PHL official: Runaway OFWs growing in number, getting bolder

Runaway overseas Filipino workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not only growing in number, they are also getting bolder. This was the assessment of Philippine labor officials in the KSA, who are getting worried over the development. “My heart sinks when I think about the sad plight of runaway OFWs. After seeking greener pastures overseas, they have run away for reasons disadvantageous to them... They used to conceal their real status, but now they have become bolder in seeking help so that they can go home to the Philippines," said a Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) official who refused to be identified in an interview posted on Arab News. The Arab News report added runaway workers allegedly even disclose sensitive information, such as those detailing working conditions in the “black labor market," to get sympathy. Militant OFW advocacy group Migrante said its records show about 3,000 runaway OFWs have reportedly sought its help. According to the Arab News report, runaway women OFWs are said to be in a much better position than their male counterparts. While they have the Bahay Kalinga shelter in Riyadh and the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Jeddah, places where they can seek refuge after running away from their sponsors, there are no such shelters for runaway male OFWs. Runaway OFWs reportedly seek the help of friends and other kind compatriots willing to accommodate them in their homes. However,many of these friends are reportedly not willing to help as they might be accused of harboring an illegal resident and suffer the consequences. Other OFWs seek the help of POLO, which issues a letter for the local governor’s office. One such OFW, a family driver from Laguna, used to work in Nasseem district in Riyadh and was lucky enough to get another job after he ran away from his sponsor whom he claimed was bullying him. POLO gave him a letter for the governor’s office in Riyadh. The case officer at the office was unable to contact the OFW’s former employer. Eventually, the case officer sent a letter to the OFW asking him to give his employer’s municipality. “But the municipality could not contact my former employer, so I was given a letter that I took to my former employer’s house. But he refused to accept it," the OFW said. He went back to the municipality, which advised him to take his case to the court. It is very difficult for an OFW who does not have a job to fend for himself while waiting for the outcome of his case. One such OFW who lodged a case tried to apply as a waiter at one of the Filipino restaurants in Suleimania district, but could not be hired because he was a runaway. “The management told me that from time to time, police visit the restaurant and check the staff to see if they are legal residents or not," he said. He said he could have applied for a temporary work permit at the Ministry of Labor so he could fulfill his daily needs. “The temporary work permit is issued depending on a runaway’s ability to convince the ministry to issue him a work permit," said a POLO official. The POLO official said the work permit removes the stigma associated with being an illegal resident. “He could continue working until his case is resolved," the official added. Still, many OFWs allegedly prowl the streets looking for jobs or food and money to get them through the day. “What to do? Asking for help is the most that we can do under the circumstances. The thought of our families back home waiting for our return is what keeps us alive," said one runaway. — LBG, GMANews.TV