BY DANIE MAE FAJARDO-DELA CRUZ
MANILA – Migrant Workers secretary Susan Ople has appealed to all overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who have legitimate claims for unpaid wages and benefits in Saudi Arabia to get in touch with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
Ople announced that talks between the Philippine government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the long-standing issue of unpaid wages of OFWs retrenched in 2016 are now in its final stages.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has requested the DMW to submit a list of claimants for approval by a special committee created by the Saudi government.
“Thank God, we are now at the final stages of closing this most trying issue that has dragged on for years,” said Ople.
Legitimate OFW claimants should send DMW an e-mail <saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph> that contains the contact details of the worker and his or her record of employment in Saudi Arabia.</saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph>
A dedicated DMW team has been formed to respond to the e-mails and help workers submit clear, accurate information.
In a meeting last November 2022 in the margins of the APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia informed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that his government would provide the funds to enable the aggrieved OFWs to claim the back wages and other benefits due them that should have been paid for by their private employers (mostly Arab construction companies that declared bankruptcy in 2016).
“We thank most of all Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for his compassionate and generous leadership that affirms his sincere friendship with President Marcos, and concern for the Filipino people because now, his government is moving in a clear and decisive direction on how these long-standing claims can be finally resolved,” Ople said./PN
