Binay was speaking at the meeting in his capacity as presidential adviser for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

He said it made him happy to meet with them again to find out their problems and seek solutions.

Binay was in the Kingdom as the representative of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to offer condolences to the royal family on the death of Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation. Vice presidential adviser former Sen. Francisco “Kit” Tatad accompanied him.

Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago and Labor Attache Albert Q. Valenciano attended the meeting with OFWs, represented by various groups such as OFW Congress, Filipino dentists' association in the Kingdom, among others.

On blood money, Binay said a technical group had been formed to review the work and recommendations of the sub-group tasked to draw up the guidelines.

He added that the family of a Saudi national killed by Don Don Lanuza had finally agreed to the payment of blood money after 10 years of negotiations. He said, however, that the family had asked quite a big amount. Blood money payment would save Lanuza from death.     

On medical benefit, Valenciano said that this had been transferred from OWWA to PhilHealth. However, Binay said that OFWs whose families had been affected by recent typhoons in the Philippine could apply for loans with Pag-Ibig Fund, of which he is the board chairman.

He said Pag-Ibig gave P47 million to affected Filipinos in Calumpit town, Bulacan, north of Manila as calamity loan. Encouraging OFWs on their Pag-Ibig membership, he said that they could apply for loans equivalent to as much as 70-80 percent of what they have saved.

On the occasion, the OFW Congress headed by Alex Bello submitted a position paper that asked for the resolution of pending cases of OFWs in the Kingdom and imposition of strict penalties on erring recruitment agencies.