DFA Repatriates 51 Distressed OFWs From Abu Dhabi
(DFA photos)
18 July 2018 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to bring home distressed Filipinos around the world with the arrival in Manila today of another 51 Filipino women repatriated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In a statement, the DFA that the latest batch of overseas workers brings to 702 the total number of Filipinos who were repatriated from the UAE since the start of the year.
“We welcome home the latest batch of repatriates from Abu Dhabi who, sadly, fell prey to illegal recruiters,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement following the arrival of the repatriates.
“President Duterte’s marching order to the DFA is crystal clear: that we always fight for Filipinos wherever they are in the world,” Secretary Cayetano said as he assured the repatriates that the DFA’s work does not end in bringing them back to the Philippines.
“Rain or shine, the DFA and other government agencies will do their best to address your concerns as you reunite with your loved ones in your respective hometowns,” the Secretary said.
The DFA shouldered the cost of the repatriation, including the exit visas and the airfare to the provinces, of the distressed workers, using the Assistance to Nationals Fund. The repatriates were assisted upon arrival by officers from the DFA Office of Migrant Workers Affairs.
According to Charge d’Affaires Rowena R. Pangilinan-Daquipil of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the 51 Filipinos arrived in the UAE as tourists, found work but eventually left their sponsors or agencies due to maltreatment, abuse, and non-payment of salaries, among others.
Charge d’Affaires Pangilinan-Daquipil said that the Embassy continues to work side-by-side with UAE authorities to address the concerns of overseas Filipinos, especially Household Service Workers (HSWs).
“With the signing of the UAE Law for Domestic Workers and the Philippines-UAE Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation in 2017, the Embassy hopes that incidents of abuse, maltreatment, detention, and other complaints by Filipino domestic workers will drop significantly,” the Chargé d’Affaires said.
In addition, Chargé d’Affaires Pangilinan-Daquipil said the UAE has implemented measures to ensure the rights of Filipino domestic workers in the Middle East country are protected.
These measures include transferring jurisdiction of HSWs from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization; allowing Filipino domestic workers rights on dispute resolution; the opening of Tadbeer Centers that will conduct the recruitment of expatriate workers in the UAE; and assuring Filipinos that will enjoy protection mandated by the new UAE Law for Domestic Workers.
According to Embassy estimates, around 626,000 Filipinos consider the UAE as their second home, with close to 217,000 Filipinos living or working in Abu Dhabi. END