RIYADH, 1 Sept. 2004 — Another expat, a Filipino migrant worker, died in this city two weeks ago. This time the fatality did not succumb to a bullet fired from a sniper’s rifle, nor was she a hostage of an extremist group.

Onesima Afos Pudol, a dressmaker who hails from a barrio in La Paz, Abra, in the northern Philippines, was in a coma for a week before she died on Aug. 2. She died while waiting for the implementation of a court decision that required her employer to pay all her unpaid wages on top of the end of service benefits required by law.

Onesima, or ‘Oning” as she is fondly called by friends and relatives, came to Saudi Arabia in 1992. She was allowed to go on vacation to visit her children and relatives only once — in 1996. All that Oning wanted to do was work and save every halala she earned. Her only motivation was her children. Sally, her best friend and colleague in the shop said Oning would always say, “When my two kids finish their college studies and earn their degree, I will be the happiest mother, and by then I will be ready to go home.”

But Oning won’t be here to witness that day anymore.

Everything went well with her until her original employer got married and decided to sell the shop so that she can devote her time for her family. The new owner of the shop, who became their new employer, was not as good as their original employer.

In May last year, Oning sought the help of officials at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in filing a case against her employer for non-payment of wages. While her case was being heard, Oning took on any job to be able to continue to support the studies of her children. She made dresses for friends, including some employees of the Philippine Embassy.

Tired of the long court procedures, Oning and her friend Sally at one point already wanted to give up the fight and just go home. However, they were advised by POLO officials to stay on since their chances of winning the case was good. Indeed, they won. But Oning did not survive to see the fruits of her struggle.

As the years passed by, the long hours of work and not-so-good eating habits took its toll on Oning. Her blood pressure was very high most of the time. Then one night on the last week of July, Sally found her having a hard time to breath. She and her husband took Oning to the medical clinic in Sulaimainia where they used to go for check up, but they were told that Oning probably had a stroke and should be taken to a hospital for confinement. Sally then took her to a hospital at Malaz. But before Oning was admitted, Sally had to make a SR3,500 deposit first.

Sally and friends produced the amount. But after initial diagnosis, the hospital confirmed that indeed Oning had an attack and that she should be taken to another hospital, which has the facility for such cases. Sally and friends finally took Oning to the Shumeisy hospital near Batha, where she was pronounced to be comatose.

Oning left behind a daughter and a son. The daughter, Evangeline, is a third year nursing student at the Pines City Doctors Hospital School of Nursing in Baguio City. The son, Ronald, is taking up a vocational course. Now that their mother is dead, Evangeline and Ronald may have to stop their studies, unless the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or OWWA grants them a scholarship, in addition to the benefits normally given to the bereaved families of OFWs who die while working abroad.

Attaché Oscar Cacho said that the shipment of Oning’s remains is being delayed by the inability of the local police to locate her employer. He said that if the employer will not be located, the embassy would have to seek the help of the Governor’s Office for the release of the body from the morgue. Aside from the release documents, all the cost to be incurred in repatriating the body to Manila, estimated to be around SR8,000 would also have to be sourced. Cacho said either the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) or OWWA would be asked to provide the needed amount.

Meantime, Oning’s children and relatives are anxiously waiting to see her for the last time.