Villar’s OFW Helpline Repatriates Distressed OFWs

Waiter Awaits Sick Wife’s Homecoming

A waiter does not have to wait long for her sick wife to come home with the repatriation last week of his wife along with about 30 distressed overseas Filipino workers from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Roger Gemina, a waiter at the Manila Polo Club, had asked the help of Sen. Manny Villar to bring his ailing wife home, a domestic helper in Riyadh. He approached Villar during the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Ubix last week, where the former Senate president was the Guest of Honor.

"Kapag nagpupunta po rito si Senator, ako po ang laging naa-assign sa kanya. Alam ko po na tumutulong siya sa OFW kaya naglakas ako ng loob na hingan siya ng tulong para sa asawa ko na may sakit," Gemina said.
Gloria delos Santos, 41, is Gemina’s common-law wife. They live in a makeshift house in Marilao, Bulacan with their five children. Neneng, by which she is also called, arrived in Riyadh on January 14. She has worked as household service worker in Singapore and Japan.

Delos Santos recently incurred hernia after she was forced to lift pieces of heavy luggage to the third floor of her employer’s house.

Gemina said his wife also complained about sleeping in the laundry area and not being able to eat on time. Delos Santos later fled and sought refuge in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

Through Villar’s intercession, a post-Valentine’s Day reunion is now possible between Gemina and delos Santos. Villar called up the OFW Helpline and directed her staff to help them.

"I asked my staff to make Neneng’s immediate repatriation a priority because of her worsening health condition. Fortunately, she is included in the tentative list of distressed OFWs set for repatriation last week," Villar said.

"Tuwang-tuwa po ako na makakauwi na ang asawa ko. Alalang-alala kami sa kalagayan niya doon," Gemina said.

About 30 undocu-mented OFWs who suffered maltreatment while working in Riyadh arrived in Manila last week via Qatar Airways Flight 646 through Villar’s OFW Helpline.

31 Distressed OFWs Back In Manila

Villar Laments Exclusion of Undocumented OFWs

Sen. Manny Villar personally welcomed the arrival in Manila of 31 distressed overseas Filipino workers from Riyadh as he stressed the urgent need to support undocumented workers in the face of the financial crisis.

"While we welcome government efforts to help overseas contract workers who lost their jobs because of the crisis, we should not forget that undocumented workers, the ones who are the usual victims of more serious maltreatment and abuse overseas will not be excused from the consequences of the economic crisis," Villar said.

Villar noted that P250-million Filipino Expatriate Livelihood Support Fund (FELSF) created as one of the safety nets for OFWs displaced by the current global economic crisis will only benefit the documented workers.

The former Senate president urged government to set up a fund similar to the FELSF where repatriated undocumented workers can avail of loans either to start up a business or to acquire new skills.

He added that the 31 maltreated OFWs whose plane fare and penalty fees were paid for by Villar’s OFW Helpline 09174226800 will be needing livelihood assistance when they go back to the provinces.

"We realize that bringing them home is not the only thing that they ask the government to do. They also seek support so they can start anew and provide for the family. Their situation was aggravated by the crisis and government should also be ready to help them," he said.

Villar Bill Seeks Insurance Coverage For OFWs

Sen. Manny Villar filed a bill seeking compulsory insurance program for all overseas contract workers. According to him, "The rising number of Filipino workers who were mal-treated and abused and the escalating number of OFWs who lost their jobs due to the economic problem are compelling reasons why there should be a system to protect them better."
Senate Bill 3040 otherwise known as the "Overseas Contract Workers Insurance Act," proposes that all overseas contract workers should be covered by a welfare insurance program in addition to benefits being provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Admi-nistration (OWWA). They shall be entitled to the following benefits: If approved into law, it will provide OFWs the following:

a. Accidental Death Benefit of up to US$15,000;
b. Survivor’s Benefit, in case of natural death, of up to US$10,000;
c. Permanent Total Disablement of up to US$7,500;
d. Repatriation of Bodily Remains, including burial, of up to US$4,000;
e. Repatriation due to Emergency Evacuation and legitimate causes of up to US$1,000;
f. Subsistence Allo-wance of up to US$100 per month for six months totaling US$600; and
g. Legitimate Monetary Claims for Unpaid/Rightful and Just Wages of up to US$4,500

Villar noted that the number of OFWs has increased almost 25-folds over the past 20 years, with nearly 1.2 million registered deployments to over 190 countries in 2006 alone.

"Realizing that Filipino workers abroad are one of the hardest hit by the financial problem, this insurance program will facilitate the processing of legal claims of our OFWs", Villar said.

Under the proposal, all recruitment agencies will be required to pay a premium of US$3.00 per month to OWWA or any reputable and legally authorized private insurance company in the country for the insurance coverage of overseas contract workers.

Failure to pay the premium on time could be a ground for the suspension or revocation of the recruitment agency’s license. /MP