By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Showing compassion in line with the spirit of Christmas, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Monday (18 December 2023), distributed P55,000 to each of the abused Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Those with children received an additional P5,000.
Maharlika NuMedia learned that the 50 OFWs were recipients of financial assistance from the government’s “Pamaskong Salubong 2023” program.
The “Pamaskong Salubong” is a yearly program of the government as a way of showing appreciation for the OFWs’ contribution to the country.
One of these distressed OFWs was Jeanie Banaag, 44, who experienced maltreatment during her three months in Riyadh.
She claimed that her employer did not give her food and locked her inside the house.
This compelled Banaag to seek help from the Philippine Embassy which immediately took action and helped her get home.
With her harrowing experience, Banaag remarked that she would no longer work abroad and would try to make ends meet in the Philippines for her child.
Even the vacationing migrant workers were also welcomed by a choir and received loot bags from the “Pamaskong Salubong” program.
(ai/mnm)
