President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to address the long-standing issue of unpaid salaries of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia during his forthcoming trip, as confirmed by a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official on Monday.
DFA Office of ASEAN Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu, speaking at a Palace press briefing, stated, “That is in the agenda.” However, he did not delve into further specifics, noting that discussions are ongoing. “It will be part of the bilateral meeting between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines,” Espiritu added.
Last year in November, Saudi Arabia pledged approximately 2 billion riyals to cover the unpaid wages of roughly 10,000 OFWs. These workers were previously employed by construction giants such as Saudi Oger, MMG, and the Bin Laden Group, all of which went bankrupt in 2015 and 2016.
Former Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary, Susan Ople, had conveyed that commitments were made by the Saudi Labor Secretary to rectify this wage discrepancy.
In related matters, Espiritu emphasized that the bilateral meeting will also focus on the safeguarding of migrant workers and other labor-related concerns. This follows a recent incident involving the tragic death of an OFW named Marjorette Garcia in Saudi Arabia. Her body was repatriated to the Philippines last week.
President Marcos is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia from October 19 to 20, aligning with the 2023 ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.