An Overseas Filipino Worker based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is appealing for assistance to return home after being sidelined for nearly two months by a painful medical condition that requires surgery — and with his employer no longer responding to him.
Joseph De Guzman, 38, who has been unable to work due to anal fissure and internal piles, said the daily suffering has left him severely weakened. A medical report dated February 4, 2026, issued by Amaluna Medical Center in Riyadh’s Al-Munsiyah district, confirmed that he was diagnosed with anal fissure and internal piles and may require surgical intervention. In a Facebook post, he described his condition as near-unbearable. “Halos araw araw ko na pong iniinda yung sakit at pag durugo. Sobrang nanghihina po ako sa sakit na parang ikakamatay ko,” he wrote.
De Guzman reached out to the Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh to process his Final Exit Visa, citing his employer’s refusal to cooperate and his expired Iqama, which the company has also stopped renewing. Nearly a month has passed since MWO Riyadh took up his case, but he said there has been no movement on his visa application. The last update he received was from a caseworker identified as Ms. Nisreen, who told him to wait. He acknowledged that she had been handling his situation with care, but the standstill has left him in limbo.
His attempts to resolve the matter directly with his employer have gone nowhere. “Magmula huminto ako magtrabaho ay maya’t maya rin ang aking pag hingi ng tulong sa aking company pero hindi na nila ko nireplyan,” he said.
De Guzman posted his phone number and medical report alongside the appeal, and asked others to share it and tag anyone who might be able to help. He said he would not normally resort to a public plea, but felt he had no other option. “Hindi ko man gawain itong ganito at nakakahiya man pero wala na po kasi kong ibang alam na paraan,” he wrote.
His case falls under a broader pattern of OFW distress in Saudi Arabia, where the ongoing Middle East conflict has further complicated repatriation efforts. The MWO Riyadh has been processing a surge of assistance requests from Filipino workers whose employment situations have deteriorated since hostilities began in late February. Workers with expired residency documents and uncooperative employers face compounded delays, as exit visa processing requires employer participation under Saudi labor regulations.
De Guzman can be reached at +966 570337815.
