Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has received more than 7,500 emails from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who have unpaid wages in Saudi Arabia, Secretary Susan Ople said Monday.
“Ang panawagan namin is by May 1 may kumpleto na kaming listahan with the cooperation with the claimants,” Ople said during the Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: We appealed that 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, kaunti na lang mabubuo na namin yung 10,000 plus na bilang na claimants,” She added.
[Translation: Right now, we have 7,500 plus emails. So, we are close to reaching the 10,000 plus claimants.]
Ople reiterated that claimants may send their information only through email.
She added that relatives of deceased OFWs may also submit the workers’ names using the template and email provided by the agency.
“Kung meron attachments na ilagay ang worker, pwede rin po para makatulong din sa amin yan sa validation process,” Ople said.
[Translation: The worker can also include attachments [in the email] to help the validation process.]
Ople earlier said the problem on unpaid wages will be resolved “within the year kasi nararamdan namin na gusto rin nila (Saudi Arabia) matapos itong issue na ito.”
[Translation: Within the year because we feel that Saudi Arabia also wants to end this issue.]
She added that the Saudi government has allotted two billion riyals to resolve the issue of unpaid OFWs, which dates back to 2015 and 2016 when the companies they worked for went bankrupt.
