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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider COVID-19 temporarily closes POLO in Riyadh

COVID-19 temporarily closes POLO in Riyadh

Published Jun 11, 2020 12:00 am
  By Leslie Ann Aquino The Department of Labor and Employment said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will temporarily suspend operations effective Sunday, June 14. This, after six of its officers and staff tested positive for COVID-19. Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa said the objective of the temporary suspension is to "prevent the escalation of infection among POLO staff and its clients and to allow the conduct of a thorough disinfection of the office premises." He said all 37 POLO personnel underwent testing after two POLO staff were earlier found to be infected and eventually transmitting the virus to the others in the post. With the temporary suspension of operations, Mustafa said all POLO officers and staff will be on a work-from-home arrangement but will still respond to calls, offer consulting services to clients and provide counseling to OFWs in distress on a 24/7 basis. Meanwhile, the Labor department said it was able to provide assistance to some 59 overseas Filipino workers in Qatar who were terminated from work last year on redundancy issues. The DOLE said the POLO in Doha worked closely with the Qatar Ministry of Administrative Development Labor and Social Affairs for the payment of the benefits after the workers were terminated late last year by their employer. “We are grateful for the assistance given by the Qatar government that compelled their previous employer to give the affected OFWs all the salaries and benefits due them,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement. According to the Labor chief, the 59 workers were terminated from work in December 2019 by Leighton Contracting Company. The DOLE said the company, however, failed to provide salaries and separation benefits, prompting the workers to file a complaint with the POLO in Qatar. The workers were employed as site engineers, site supervisors, foreman, plumbers, riggers and carpenters. The Labor department said Leighton is currently arranging the repatriation of the 59 affected workers to the country.#
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