Cases of runaway OFWs in limbo

Stranded female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) at the Bahay Kalinga (BK) center have expressed desperation due to what they allege is a lack of action on the part of Philippine officials in bringing an end to their misery.
“In fact, one of them has even contemplated suicide to get the attention of the officials and compel them to work harder and faster to resolve our cases,” one stranded worker, who requested anonymity, told Arab News on Saturday.
She identified her as 38-year-old Roda G. Ello, a single mother of two who arrived at the BK on Oct. 8.
“Coupled with their inaction, the BK is now crowded with citizens awaiting repatriation,” she said.
“We are about 250 stranded OFWs at the BK, which is more than double its 120 normal capacity,” she said.
“The sheer number at the center indicates the lack of action on the part of the officials at the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh (POLO-Riyadh) in resolving their cases.”
The POLO in Riyadh handles labor-related cases, while the Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS) at the Philippine Embassy deals with police cases, such as cases related to sexual assault and drugs.
“Management allows us to do sports to keep us entertained, but at the end of the day, our personal problems and our families back home come to mind,” the OFW said.
Dhalia D. Asuero, a household service worker (HSW) at the BK, said she is getting bored at the shelter while awaiting repatriation.
She said that she still wanted to work, but was told that under the present rules in the Kingdom, the only legal way to settle her case is to go home.
Reportedly maltreated, she arrived at the BK after running away from her employer two months ago. She arrived in the Kingdom on Feb. 21 on a wage of SR1,500. She comes from Bukidnon province in southern Philippines.