MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 13, 2012) – A group of Filipinos working for a construction company in Saudi Arabia, has accused their employer of labor malpractice, and they stopped working and forced to find food in garbage bins in Al-Khobar to be able to survive until their cases are resolved.
The Filipino migrants’ rights group called Migrante-Middle East has identified the 10 distressed overseas Filipino workers as Bonifacio Bayubay, Perlito T. Garcia, Marlon K. Ciervo, John Ryan C. Lupega, Ronie M. Villegas, Demetrio Galia, Rodel B. Lonsame, Percival S. Bibat Jr., Wilfred C. Elbanol, and Jonathan S. Querido and all were deployed by the Philippine-based recruitment agency YHMD International Manpower Services whose latest known address is at the Ground Floor of the Gedisco Center in 1564 A. Mabini Street in Ermita, Manila.
It said the OFWs were hired as construction workers and equipment operator and technicians by Ali-Fahad Al Huraish Establishment, a contracting company in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante’s regional coordinator, said they have documented how the Filipinos, who now live in a shack, would go out every day to scour for food in garbage bins.
“The 10 OFWs stopped working since July of this year after accusing their employer of labor malpractices,” he said.
Monterona said the OFWs also complained with the Philippine Labor Attaché Adam Musa and sought assistance so they can file charges against their employer, but the official instead is convincing the distressed Filipinos to return to work.
The OFWs complained to Migrante-Middle East that their employer had engaged in contract substitution, illegal salary deduction, salary downgrading and did not provided them sick leave and medical insurance, aside from delayed payment of salary. They were also ordered to drive vehicles even without driver’s license, and did not pay overtime work. They were also forced to work more than the regular 8-hour a day and were given poor accommodation with no bathroom and drinking water.
“The 10 distressed OFWs, however, stood by their decision to stop working as they look forward to filing a case at Saudi labor court against their employer, which Labor Attaché Musa is not acting upon.”
“This is gross negligence on the part of Labor Attaché Musa. It is his foremost duty to provide whatever assistance the distress OFWs need such as guiding them, including documentation, in filing labor case versus their employer,” Monterona said.
He called on Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to immediately recall Musa.
Monterona said another group of 17 Filipino workers employed by Al-Naseeb establishment also in Al-Khobar also stopped working since May this year due to similar problems and were threatening to stage hunger strike to protest the inaction of Philippine labor officials over their plight.
“We are calling the attention of President Benigno Aquino, who seems to be very busy endorsing administration’s senatorial candidates (for the May 2013 synchronized polls), to instruct his labor honchos to attend on the distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia. We also call on Vice President Jejomar Binay to intervene in OFWs cases in his capacity as presidential adviser on OFWs concerns,” Monterona said.
He said Aquino, who has been in office for more than 2 years, failed to present his administration’s blue print to solve the country’s forced migration among the millions of unemployed and underemployed.
He said government records show that some 4,200 Filipinos leave the country each day to either look for jobs or work abroad.
Monterona also criticized Akbayan party list Congressman Walden Bello, chairman of the Congressional Special Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, who failed to address or look into the sad plight of many distressed OFWs or even investigate the mounting cases of labor malpractices and abuses involving fellow compatriots.
“Walden Bello should not be in Congress in the first place. Neither he nor his Akbayan party belongs to the so called marginalized and underrepresented sectors having them opportunistically established an Aquino-Akbayan power-duo,” Monterona said, adding the party list system is supposedly for the marginalized sector of the society.
There was no immediate statement from the Philippine government about all the allegations of the OFWs.
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