Filipinos Repatriated from Cambodia

The Philippine Embassy in Cambodia Assistance to Nationals Officer Ernie Enriquez (third from left) together with the  five Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) after they checked in for their flight to Manila. (Phnom Penh PE photo)

PHNOM PEHN 09 December 2019 –– A total of five distressed Filipinos working in a casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia were repatriated to the Philippines on 04 December 2019, after they were assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The OFWs sought the assistance of the Embassy after their contracts were illegally terminated by their employer and their salaries for two months were not paid. They also feared of being kicked out of the staff house, left to fend for themselves. Given their unfortunate experience with their employer, they expressed their desire to return to the Philippines.

Because of the initial uncooperativeness of the employer, the Embassy guided the five OFWs through the process of filing a labor complaint against their employer at the Labor Dispute Office in Sihanoukville. As a result, the OFWs received a portion of their salary.

Upon the request of the Embassy, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided their plane fare, while Bethany Baptist Church provided temporary shelter in Phnom Penh while pre-departure medical clearance was undertaken.

Sihanoukville is 230 kilometers away from the capital city of Phnom Penh. END

The five Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) at the Phnom Penh International Airport express their gratitude to Government Liaison and Project Officer of the International Organization for Migration Khay Phiev (third from right) and Philippine Embassy in Cambodia Assistance-to-Nationals Officer Ernie Enriquez Ernie Enriquez (fourth from right). (Phnom Penh PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.phnompenhpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHLinCambodia/ or https://twitter.com/PhilippineIn.