16 January 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bahnarim A. Guinomla reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy facilitated the return tickets and travel documents of 185 distressed OFWs who rejoined their families in the  Philippines on different dates from 1 December 2005 to 12 January 2006.   Pending their trip back home, the OFWs had temporary accommodations with meals at the Bahay Kalinga – the Filipino welfare center of the Embassy – and the Saudi Social Welfare Administration (SSWA).

Ambassador Guinomla said the 185 distressed OFWs returned home in three batches, as follows:     

from 1 – 21 December 2005        -    48 women from Bahay Kalinga;
from 3 – 11 January 2006            -    37 women from Bahay Kalinga; and
on 12 January 2006                      -  100 (3 women from Bahay Kalinga and 97  women   from  SSWA)
        TOTAL                                    -   185 OFWs.          

Ambassador Guinomla added that another batch of 114 OFWs is expected to be repatriated once the airline bookings are confirmed.  These 114 OFWs are composed of 56 OFWs who are presently staying at the SSWA and 58 OFWs who are at the Bahay Kalinga.  (Please refer to Press Release SFA-AGR-006-06, dated 3 January 2006; SFA-AGR-014-06, dated 9 January 2006; and SFA-AGR-020-06, dated 13 January 2006 for the background information.)

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.  Furthermore, the Ambassador said part of the assistance being extended by the Embassy in coordination with the Labor Attaché and Welfare Officer is to facilitate the payment by the employers of the outstanding salaries of the OFWs, if any, issuance of the exit permits by the employers to leave the Kingdom for the flight back to the Philippines and issuance of passports or travel documents. END