Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said it will keep asking the Saudi Arabian government to settle the unpaid wages of thousands of Filipino workers who lost their jobs after the 2015 economic crisis. In July, Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac reported that the Kingdom had released only P1.95 billion to 2,500 workers who lost their jobs when the Arab companies they were employed by went bankrupt. According to the Department of Migrant Workers’ list, a total of 10,554 OFWs were affected. Philippine Consul Dean Jason Arriola told the media on Thursday (October 24) that the amount transferred so far has become significant, but he expressed hope that the process would speed up. “We hope that the process would be fast tracked so that more of our kababayans can receive what is due them after years of waiting because mainly of litigation,” said Arriola. When asked about the cause of the delay, Arriola believes that bureaucracy may be a contributing factor. “It is like that for us too. If there are claims being processed by the government and the volume is high, it can take some time for them to be processed.” he said. Arriola mentioned that the Saudi Arabian government has shown a commitment to addressing the issue. FLE/Expat Media
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