KUWAIT CITY, June 7: A total of 131 distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWS) were repatriated to the Philippines on two consecutive days as part of the series of mass repatriation of stranded OFWs in Kuwait. The first batch composed of 86 OFWs left on Monday evening while the second batch numbering to 45 flew out on Tuesday evening on board Kuwait Airways. All the air tickets of the distressed OFWs were shouldered by the Kuwait government as a result of the collaboration between the Philippine Embassy and the Kuwait Ministry of Interior.

The newly assigned Labour Attache to Kuwait David Des Dicang and some Philippine Embassy and Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) officials and staff were at the airport to see them off. Members of the Alpha Phi Omega Kuwait Alumni Association 153 (APO-KAA 153) led by Sonny Mariano were also there to assist the OFWs in loading and unloading their baggage.

“We would like to thank the Kuwaiti government and the Ministry of Interior for their kindness in helping the stranded OFWs in their repatriation,” stated Dicang.

Most of the distressed OFWs worked as household service workers who were victims of nonpayment of salaries, fatigue, lack of food, physical, verbal and sexual abuse prompting them to escape from their employers and seek temporary refuge at the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) at the POLO in Jabriya.

The distressed OFWs beamed with happiness and excitement as they checked in at the airport. “I’m very happy that I will be with my family again and we would like to thank the Kuwaiti government and the Philippine embassy for helping us go home,” stated Consuelo Agcaoili, 32, who escaped from her employer due to physical abuse.

Meanwhile, former Philippine Labour Attache to Kuwait Vivo Vidal accompanied the first batch on their flight back to Manila after being recalled by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) along with Assistant Labour Attache Ofelia Castro Hudson and Welfare Officer Atty. William Merginio after allegations on human trafficking by some wards hurled against Hudson were reported in the Philippine media which the three POLO officials vehemently denied. “This is the second to the last batch of distressed OFWs that my team and I have worked for their repatriation. I’m happy that I’m flying back with them. I’m a good soldier and I just follow orders. I did all my best to help the distressed OFWs and I would like to thank the Filipino community for all their support during my tenure. It’s just unfortunate that we’ve been recalled as there are still a lot of things to be done. We hope that the repatriation continues under the leadership of the new Labour Attache,” he pointed out. Majority in the Filipino community had expressed to the Arab Times that Vidal being in command was just caught in between the personal rift of Hudson and Merginio that fueled the alleged human trafficking controversy resulting in their recall. The DOLE Fact Finding Team from Manila led by Director Leah Fortuna along with members Labor Arbiter Grace Tan, Director Ma. Celeste Valderrama, Atty Llewelyn Perez and Edwynpole Divinagracia arrived in Kuwait on June 2 to investigate the human trafficking allegations by some wards.

On the other hand, Labour Attache Dicang who replaced Vidal vowed to decongest the FWRC by implementing new guidelines and measures in the POLO. Currently, there are 288 distressed OFWs temporarily housed at the FWRC who are awaiting repatriation.

“I have met with the secretaries of manpower agencies in Kuwait and I informed them that we will not be processing the job orders or other documents of those agencies if one or more household service workers under their agency are stranded at the FWRC, not until they are repatriated back to the Philippines or their cases solved. There will be no exception,” he disclosed to the Arab Times. There are about 98 manpower agencies that are affected by this new directive.

Dicang who was formerly assigned in the Eastern Region in (Al Khobar) Saudi Arabia, appealed to the manpower agencies for understanding in helping solve the increasing number of stranded OFWs in the FWRC. “We want the manpower agencies to become active and more participatory. I hope they will understand our move and concern. All should be active, not only the government authorities but also the manpower agencies here and in the Philippines in helping us resolve the cases,” he stressed.
Dicang who assumed office on Sunday also called on the support of the Filipino community in Kuwait. “We hope we can galvanize the Filipino community to get together and be one, not only in helping the distressed OFWs but also other groups in the community by organizing developmental programs and livelihood programs. We can do a lot of things with the support of everyone,” he pointed out.