Chartered jet to fly 400 OFWs home from Saudi

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Some 400 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hobbled by various problems in this country expect to be repatriated this week once the chartered plane that will fetch them arrives from the Philippines. Labor Attaché Vicente Cabe said they are finding it difficult to get bookings with airlines for the OFWs since this is the peak season for air travel to the Philippines as destination. Because of this, Cabe said they asked the help of Secretary Marianito Roque of the Department of Labor and Employment in repatriating the OFWs who have been staying at a shelter here for over two months now. The stranded OFWs staying at a temporary shelter at Hajj reportedly underwent various bitter experiences with their employers, such as maltreatment, non-payment of wages, changed contract, lack of decent housing, and other forms of abuses. There were also those reportedly trapped in Saudi such as Muslim Filipinos who went on pilgrimage to Makkah but encountered problems in returning to the Philippines. Cabe said they asked for Secretary Roque’s assistance, who in turn considered chartering an airplane from the Philippines to fetch the OFWs. Meanwhile, RP Consul General Ezzedin Tago thanked the Saudi government’s help in allowing the use of their facilities at the least cost, in preparation for the forthcoming visit of President Gloria Arroyo to the Kingdom. Cabe said the Philippine Consulate helped arrange and hasten the process and coordination with Saudi Immigration for the arrival of the chartered plane to fetch the OFWs, some of whom are to come from the eastern province and from Riyadh. Officials and personnel of POLO, OWWA and the Philippine Consulate are now rushing the processing of the OFWs’ documents. As of Wednesday midnight, stranded OFWs were reportedly continuing to arrive at the deportation area to join over a hundred OFWs already there, including women and children. Among those expected to be repatriated are some Filipinos jailed in the Jeddah Briman Prison for petty crimes. According to Assistance to National Section personnel, the prisoners had already served their sentences and are now allowed to return to the Philippines.—Ronaldo Z. Concha, GMANews.TV