For many of them, leaving Libya was a difficult decision to make due to uncertainty of finding a job back in the Philippines. Constant bombings, harassments and random acts of violence combined with delayed or unpaid benefits and salaries led more than a 1,000 Filipinos to avail of their government’s offer for repatriation.
Some of those who have returned prior to the Alert Level 4 advisory of the Department of Foreign Affairs last July felt aggrieved by a recent policy of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) that only those workers who availed of government’s repatriation services will be entitled to a one-time financial grant of 10,000 pesos. OWWA refers to a welfare agency funded 100 percent by the membership dues of overseas Filipino workers.
Ironically, affected workers decry such discriminatory policies since the government only raised the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Libya on July 20. Why can’t the same policy apply to those who conscientiously obeyed the government’s appeal to voluntarily leave Libya given the outbreak of hostilities in the said country? One of the workers from Libya spoke to this writer with bitterness in his voice. Edgardo, a construction worker in Libya, said: “I won’t be able to return to Libya just like those who sought the government’s help for repatriation. The only difference is that I came home in June instead of July. Why am I not entitled to the same financial assistance considering that I am also an OWWA member?” Indeed, this is one policy that seems to be patently wrong, especially since many of these workers came home without their paychecks. “We also need financial assistance for our family as we look for jobs here at home or overseas,” Edgardo explained.
Another operational detail in relation to the financial grant is that recipients must claim their money from the OWWA regional office nearest their province. This entails additional expense for the workers, some of who prefer to receive their grant from the OWWA office in Pasay City so that they have money to bring home once they arrive from Libya.
Again, this seems to be a reasonable request considering that not all workers plan to immediately return to their respective provinces. Most licensed recruitment agencies and major companies are Manila-based. Those who wish to apply for jobs right away would rather stay a few more days in Manila than go back to the province to obtain the financial relief only to return after a few days to the nation’s capital to look for work.
OWWA has a new administrator, an esteemed career labor official by the name of Rebecca Calzado. Here’s hoping that Administrator Calzado will listen to the pleas of our workers from Libya. Grateful as they are for the assistance of the Philippine government, it will take a lot more than that for them to be able to regain some semblance of financial stability. Expanding the coverage of the grant and making it easier for these target beneficiaries to claim the money will help them a lot during these troubled times.
Other agencies like Pag-IBIG, SSS, and PhilHealth that have OFWs among its members are also encouraged to come up with their own welfare assistance programs for workers forced to return home due to the outbreak of hostilities not only in Libya but also in Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the world.
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