THE Department Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday said all displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with pending wage claims from their former employers in Saudi Arabia must email their employment details.
The statement comes after Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, in a briefing on Friday, said even those that have already submitted their wage claim details should still send emails to the department as soon as possible.
“It will still be better if they send us an email. All of them, including those that already enlisted with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) or wrote the Saudi government,” said Ople.
“This would avoid confusion in the future, when the payments are already being processed and some will be left without any back pays,” she added.
The Philippine government has asked the displaced Saudi OFWs to submit their employment details for their wage claims. According to DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, at least 5,000 of the estimated 10,000 displaced OFWs have been accounted for.
“In our other platforms on the list of OFWs, there are nearly 5,000 that are making claims,” he said.
“There are also about 1,400 OFWs, who are not yet validated and are asking assistance,” added Olalia.
Last Friday, the DMW asked the estimated OFWs with wage claims to submit their names and other employment details via email (saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph) as soon as possible.
The DMW said the emails are needed to fast-track the processing of their wage claims with the Saudi government.
Ople said they hope to complete the emails from the claimants on or before May 1.
To recall, some 10,000 OFWs were displaced and left unpaid in 2015 and 2016 after several Saudi construction firms had declared bankruptcy. Subsequently, the Philippine government repatriated the displaced OFWs, while continuously negotiating for their unpaid claims with the Saudi government.
Last November, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman committed to shoulder the unpaid salaries of the OFWs.
Ople has said that they are confident that the issue on unpaid claims of around 10,000 OFWs shall be resolved within the year.
