9 January 2006 -  Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bahnarim Guinomla reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that ninety-seven (97) Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have been staying at the Saudi Social Welfare Administration (SSWA) or Bahay Kalinga, the Filipino welfare center of the Embassy, will now be returning to their families in the Philippines on different dates following the issuance of air tickets by the Riyadh Governorate.  (Please refer to Press Release SFA-AGR-006-06, dated 3 January 2006, for the background information.)

With this development, Ambassador Guinomla instructed his staff to work overtime in processing the travel documents for submission to the immigration authorities for the immediate departure of the distressed workers.    The Ambassador said immigration authorities have set Saturday as the deadline for the submission of the travel papers.

Ambassador Guinomla explained that many of the distressed workers have labor disputes with their employers, although some of them were endorsed by the employers themselves or by the police.

Ambassador Guinomla conveyed this gratitude to the Office of HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh, for his generosity and compassion for the Filipino workers.

Workers endorsed to the SSWA have 21 days within which to resolve their problems with their sponsors although the maximum number of days they can stay at the facility is 45 days, Ambassador Guinomla added.END