Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo (left), and First Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait and concurrent Minister of Defense and Interior, His Excellency Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah. (Rep. Salo's office)

A top official of the Kuwaiti government has pledged $15,000 each to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who became victims of the recent deadly fire in the oil-rich country, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo said on Friday, June 14. 

On June 13, a day after the fire tragedy, Salo paid his courtesies to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait and concurrent Minister of Defense and Interior, His Excellency Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah. 

Fahad expressed his condolences to the OFW victims’ families. Reports said the three OFWs died while two more were left in critical condition by the fire that struck a heavily populated residential building in Mangaf, Kuwait.  

Fahad also committed $15,000 to each of the families of the OFW victims, which will be given through the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. 

"Moreover, His Excellency Fahad also offered assistance for the immediate repatriation of the remains of the OFW victims. The US $15,000 is on top of any insurance benefits that are due the victims," said Salo, the former chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs. 

"We thank His Excellency Fahad and to the Kuwait Government for the financial assistance to the families of the OFW victims. It is a resounding proof of Kuwait’s Government’s genuine concern on the welfare of our kababayans working in Kuwait,”  the veteran solon said. 

Salo also expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, 

The lawmaker is in the Middle East to visit OFWs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar to personally check on their working conditions and to impart to them that the Philippine Government genuinely cares for them. 

He also joined the Filipino communities in celebrating the 126th Philippine Independence Day.