Philippine Embassy calls on 61 nationals to report to Passport Dept

The Philippine Embassy Thursday called on the remaining 61 female Philippine nationals with children who have undergone DNA testing to proceed to the Passport Department for verification of their status.
“They must complete the fingerprinting process, which is part of the process for the issuance of exit visas to leave for the Philippines before the Nov. 3 deadline,” an embassy spokesman told Arab News.
The spokesman said that many of the mothers who have sought assistance for repatriation could no longer be reached, calling on them to contact the diplomatic missions for assistance.
“We have done our best to contact them, but their cell phones are either switched off or have been sold onto someone else. They may have found a new employer in this time,” he said.
He advised them to complete the verification process and return home once they receive their visas for the sake of their children, who are undocumented because they don’t have birth certificates.
An official at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh (POLO-Riyadh) told Arab News that many of the undocumented Filipinos, including mothers with children, had found new employers. “They want to continue working in the Kingdom. However, they have been coming to us to complain and ask for help because they have problems with their new employers. We tell them that it’s better that they leave their employers and go back to the Philippines,” the official said.
The official added that many prospective employers promise Filipino workers that they can transfer them under their sponsorship but they do not follow through, adding that employers often charge them for the cost of transfer.
Around 2,000 Filipinos have been repatriated from Riyadh and 1,500 from Jeddah so far, according to sources.