RIYADH, 26 November 2004 — Backtracking on its earlier order to terminate the services of “locally hired” case officers and interpreters working with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the Kingdom, the Labor Department (DOLE) in Manila has said it is now amenable to rehiring those affected on condition that they re-apply and pass the test.
Administrative Order 244, issued several weeks ago by Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, seeks to slash the number of POLO staff hired from the Kingdom reportedly to give way to regular staff of the DOLE who are based in the Philippines. Because of an uproar over the order, which is to take effect in January, Sto. Tomas amended it to allow for the rehiring of “local hires.”
Some of those expected to be affected, however, are still not convinced and consider the order not just “unfair and unjust” but also contradict the Arroyo government’s policy of budgetary constraint.
Although the “local hires” are also Filipino nationals, their employment status is categorized as “temporary” even though many of them have worked with the POLO for more than 10 years.
Samarodin Ameril, for one, worked as a case officer and interpreter with the POLO office at the Philippine Embassy for 12 years.
In an interview recently with Arab News, Ameril, a graduate of Islamic jurisprudence from the King Saud University in Riyadh and a member of the Sangguniang Masang Filipino International, Inc., explained how he looked at the controversial order.
Arab News: According to Labor Attaché Alberto Abalayan, some of your case officers and interpreters will be rehired, but have to pass through some criteria. How did you pass the POLO interview in the past?
Samarodin Ameril: Oh, I had to pass through a rigid screening, test and satisfied the criteria devised by OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) to hire its workers abroad. The criteria mentioned are similar to ones followed by the former labor attachés and welfare officers before. Like in my case, in 1992, OWWA had advertised its need for some interpreters and case officers in their office in Riyadh. As an Islamic jurisprudence graduate, I submitted my application letter together with my curriculum vitae. There were many applicants, but because of the criteria laid down by POLO, only four of us made it to the final selection. We were given a written exam to translate English to Arabic and vice versa. I got the first place and I was sent to Manila to undergo training at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office.
AN: DOLE wants you local hires out supposedly because of your unproductive performance and slowness in resolving many cases of distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
SA: The main reason cited is problems about the budget. In the past, labor attachés were very supportive of locally hired staff, particularly to us case officers and interpreters. During the time of former Labatt Jainal Rasul, he allotted SR300 to each case officer and interpreter per month for transportation and communication.
But since July 2004, under current Labor Attaché Manuel Roldan, we receive only SR100 each per month, which is absolutely not even enough to make calls to employers (of distressed OFWs), much more meet them in person. At present, we do not have telephone lines to make outside calls; no vehicle to us; at the office we recycle used and scratched paper for photocopying documents; and our computer printers are always short of ink to print our weekly reports.
During the previous years, I used to solve as many as 30 cases each month because of the concern and support of my immediate superior. This time, I have to be a superman to resolve 15 cases a month. Aside from this lack of financial support, another reason for the delay is when the case reaches to Primary Commission, which solely has the right to schedule thearings.
AN: We heard and saw on The Filipino Channel (TFC) about that woman caretaker of the Bahay Kalinga who was terminated by the new labor attaché .... What can you say about this?
SA: I also heard that. Until now there is no result. In fact, to replace the women caretaker with an unmarried man to watch the Bahay Kalinga, which is occupied by women, was big mistake and it is against the law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
AN: What, do you think, is the disadvantage of AO 244?
SA: To my understanding, the mandate of the Department of Labor and Employment is to provide employment to as many as possible to the Filipino citizenry. But the idea of AO 244 is to replace local hires with already employed Filipinos. This is an absolutely wrong step and unfair.
This is a case of divesting someone of his income while doubling the income of the other.
It is also disadvantageous to the government in terms of finance, because maintaining the local hires in their respective posts with their current meager salaries will not increase the budget of the POLOs, while deploying their replacements, regular employees from the Philippines, will entail the government huge some of money for their travel allowances in addition to their high salaries.
AN: How about the advantages of AO 244?
SA: In terms of dealings with Arab employers, individuals and companies and some Saudi government agencies, I do not see any advantage for these incoming regular staff. They will just even become a liability to the OFWs. They will still need Arabic-speaking people to interpret for them, because they do not know the language. In other countries, where English language is used, perhaps there will be no problem. But definitely not here in Saudi Arabia.
AN: There was an earlier order of Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas of DOLE, the AO 181 about the standardization of the salaries of DOLE/OWWA local hires to take effect on April 2003. Was that implemented here in POLO Riyadh?
SA: We have yet to receive (any notice about that ). The higher officials wanted us to be terminated based on AO 244, but set aside AO 181. The labor attaché should first release to us our respective differentials before replacing us.
AN: Will you submit a new application?
SA: First, ask the current labor attachés of POLO Riyadh if they have no trust and confidence of the labor attachés before them. Then, ask them if I still need to pass through those criteria again after having served the POLO very satisfactorily for the past 12 years?
AN: What will you do if your contract will not be renewed?
SA: Naturally I will have to look for another job. I will look for the possibility of applying for Saudi citizenship. I am sure I can easily qualify, being a graduate of a local university.
