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No sufficient funds for repatriated OFWs in Northern Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 2 (PNA) -- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 10 here has admitted that it does not have enough funds to extend assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Northern Mindanao who were sent home by their Arab employers, an official said Thursday.

Leonor Mabagal, officer-in-charge of OWWA-10, made the admission when more than a dozen OFWs from Northern Mindanao sought the help of OWWA-10 after they were sent home from the oil-rich country due to the failure of the Saudi government to pay their salaries.

Mabagal said that at present, the regional OWWA agency does not have sufficient financial assistance to the repatriated OFWs because the national OWWA office has not released the funds yet.

Despite the unavailability of the financial aid, former OFWs can still augment their livelihood either through borrowing at the government's Land Bank of the Philippines or avail of skills training at the Technical Skills and Development Authority (Tesda), Mabagal said.

During the dialogue with the OFWs at the OWWA-10 office, Mabagal assured the OFWs that they would assist them in obtaining loan.

“OFWs who have potential business endeavor may also apply for a livelihood loan ranging from PHP 100,000.00 to PHP 2 million under the OFW-Reintegration Program of OWWA in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines,” Mabagal said.

Jonas Rule, Migrante leader for the repatriated Saudi OFWs, said many of them have not received their wages for three to nine months since 2015.

Aside from the unpaid wages, the OFWs were not also paid their end of service payment and other benefits as most of them had already gone home, Rule said.

According to the Migrante group, some 11,000 workers from provinces in Region 10 were working in the Arab nation and employed by the Saudi Oger Ltd., Saudi Bin Laden Group, Mohammad Al Mojil Group and other firms, until the oil price crisis affected its economy. (PNA)
LAP/NYP/CD/JIGGER J. JERUSALEM

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