Biggest Batch of Distressed OFWs to Come Home from Kuwait
Maxxy Santiago, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau
KUWAIT – A total of 143 Filipino workers who experienced physical, verbal or sexual abuse, or other forms of maltreatment from their employers are on their way back to the Philippines from Kuwait.
“Sobrang saya. Mabubuhay ka na nang normal. Mabubuhay ka na walang halong kaba. Yong ganong buhay. Napakahirap po ng buhay sa Kuwait na takas ka. Walang kasiguraduhan buhay namin dito,” said one of the repatriates, Jadelyn Manguigin.
Manguigin spent two years as an undocumented worker after her employer refused to bring her back to her agency.
Others like Monisa Angcot took refuge at the embassy shelter in Hateen after being maltreated by her employer.
“Binugbog nga po ako. Nag stay ako ng eight months sa Hateen. Hindi na lang po ako nagkaso kasi gusto ko na lang pong makauwi,” she said.
The distressed workers brought with them sad stories and renewed hopes of rising again, this time with their families. They also have a message to whoever will win in the Philippine election.
“Sa magiging bagong pangulo ng ating bansa, itigil na po ang pagpapadala ng mga house worker sa Middle East kasi po inaabuso at walang sapat na proteksyon. At sana po, mabigyan po ng sapat na trabaho dito sa ating bansa para na hindi na po kami aalis ng bansa at mag stay na kami sa mga pamilya namin,” said Lilibeth Bolanos.
Angcot said if there are more jobs available in the Philippines, Filipinos will not resort to working abroad.
“Kung meron naman sapat na mapagta-trabahuhan doon sa Pinas, kung maari lang po sana huwag nang mahiwalay sa pamilya. Hindi na po ako mag-aabroad, mahirap po talaga mamuhay sa abroad,” said Angcot.
The distressed OFWs, the biggest batch so far, were sent home through the help of the embassy and the Kuwait government’s assisted voluntary repatriation program. Under the program, repatriated workers will go straight to the airport and would no longer pass through talha or the deportation center.
“Kami po ay masaya at kami po ay nakapag-pauwi po ngayon ng 143. Ito po ang pinakamalaking batch sa aming programang assisted voluntary repatriation program na pinamumunuan ng ating ambassador Renato Pedro Villa. Pinakiusap niya ito sa mga otoridad dito sa Kuwait. Yong mga naiwang mga kababayan diyan na walang visa, iniimbitahan naming kayo, lumapit na po habang maluwag pa ang batas na ipinapatupad ng Kuwait,” said Ramon Nerida, head of the Assistance to Nationals Unit of the embassy.
An estimated 130 wards are still at the embassy shelter and more than 200 wards at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shelter waiting for their turn to be repatriated to the Philippines.
Of the 180,000 OFWs in Kuwait, around 8,000 are undocumented.
(Source: ABS-CBN.com)