MANILA, Philippines - A total of 20 Filipino household workers who ran away from their abusive employers in the United Arab Emirates are expected to return to the country tomorrow through the help of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada.
Estrada, who is currently in Spain, would stop by Dubai on his way back to Manila and would be bringing along the 20 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at his expense.
The senator learned about the plight of the 20 workers, mostly women, during his initial stopover at Dubai on his way to the Vatican in Rome, where he attended the canonization rites of Pedro Calungsod.
Estrada was informed by Philippine ambassador Grace Princesa about the workers who ran away from their employers after they were subjected to overwork, physical and verbal abuse, and other forms of maltreatment.
The office of Estrada identified the 20 workers as Mary Chell Afable, Lariza Arceo, Janet Bentero, Jonnalyn Belmosao, Rowena Carao, Anabel Cortez, Maida Esmael, Sittie Mariam Gudal, Cherry Lyn Larosa, Mary Joy Mangad, Nerissa Molleda, Jelleny Morabe, Maria Malaya Padilla, Diana Lou Publico, Maria Leni Regino, Noraida Sambutuan, Bariya Lipai Sawaldi, Michelle Torio, Angelina Uyammi, and Clarence Viscarra.
“As per Labor Attache Delmer Cruz, an estimated 1,000 Filipino migrant workers abscond from their visa sponsors (also employers) every year. And almost everyday there is a new case of maltreatment, especially of our household service workers,” said Estrada, who is concurrent chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resource development and the congressional oversight committee on labor and employment.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) said 90 percent of the complaints it receives are from the household workers.
According to Estrada, the runaways were provided temporary shelter in the facilities of the POLO while waiting for the Philippine embassy and labor officials to arrange their travel and employment documents.
One of the more difficult tasks and the cause of the delays in their repatriation is the negotiation with their respective employers to allow them either to work elsewhere or to go back to the Philippines.
Estrada lamented that the process could take months to complete, depending on the cooperation of the employers and the nature of their cases.
He cited the case of Arceo, who has been waiting at the Migrant Workers and other Filipinos Resource Center since Aug. 5.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration indicate that UAE ranks second to Saudi Arabia in terms of the number of land-based new hires and rehires.
In 2010, there were a total of 201,214 land-based workers deployed to the UAE.
UAE, which ranks third next to Hong Kong and Kuwait in terms of number of deployed household service workers, is host to 13,184 Filipino household service workers.
“Domestic workers are really the most vulnerable sector of our labor force to abuse and exploitation, here or abroad. Many OFWs, about a hundred of them, are still waiting for repatriation there pending the release and approval of their papers. I urge the administration to further intensify its efforts to assist the OFWs in distress and ensure their safety and protection,” Estrada said. – With Jose Rodel Clapano