Saudi settlement for unpaid OFWs still being processed —DMW

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday said there is no definite date yet when the government of Saudi Arabia will deliver on its commitment to settle the unpaid salaries of some 10,000 Filipinos from bankrupt oil companies.

“Wala pa tayong definite date sa ngayon kung kelan sisimulan. Ang sigurado sa ngayon ay gumagalaw ang proseso,” DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said at a news forum in Quezon City.

In November last year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia committed to allocating some 2 billion riyals for the unpaid salaries of some 10,000 overseas Filipinos employed by construction companies that declared bankruptcy in the years 2015 and 2016, which included three major oil firms: Saudi Oger, MMG, and the Bin Laden Group.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said earlier that the Saudi Labor Secretary has given a commitment to resolve the issue and finally pay the back wages owed to the migrant workers.

"There’s no question, it’s just really a matter of them figuring out how to go about it, kasi huwag po natin kalimutan ang na-bankrupt hindi yung Saudi government, ang na-bankrupt 'yung 2015-2016 mga private construction companies and hindi lang tayo ang nationality," Ople said.

In March, the DMW announced it will provide P10,000 in aid to each worker waiting for the Saudi government to fulfill its promise.

The funding for the initiative came from both the DMW and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Yes, matagal tagal na rin ‘yun… ongoing naman ang payments doon at naibigay na… karamihan ng claimers nabigyan na,” Cacdac said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News