DAVAO CITY – A group of migrant workers urged Vice President Jejomar Binay to visit hundreds of distressed and stranded overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.
“We are urging VP Binay to consider having a side trip here in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar, all in Saudi Arabia, so that he too can personally hear the appeal of the hundreds of distressed and stranded OFWs staying at various Filipino Workers Resource Centers (FWRCs) or Bahay Kalinga,” said Migrante Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona.
Monterona added that as of latest estimate there are about a hundred of distressed female OFWs at the Bahay Kalinga in Riyadh, while about 60 male OFWs are stranded at a rented shelter in Exit 8, Riyadh.
“Most of them have been victim of labor malpractices, and physical and sexual abuse,” said Monterona.
He added that there are 80 more female stranded OFWs at the shelter provided by the Saudi Social Welfare agency (SWA).
Monterona said the OFWs have long been pleading for government assistance since most of them have been at the FWRCs for more than six months.
“One of the stranded OFWs at Riyadh’s Bahay Kalinga is Fahima Alagasi Palacasi who was allegedly scalded by the mother of her employer. Since then, she is staying at the Bahay Kalinga for more than two years,” Monterona added.
Monterona said Palacasi wanted to convey to Binay her pleading to help her repatriated so that she can be with her two kids in Mindanao.
Palacasi is still waiting for the outcome of the cases she filed and the counter-case filed by the mother of her employer which she said is taking too long. (davaotoday.com)
