OFWs from Jeddah speak out
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are often hailed by the government as “modern day heroes” for propping up the economy with their dollar remittances. Marching bands, government officials, and Pres. Arroyo herself welcome them occasionally and raffles are held for their benefit. But beneath the pomp and grandeur of these occasional events are stories of abuse and neglect.
Among these are the stories of the 279 stranded OFWs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: victims of contract substitution, non-payment of wages, and worse, abuse who escaped from their employers and were left to fend for themselves and suffer the harsh conditions in deportation facilities.
Migrante International, an organization of OFWs and their families, said in their report that of the 279 stranded OFWs in their list, 111 have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia.
But they added that over 10,000 more are still stranded all over the Middle East. Last May 5, 2008, seven OFWs, the most recent batch who have been repatriated, were welcomed home by their families and Migrante staff.
The seven OFWs faced the public in a press conference a week after they arrived. Carlos Rebutar, spokesperson of the seven stranded OFWs, said they are seeking justice for the negligence of consular officials that they experienced in the process of their repatriation.
First timer
In an interview with Bulatlat after the press conference, Rebutar shared his experiences without hesitation. In 2005, an employer from Saudi Arabia came to the Philippines to hire him as a color technician for a company supposedly based in Riyadh. His employment was facilitated by an agency based in the Philippines. He said the agency gave him priority because he was a “first timer.”
Rebutar added that upon signing the contract together with the employer, he was offered a salary of 1300 SAR, ($347.62 at today’s exchange rate of SAR 1=$0.267) transportation allowance and accommodations. However, when he reached Saudi Arabia, Rebutar was informed that Riyadh happens to be their entry point. It was only then that he found out that he is going to be based in Gazim, a province of Saudi Arabia. The situation worsened when his employer reduced his salary from 1300 SRI to 1,100 SRI, removed his transportation allowance and gave him poor accommodations.
“Although andun kami na first timer, hindi kami tanga para hindi malaman na mali yun (Although we are first timers, we are not stupid not to know that what they are doing to us is wrong),” said Rebutar.
Other Filipinos whom Rebutar consulted, told him to talk to his employer about the matter. During their dialogue, his employer claimed that Rebutar would be given what was stipulated in the contract, including the transportation allowance, after his three month probationary period. However, his employer did not keep his word. When Rebutar asked to be released from the company, he was told that he could only get his release papers after working for three months without compensation. This prompted him to run away. He and his colleagues were able to find work in Jeddah.
Rebutar worked in Jeddah for two years and four months. When he decided that it was time to go home, he approached the Philippine consulate for assistance. He was told by consulate officials to go through “due process”.
Rebutar said “due process” was an opportunity for their former employers to have them sent to jail. He said the consulate just took them on a tour of all detention facilities in Saudi Arabia: from Jeddah to Riyadh, from Riyadh to Gazim, and from Gazim we were sent back to Riyadh.
Rebutar narrated that in the detention facilities they were shown at least seven persons shared one plate of food. Thus, fighting over food was common. Rebutar and his companions were later detained for three and a half months.
Philippine consulate officials who visited them promised so many times that they would be repatriated soon. But often these turned to be not true. “May time pa na dinala kami sa airport, ibinalik kami without papers. Pagdating sa airport, walang papeles na hawak, walang repatriation papers, walang travel documents, wala lahat. Ang ginawa sa amin, pinaasa lang kami tapos binalik na rin kami ng kulungan (Once we were even brought to the airport without papers and travel documents. We were only given false hopes because we were brought back to detention afterwards),” he said.
Tragic delay
Joel Agana, another recently-repatriated OFW, was more timid and silent. However, behind his diffidence is the appalling experience he suffered not only from his employers but also in the hands of the Philippine Consulate.
Agana experienced contract substitution upon arriving in Saudi Arabia. He told Bulatlat that his employer deducted so many things from his salary that he had no knowledge of. Because of this, like Rebutar and other stranded OFWs, he ran away from his employer in hopes of finding a better job in Jeddah. Everything was turning out fine until he was informed that his mother was very ill. He paid a fixer to facilitate his return home. “Siningil kami ng 750 SAR pagkatapos iniwan lang kami sa ilalim ng tulay,” (We paid the fixer 750 SAR but we were just left under the bridge.) Agana said.
Agana then sought the assistance of the Philippine Consulate. However, Agana ended up in jail just like Rebutar. Despite the restrictions in using cellular phones while in prison, Agana shared that he was constantly updated about his mother’s condition through text messages.
“Itinatago namin. Ayun nakakalusot naman yung iba. Kahit yung mga charger, magpapabili kami dun sa iba ang lahi doon, para makakuha ng balita mula sa Pilipinas (We kept our cellphones hidden. We also asked our co-prisoners from other nationalities to help us buy chargers and we charged our phones secretly to be able to get news from the Philippines regularly),” said Agana
Agana had dialogues with Consulate officials constantly to plead that he be sent home immediately. “Sabi niya wala daw po silang magagawa sa akin. Tapos hanggang sa namatay na alng ang nanay ko eh hindi nila napauwi. Hanggang sa nagluksa na lang kami sa loob ng consulate (I was told by consulate officials that they could not do anything. They were not able to facilitate my return home even when my mother died),” Agana lamented.
His family in the Philippines had to extend the wake for two weeks in the hope that Agana would be able to make it in time. However, until the burial, Agana remained imprisoned in Saudi Arabia because of “due process”.
As he mourned for his mother, financial difficulties while inside prison worsened his situation. “Ang problema namin doon, ay yung gastusin tulad ng pambili ng sabon. Wala kami nun. Kaya minsan yung bagong pasok na Pilipino na mayrooon pang pera, nakakabigay sa amin (Our problem, while in prison, was where to find the money for the things we needed such as soap. Sometimes we were just given money by newly-detained Filipinos),” he added.
Aside from his daily expenses, he also had to find money for his plane tickets once all his travel documents were cleared. Aside from the long process of repatriation, he also had to wait for the consulate to raise the funds for his plane ticket.
Lian Santos, deputy secretary general of Migrante, stressed during the press conference that despite the ability of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) to fund the repatriation of stranded OFWs, they are still being asked to shell out money for their plane tickets if they wanted to be repatriated immediately.
Agana arrived in the country May 5. To make up for not being able to join the wake and burial of his mother, Agana lighted a candle for her during Mother’s Day May 11.
Seeking redress
Agana and Rebutar are both calling for the resignation of Consul General Ezzedin Tago. “He (Consul General Ezzedin Tago) never lifted a finger to alleviate our plight,” asserted Rebutar. “Unang-una sila ang dahilan kung bakit kami nakulong. Sila ang nagpakulong sa amin dahil kailangan daw ng due process. Yung due process na sinasabi nila ay yung kulungan. Yung maikulong kami (In the first place, they were responsible for our imprisonment. They practically sent us to jail by telling us to go through due process. The due process they are referring to is prison, our imprisonment).”
They are also calling for the repatriation of the remaining stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia. He said they experienced so many hardships there that they asked help in other Pinoys like him there repatriated. These Filipinos are in detention facilities in Dammam, Gasim, and Riyadh, said Agana.
Santos challenged Vice President Noli de Castro to help repatriate the stranded OFWs in the Middle East. “Magpapatuloy pa rin ito (Our struggle would continue),” said Santos as he concluded the press conference.
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