1,204 Saudi claims processed — DMW
THE DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Monday that 1,204 claims for unpaid salaries of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who had lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic have already been settled.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac told a virtual briefing that as of Monday 1,100 checks related to the salaries that have been released have already been cashed out.
The claims were processed through the Overseas Filipino Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), and Alinma Bank Indemnity of Saudi Arabia.
“We should expect more checks to cover the Saudi claimants,” said Mr. Cacdac. “Checks paid out that cover around 57,760,992 Saudi Riyals or $15,238,959.25 (P854 million).”
On Feb. 6, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said 843 checks had been processed which was close to P700 million in total.
The Saudi government promised him that it would settle the unpaid wages and other benefits of Filipino workers who were laid off by private Saudi employers from 2015 to 2016.
The commitment was made during bilateral talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Bangkok, Thailand in November. — John Victor D. Ordoñez