Bello in Saudi Arabia to bring home 9,000 stranded, jobless OFWs

Manila: Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is presently in Saudi Arabia to bring home more than 9,000 Filipinos who lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis triggered by the drop in oil prices.

Bello carried with him President Rodrigo Duterte’s letter thanking Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for extending assistance to the stranded OFWs, reported Saudi Gazette.

“The marching order of President (Rodrigo) Duterte is to bring all our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) back home. ASAP,” the Labor chief had said earlier.

Aside from giving free exit visas to at least 9,000 OFWs, the Kingdom has also committed free airfare to the stranded Pinoys who may want to return to the Philippines.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) reportedly said it has provided a total of P58.66 million in relief assistance to the affected OFWs and their families.

Before leaving Manila, Bello had said his team will convince the OFWs to return home instead of lingering in Saudi Arabia.

He assured the OFWs and their families that work is waiting for them in the Philippines, under the government’s programs through the OWWA and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Bello also assured continuous assistance to the OFWs and their families through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Bello was accompanied by officials from the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Public Attorney’s Office and Department of Foreign Affairs.

The remaining OFWs in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar are those who are waiting for their monetary claims from their previous employers, Manila Times quoted Bello as saying.

However, Bello reportedly said that some of the OFWs were hoping that they can find new jobs.

More than 11,000 Filipinos were stranded in the Gulf State since several big companies there laid off workers. Over 2,000 OFWs have already returned to the Philippines since Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the kingdom’s Ministry of Labor to waive their penalties for their iqama or exit clearance.

The government of Saudi Arabia has also issued directives to renew the work permit and iqama of migrant workers of Saudi Oger Ltd., a Riyadh-based construction company.

“The officials from the Saudi Ministry of Labor assured us that upon receipt of the instructions from the King of Saudi, they immediately met with the Ministry of Interior and Passports Office so the work permits and iqama of our OFWs will be processed,” Bello was quoted as saying by Manila Times.