The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)-bound overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who ended up stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City Friday, May 28 have been assured of assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
In a virtual press conference Friday afternoon, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Bernard Olalia advised the OFWs--many of whom came from the provinces and had nowhere to stay at in the Metro Manila--to wait for OWWA Deputy Administrator Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson to tend to them.
"Kausap ko lang po kanina si Deputy Administrator Mocha , at papunta na po siya diyan sa NAIA (I just spoke with Deputy Administrator Mocha, she is on her way to NAIA)," Olalia said.
"Ayon po sa instruction ni OWWA Admin Hans ay tutulong po ang OWWA para doon sa hotel accommodation ng mga nangangailangang matulog, mag-overnight dito po sa Manila dahil po sa suspension (OWWA Administrator Hans said OWWA will provide for the hotel accommodation of those who need to stay overnight in Manila because of the suspension of deployment to KSA).
"So paki-antabay lang po si DA Mocha (So please wait for DA Mocha)," Olalia said.
But even as the POEA chief announced this, the angry and frustrated OFWs began to leave the airport without gaining certainty as to when their flights to KSA would push through.
The POEA and OWWA are both subordinate agencies of DOLE. It was late afternoon Thursday, May 27 when DOLE issued a memorandum ordering POEA to temporarily suspend deployment of Filipino workers to the oil-rich nation.
The suspension stemmed from the decision of the KSA government to have OFWs shoulder their own "institutional quarantine" against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which according to Labor Attaché in Riyadh Fidel Macauyag costs around $1,000 or 3,500 Saudi Riyal.
DOLE is contesting this and wants the OFWs' employers or recruitment agencies to instead pay for the expenses.
Olalia estimated that some 500 OFWs were affected by the DOLE order today alone.
Asked for a timeline as to when the issue with the KSA government would be resolved, Olalia didn't give a straight answer.
"Ang inaasahan po ng ay agaran pong resolbahin ito pong issue na ito. Nag-aantambay lang po kami ng clarification, ng official declaration na hindi po dapat kasama ang OFWs doon sa advisory at nang sa gayon ma-lift na po yung temporary suspension (DOLE expects a quick resolution to this issue. We are just waiting for an official clarification that OFWs are excluded from their advisory so that we can lift the temporary suspension)," he said.