they are qualified. He explained that the Department of Labor and Employment is coordinating with the POEA, TESDA, DSWD), and other related agencies in search for new jobs for the affected OFWs. TESDA and DSWD have already started profiling the said workers even before they are repatriated. TESDA Director General Guiling A. Mamondiong said his office offers technical trainings to those who like to upgrade and expands their skills with the aim of better employment opportunities. On issues of illegal recruitment and other contract violations such as substitution of contract, Bello disclosed that the government is offering reward of P50,000 to any whistleblower who would inform the authority on the unscrupulous and illegal activity of any person or agency. In this way, chances of an applicant being victimized are greatly diminished, he added. Moreover, Bello said resolution of cases filed before the adjudication department of the POEA will be handed down within 90 days. The composite mission jointly expressed their resolve not only to bring to the logical conclusion the dilemma of the concerned OFWs, but likewise pledged to extend immediate economic and other assistance they need. Aside from the P20,000 and P5,000 the government gave to every stranded OFW and his/her immediate family in the Philippines, respectively, the Duterte administration has also sent Filipino lawyers to Saudi Arabia to represent their cases and ensure that their dues will be paid. In case of employer's bankruptcy, the employees become creditors of the bankrupt company, and as with other creditors, employees who are owed wages share in the remaining assets of bankrupt employer. The Department Health has deployed medical personnel to look into the health issues of the OFWs. Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera of the DSWD added that her department also provides counseling to OFWs who are still stranded and to their immediate families in the Philippines.
