85 distressed OFWs return home

Eighty-five Filipino workers, most of them women, arrived yesterday from Saudi Arabia after reportedly being maltreated by their employers.

The "distressed" workers, who also complained of poor working conditions, landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 2:30 p.m. aboard a Saudia Air flight.

Despite their ordeal, the repatriated workers smiled upon being met at the arrival area by officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The OWWA said the workers, who had been working for different employers in Riyadh, went to the Philippine embassy to complain about their employers.

Their air travel costs were shouldered by one Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia, OWWA added.

The OWWA said the 85 workers were the first batch of 170 "distressed" OFWs in Saudi Arabia who had asked to be repatriated because of problems with their employers.

Many of the repatriated OFWs told reporters that they were willing to return to the Middle East despite their sad experiences.

"Joy," 24, whose family lives in Payatas, Quezon City, said she was willing to return to work abroad as long as she gets a kind employer.

"Sa mga narining ko sa mga kapwa ko OFW, okay daw sa Dubai (What I heard from other OFWs, it’s okay in Dubai)," she said.

"Malaki sweldo at mababait daw ang mga Arabo dun (The pay is good and so are the Arabs there)."

Joy said although she wants to remain in the Philippines, she has to risk working abroad due to the lack of high-paying jobs, especially for someone like her who was not able to go to college.

"Kailangan ko umalis dahil magugutom lang ako dito at wala naman akong makuhang trabaho dito na maganda ang sweldo (I need to leave because I would just go hungry here, and I would not be able to find a good-paying job)," she said.

Joy said she escaped from her Arab employer in Riyadh because she was forced to work long periods and allowed only a few hours’ sleep.

"Di ko makayanan dun, hindi ako pinapatulog ng tama, tapos kung anu-ano pinapagawa sa akin (It’s hard working there. They do not allow me to sleep well. I am made to do a lot of work)," she said. — Rainier Allan Ronda