THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday cautioned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against incurring huge debts, saying it may lead to their imprisonment.
In a press briefing, DMW Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said: “We remind our OFWs to be very mindful of the debts they incur because the punishment is very strict, very harsh in some host countries, like Saudi’s laws with respect to incurring unpaid debts.
“Unfortunately, many are mired in debts… in most cases, they are imprisoned,” said Cacdac.
He issued the reminder after four OFWs in Saudi Arabia were released after being imprisoned for three to five years. The four used to work in Saudi Arabia as a printing press technician, an aircon technician, a trailer truck driver, and a merchandiser.
“They have incurred debts and it is very unfortunate that they were in jail for a long time,” said Cacdac.
He said the four have been repatriated earlier this week and will be provided the necessary assistance — financial, scholarship, and reintegration assistance.
“We will also evaluate their level of skills and competencies for possible redeployment overseas, or local employment if they decide to stay in the Philippines,” said Cacdac.
