Government agencies have joined forces in calling on undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to avail themselves of the amnesty program offered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of President Duterte’s visit.
The call to take up amnesty was issued by the Philippine Embassy in the KSA, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Eduardo E. Bellido, OWWA XI Regional Director, the “Nation Without Violations,” is a 90-day amnesty program which started on March 19 – June 17, 2017 that aims to bring stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia back home.
“Itong amnesty program na ito ay naglalayong mapauwi ang ating mga kababayang na stranded doon sa Saudi Arabia. Sa program na ito, makaka-assure sila na walang penalties na ilalagay sa kanila pag sila ay pumasailalim dito sa amnesty program,” Bellido said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday.
The program is a welcome development to OFWs in Saudi covered by the said exemption to penalties. The coverage of the amnesty are as follows: residents whose iqama (identification card of a worker in Saudi Arabia) expired on or before 19 March 2017, workers with work permit but no iqama ID card; runaway workers reported as such on or before 19 March 2017, Umrah and Haj overstayer (pilgrimage), pilgrims without Haj permit; and ‘inflitrators’ crossing Saudi borders.
Furthermore, OFW returnees may also avail of the DOLE Assist WELL (Welfare, Employment, Legal, and Livelihood) Program which will entitle them with local job referral or placement courtesy of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), overseas employment referral or placement by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA); livelihood assistance by OWWA and National Reintegration Center for OFWs; legal assistance or conciliation services by POEA, DOLE and National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), and competency assessment and training assistance by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The first batch of 31 amnesty availees arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last April 11 with another 105 undocumented workers arrived in Manila last April 16. The third batch of 150 availees arrived with President Duterte early morning on April 17. To date, a total of 331 availees of the said program were already provided with assistance by OWWA and other government agencies.
