ALKHOBAR, 16 October — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration must review and improve its welfare programs to better serve the overseas Filipino workers, particularly here in the Middle East.
Filipino community leaders in the Eastern Region delivered this message loudly and clearly during a dialogue Sunday night with OWWA administrator Wilhelm D. Soriano at the Park Hotel in Alkhobar.
The community leaders, representing the so-called Accredited Community Partners (ACPs) of the Philippine Embassy-POLO/OWWA, asked Soriano to quickly address welfare services, especially the distressed and stranded OFWs.
They said that while OWWA requires OFWs to pay $25 for insurance and $20 for Medicare before departure from the Philippines, it is too slow to respond to requests for immediate repatriation of stranded OFWs.
Soriano clarified that the welfare programs for OFWs are well in place. But he acknowledged that the agency had slept on its programs and the information campaign did not fully reached the OFWs, particularly those in far-flung areas. He apologized to the community leaders and asked their support, stressing that OWWA had only eight officials to look after the welfare of around 200 distressed OFWs in the Eastern Region.
Soriano arrived here after a visit to Dubai and Bahrain. He said he might proceed to Kuwait after a short stop in Riyadh.
He said he came to the Middle East on instructions of President Arroyo to personally meet OFWs and assure them that the Philippine government is really looking after the welfare of its people.
"The president instructed me to come here and see you, particularly in this time of crisis," he said. "I am happy to report to President Arroyo that our OFWs here in the Kingdom are happy, secure and living with their normal lives."
Many OFWs hope that when he returns to Manila, Soriano would report that it is only at home that there is panic.
"Panic kayo ng panic diyan, wala namang nangyayari dito sa Middle East," one OFW in Jeddah said, laughing off reports by Manila’s media that Filipinos in the Kingdom may have to be evacuated.
Also present during the dialogue was Philippine Ambassador Rafael Seguis, who reminded all the OFWs to stay calm and just continue working diligently.
With him were Labor Attaché Jainal Rasul, supervising welfare officer Sotero Tornea, Consul Ezzedin Tago, and other embassy officials from Riyadh.
Among those participating in the dialogue were Joe Avanceña, chair of the OFW Congress, and Lito Alpay of the AFCSCOM, along with officials of the three Filipino schools in the Eastern Region.