Displaced OFWs in Saudi Arabia finally receive compensation—Marcos


President Marcos announced that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the bankruptcies of Saudi Arabian construction companies in 2015 and 2016 have finally started receiving their much anticipated compensation.

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(MB File Photo)

“Nais ko lang balitaan ang ating mga OFW na galing sa Saudi na patuloy na ang pagbayad ng insurance ng Saudi Arabia sa mga empleyado ng mga kumpanyang nabangkarote na nag-file ng claim sa insurance (I want to inform our OFWs from Saudi that Saudi Arabia is finally paying insurance to employees who filed for insurance claim due to bankruptcies of the companies)," Marcos announced on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

According to the President, the Overseas Filipino Bank and Land Bank have processed 1,104 Alinma Bank Indemnity Cheques.

He said 843 checks amounting close to P700 million have been cleared and credited to OFW payees in peso equivalent.

A total of P 868,740,544 in indemnity checks had been cleared by the Alinma Bank through the Landbank of the Philippines and transmitted to the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB), he added.

The President further said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin is fulfilling his promise he made during their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2022.

“Patuloy nga ang pangako ng Crown Prince ng Saudi Arabia -- ang pangako niya sa atin na ibabayad nila yung insurance claims.  Kaya't magandang balita ito para sa ating mga OFW sa Saudi (The promise made by the Crown Prince ng Saudi Arabia continues—his promise to us is to pay for the insurance claims. So this is a good news for our OFWs in Saudi)," Marcos stated.

The Crown Prince made a commitment during his bilateral meeting to Marcos at the APEC Summit in Bangkok to pay some 2 billion Riyals to  10,544 OFWs who were affected by the bankruptcies of Saudi construction firms nine years ago.