DMW gets 7,500 emails from Saudi OFWs with unpaid wages

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople on Monday said the agency has already received more than 7,500 emails from former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia who have unpaid wages from their companies that went bankrupt in 2015 and 2016.

In a public briefing, Ople said that around 10,000 OFWs were affected by this issue. She thus called on those who have not yet submitted their claim requests to send an email at saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph before May 1.

DMW is expected to submit next month the list of claimants to Saudi Arabia for payment.

“Ang gusto ng Saudi government, makapagpadala kami ng listahan after Ramadan and bago ako pumunta [doon]...on May 24. On May 20, aalis na ako pa-Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, ang panawagan namin is by May 1, may kumpleto na kaming listahan with the cooperation with the claimants,” she said.

(The Saudi government wants us to send a list after Ramadan and before I go there on May 24. On May 20, I will be leaving for Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, by May 1, we will have a complete list with the cooperation with the claimants.)

“Sa ngayon, nasa 7,500 plus na ‘yung emails namin. So, konti na lang mabubuo na namin yung 10,000 plus na bilang na mga claimants," she added.

(Right now, we have 7,500 plus emails. There’s just a few left before we complete all the 10,000 plus claimants.)

In a meeting held last November 2022 in the margins of the APEC Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia informed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that his government would provide the funds to enable the aggrieved OFWs to claim the back wages and other benefits due them that should have been paid for by their private employers.

Ople said once Saudi Arabia approves the list, payment will be made.—LDF, GMA Integrated News