Saudi Arabia has assured President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of their commitment to settling the unpaid wages of over 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). These workers were left without compensation after several companies in the Kingdom went bankrupt in 2015 and 2016.
The President provided this update in response to queries regarding the government’s measures to ensure that the OFWs receive their due wages. The statement came during the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.
According to President Marcos, the Saudi government is currently ironing out the specifics of the back wages. “The list of claimants has already been finalized and cleaned up. We are now just waiting for the details to be sorted out with the Saudi side,” he remarked.
While the Palace has not released further information regarding the settlement, the President emphasized the certainty of its completion. He expressed confidence in Saudi Arabia’s commitment, stating, “I cannot specify a timeline due to the internal processes in Saudi Arabia. However, I can assure that the payment will be made; it’s just a matter of when.”
Additionally, a bilateral meeting held in 2022 at the APEC Summit in Thailand saw the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia earmarking 2 billion riyals to assist OFWs affected by the bankruptcy of their construction firms.