he Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has assured that it is working closely with the Saudi Arabian government to release the unpaid benefits owed to thousands of Filipino workers.
In a press conference on Thursday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that 2,500 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have already received a total of 130 million Saudi Riyals in claims, with an additional 2,000 workers set to receive their payments in the near future.
“Rest assured that we are working on it to cover all the claimants,” Cacdac stated, adding that the Philippine government is targeting to have a substantial number of unpaid OFW claimants receive their due compensation by the end of the year.
The issue of unpaid wages first surfaced over a decade ago, after more than 10,000 OFWs and thousands of other foreign workers in Saudi Arabia lost their jobs when their companies declared bankruptcy between 2015 and 2016.
However, the matter only began to see progress in November 2022, when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman informed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the Saudi government was setting aside a 2-billion Saudi Riyal fund to settle the long-standing claims.
Cacdac, who recently visited Riyadh to discuss the matter, stated that the Philippine government is in constant communication with their Saudi counterparts to ensure that the remaining 2,000 unpaid OFWs receive their rightful benefits.
“There will be in the very near future an additional 2,000 or so to receive the additional releases, and succeedingly, there will be another set to receive the benefits, with respect to their claims,” Cacdac said.
The Migrant Workers Secretary also mentioned that during his visit, he discussed the possible renewal of existing bilateral agreements, enhancing the presence of the Department of Migrant Workers in the Kingdom, and opening more job opportunities for Filipino skilled workers, especially in the construction sector.
The announcement of the impending payments comes as a relief to the thousands of Filipino workers who have been waiting for years to receive the compensation they are owed. The Philippine government’s persistence and cooperation with Saudi Arabia have paved the way for this long-overdue resolution.
