PHL labor attachés in MidEast reshuffled — report

At least four Philippine labor attachés in the Middle East have been reshuffled, with one of them being recalled to Manila, a Saudi Arabia-based news site reported Monday. Arab News said Adam Musa, labor attaché of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Central Region Office, was appointed officer of the Eastern Province desk. “I will do my best to serve the overseas Filipino workers in the region as I have done both in Qassim and Jeddah," Musa said, according to the report. An estimated 300,000 Filipinos are working in the Eastern Province, the Arab News report said. Musa replaces labor attaché David Des Dicang, who will be transferred to Kuwait. In Kuwait, Dicang will replace Vivo Vidal, who had been recalled to the POLO home office. POLO-Riyadh assistant labor attaché Wally Villazor will replace Musa. Villazor will assume his new post on Monday, the report said. As of this posting, GMA News Online is contacting the Department of Foreign Affairs to ask for further details about the reorganization of some of the country’s labor offices abroad. The Arab News said Musa’s appointment was welcomed by militant migrants group Migrante-Middle East. “His appointment ensures that there’s a labor attaché who will attend to the problems of OFWs and promote their welfare." Earlier, Migrante called on Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to appoint a replacement for Dicang. — JE, GMA News