By Sunday Post
Rep. Edgar Chatto’s compassion and concern for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress are again tested by his rescue of a
Boholana maid from suffering in Kuwait.
The congressman caused the immediate return here of ill Lorna Oponda Ladaga against the stubborn demand of her Arab employer that she must first “repay†him P80,000 before she could get home.
The amount would serve as reimbursement for the expenses supposedly incurred by her employer in processing her working visa and “penalty†for unfinished job contract.
The 33-year-old OFW from Poblacion, Garcia-Hernandez began working in the Arab land just late last February, but two weeks later she suddenly started to feel constant pain on her abdomen.
Ladaga was accordingly diagnosed by a doctor there for “infection†traced to her caesarian operation here almost two years ago. She could hardly do her Kuwait house chores for biting pain.
She begged to be repatriated for emergency treatment back home, but her employer trashed her plea until she could give him the amount he demanded.
Her husband Stephen thus sought help from Chatto, who had the migrant worker’s case immediately raised to the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait thru the Department of Foreign Affairs and other concerned agencies.
The Boholana maid kept working even if the gnashing pain steadily swallowed her desire of staying there long obviously to earn for her family in Bohol.
She had to go upstairs as often as possible to serve her employer and his family who stayed on the fourth storey of their residential building.
Ladaga happens to have a sister-in-law, Sherlyn, who is also working as a househelp in Kuwait. In fact, the boss of Sherlyn is a close relative to the employer of Ladaga.
Extremely worried of the pitiful condition of her brother’s wife, Sherlyn had to take care of Ladaga while herself begging the latter’s employer to allow her in-law’s repatriation in soonest time.
The Kuwaiti would accept P30,000 as an advance payment so that his poor and sick servant could return home, but on a term that he would then collect the P50,000 balance right from Sherlyn.
Ladaga’s husband wrote to Chatto for help, confiding that on his own he could not “redeem†his precious wife---and most precious mother to his child---from her master.
The congressman made known to the concerned Philippine government agencies his instant concern of having the OFW immediately flown back here for necessary medical attention before all efforts might be too late.
Congress recently approved on third and final reading the Chatto bill extending more protection to the OFWs, whose foreign earnings have helped their motherland’s economy afloat.
The said bill penalizes, either by suspension or dismissal from office, any officials or personnel of concerned government arms who are found negligent of their duties to protect the OFWs and secure their welfare.
Finally, Ladaga’s husband contacted Chatto’s district office here on Monday and happily, gratefully informed that his OFW wife had just gone home. (Ven rebo Arigo)
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