The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Monday that additional overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the closure of construction firms in Saudi Arabia have successfully processed and obtained their labor claims.
DMW Office-in-Charge (OIC) Hans Cacdac disclosed that a total of 1,204 indemnity checks have been processed in collaboration with the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank), the Land Bank of the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia’s Alinma Bank as of February 19. Out of these, 1,100 checks have already been cashed out.
Cacdac emphasized during a media briefing that this development signifies a significant advancement since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the initiative about a week ago. The processed checks amount to approximately 57,760,992 Saudi Riyals or 15,238,959 US dollars, with more payments anticipated in the coming days.
The initiative stems from a promise made by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to settle insurance claims for affected workers. Since February 6, when Marcos made the initial announcement on Facebook, efforts have been underway to facilitate the disbursement of compensations.
Addressing challenges encountered in the process, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia mentioned concerns regarding the heirs of deceased workers and discrepancies in the names on some checks. To expedite the process for heirs, an agreement is being forged with Land Bank and OFBank to establish a specialized banking procedure. Additionally, checks with misspelled names will be accepted for deposit, provided the identities of the OFWs are validated by the DMW or Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
The DMW previously stated that around 10,554 OFWs were awaiting compensations from construction companies in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant step forward in resolving their long-standing grievances.