ALKHOBAR, 4 October 2004 — The case involving a company in the town of Al-Khafji and its 14 Filipino workers was one that even the most seasoned labor arbiter could have wanted to pass on to others.

Hit by financial difficulties, the Arabian Construction and Maintenance Co. (ACMC) accumulated huge obligations to its workers in unpaid salaries and other financial claims.

One of the Filipinos, an engineer, had the biggest claim of SR124,000, which included his salary for the last three months plus end-of-service benefits for 15 years. The total claim of the Filipino workers was calculated at SR278,000.

The 14 were project engineers and technicians of the Saudi-Japanese joint-venture company, which reportedly ran into a financial dire straits as a result of differences between the business partners.

On June 19, the Filipinos requested assistance from the POLO-OWWA office in Alkhobar to help them claim their unpaid salaries and end of service benefits.

Labor Attaché Delmer Cruz said what they did was to immediately write Dr. Rashed Aba-Namay, ACMC president and chairman of the board, and the company’s managing director, N. Takahashi, “to look into the matter of the workers’ payment benefits.”

Assistant Labor Attaché Angel Borja said they also conducted case counseling sessions with the workers in filing a labor case at the Saudi Labor Office in Al-Khafji.

Cruz said they were elated when they received a letter from the workers, dated Sept. 29, saying their problem had been resolved, with the company agreeing to pay their claims.

As a result, Ronaldo Jacinto, Armando Sto. Tomas, Ted Geniza, and Esmeraldo Cerdon are “going home for good” with their last salaries and ESBs. Even those who left ahead of the others — Marcial Diza, Albert Anor, Joselito Orro, and Arvin Francisco — were paid their service benefits.

What’s more, the company has agreed to keep six of the Filipinos who had opted to continue working.

They were identified as Ricardo Morales, Juan Lares, Eutiquio de Castro, Catalino Mariano, Benigno Sabiniano, and Ricardo de Lara.

Borja told Arab News that on Sept. 6 both the Japanese and Saudi partners had come to terms in a meeting held in Bahrain to salvage the flagging company.

5 OFWs Repatriated

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said five Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have been in jail for various reasons have been repatriated home on Sept. 28.

Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla identified the five as Alejandro Hernandez, Abdullah Al Musadik, Edwin Salvacion, Eduardo Jose and Gregorio Ceballo.

A press statement by the embassy said the five were arrested by local police on different occasions between Dec. 29 and March 4.

The information on the departure of the workers was confirmed by Capt. Salman Al Sherie of Hair Jail, where persons charged with alcohol — and drug— related cases are normally detained, said the press statement.

Two other OFWs, Mariano Palaroan III and Alfeo Valle, are still awaiting their repatriation and Guinomla has instructed the embassy staff following up the cases “to keep working on the expeditious resolution of cases involving OFWs.”

Out of Qassim

In another update, the embassy said its staff had flown to Riyadh a Filipino maid who had shown signs of a breakdown while languishing at the Buraydah jail in Qassim.

Case Officer Carmelita Hidalgo said OFW Bernadeth Diasnes is now being temporarily held at Al Nisa Jail in Riyadh prior to her eventual repatriation to the Philippines.

Attaché Hidalgo said Ambassador Guinomla had sent a message to Manila requesting that that the OFW’s husband “be immediately updated on his wife’s case and the embassy’s continuing efforts in assisting her.”