The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to participate in “Operation Bring Them Home: Special Mission for Stranded Overseas Filipinos (OFWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Mission’s overall objective is to bring home stranded/overstaying OFWs in crisis in the KSA.  It will be conducted together with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Health. It is slated to begin on August 10, 2016 and continue until September 10, 2016.

DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said that the mission is the Rodrigo R. Duterte administration’s response to the crisis that is affecting OFWs in the KSA who were previously employed by three multinational companies: Bin Laden, Saudi Oger, and Mohammad  Al Mojil, as well as by six (6) sub-contracting companies.

“Our kababayans are in serious crisis because their employers did not pay their salaries. They are also confronted by many difficulties caused by the expiry of their end-of-services benefits. Many were not given exit visas after they completed their contracts, and are being delayed for repatriation,” she explained.

Based on reports from the DOLE, there are more than 11,000 affected OFWs.

The focus of the mission is the stranded OFWs in three major KSA cities, namely Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam/Al-Khobar.  The DSWD team aims to provide psychosocial interventions such as counseling and debriefing. They also aim to help the distressed OFWs to agree to family reintegration; they will also be referred to after-care services and provided with material services. The members of the DSWD contingent who will participate in the Mission are Undersecretary for OPG-Protective Programs Vilma B. Cabrera; Assistant Secretary Hope V. Hervilla, OPG-Protective Programs;  and Social Welfare officers Perlita V. Panganiban; Mely S. Pangilinan; Teresita L. Valentino; Victoria N. Navida; Marygrail B. Dong-as; Franco V. Lopez; Bienvenido V. Barbosa; and Ali B. Namia.

The Mission also aims to document situations of undocumented OFWs in crisis like women and children,  facilitate provision of appropriate services and referral to their respective regions for the needed services.

The DSWD will allot a budget of P50 million to fund the activities and services for the stranded OFWs.

“This is not the first time that Filipinos working overseas such as in the KSA have experienced severe crisis because of questionable labor policies imposed by their employers and because of the neglect of their contracting agencies. The DSWD sees it important to take part in this humanitarian mission so we can gauge the impact of such policies on the lives and welfare of our OFWs. We hope to come up with findings that can help guide us in the future when it comes to the implementation of the country’s export labor policy. As the government agency that’s primarily tasked to look after the welfare of Filipinos, the DSWD wants to also provide assistance to our OFWs the same way we also aim to help their families here at home when it comes to their emergency  needs,” said Sec. Taguiwalo. # # #