The Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh has flagged an individual soliciting money from overseas Filipino workers under the guise of arranging government repatriation, warning the public that the scheme is fraudulent and that no legitimate repatriation carries a fee.
In an advisory posted to its official Facebook page, the office identified the person as one presenting herself as “Ellisa Baguio Calis,” who it said was using a fake Saudi iqama and a photograph taken alongside Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac to appear credible while asking OFWs for payment. The office urged workers to be wary of the ruse.
The advisory reiterated the department’s standing policy that repatriation assistance through the DMW Aksyon Fund is free of charge. It added that in cases of OWWA-assisted emergency repatriation, the cost of the airfare is advanced by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and later reimbursed by the recruitment agency, leaving no basis for a worker to be charged directly.
The warning echoes a broader alert issued earlier by the DMW central office. In an advisory reported by BusinessMirror, the department described scammers posing as embassy or government personnel who offer “priority” or “assured” flights home in exchange for large processing fees and requests for personal information. The department stressed that the Philippine government repatriates Filipinos at no cost, and cautioned OFWs against trusting unsolicited messages received through Facebook, WhatsApp, or text.
The Aksyon Fund, formally the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan, was established under Republic Act No. 11641, the law that created the Department of Migrant Workers, and covers legal, medical, financial, and repatriation assistance for distressed workers abroad. Cacdac heads the department as its secretary.
The Riyadh office advised OFWs to remain cautious against the scheme.
