POEA MEMORANDUM EFFECTIVE 1ST APR2015 - ISSUANCE OF OEC INDEPENDENTLY

Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)

The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) is a requirement under the rules and regulations of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to help ensure that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are properly documented and protected.

The OEC, sometimes also called the “exit pass,” is required to be presented to international ports of exit in the Philippines as proof that the holder is a bona fide OFW. It is thus necessary when a Household Service Worker (HSW), or any OFW, goes back to the Philippines for home leave, if he/she intends to return back to the country of employment.

OEC holders are exempted from paying the travel tax and the airport terminal fee.

Under the latest POEA Memo, effective 1^st April 2015 OEC will be issued to vacationing workers separately from PHILHEALTH and PAG-IBIG payment collections. This means that the issuance of OEC is no longer tied up with the payment of fees for PHILHEALTH and PAG-IBIG. Read more >>> POEA MEMORANDUM - ISSUANCE OF OEC INDEPENDENTLY

OEC PROCESSING FOR VACATIONING OFWs FROM UAE

The Labor Offices of the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Embassy in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively reminds Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs), who are vacationing in the Philippines and returning to the same employer in the UAE, to secure a POEA travel exit clearance in order to be allowed to leave the Philippines.

The OEC, which has a validity of 60 days, can be obtained from POEA’s Head Office, regional centers, satellite units, and deputized OWWA offices, as well as Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in various Philippines Embassies and Consulates. POEA has already opened its One-Way Delivery System (Dropbox) at the Balik-Manggagawa Processing Division in POEA, and On-Line Application (www.oecdelivery.com.ph) as convenient and time-saving ways for OEC issuance.


OFWs in Dubai and the Northern Emirates who prefer to get the OEC from POLO-OWWA in  Dubai or Abu Dhabi must meet the following requirements:

REALITY NG BUHAY OFW - Part 2

Hard Part of Being an OFW is Leaving….

 Whenever I am alone I can’t help it but to recount past events in my life, asking questions and stupid enough in trying to find answers. Why am I here in a foreign land, totally different culture or should I say mix of cultures? Does my eldest daughter know that I have left them to provide for them?

 Will my four year old son still see me as his father? I was able to be with my family last April for a month and I am lucky enough that my boy and I didn’t have any trouble bonding, he has this charming character of being able to deal with strangers, yes I was a stranger to him because I left him when he was only 15 months old and have no memory of me. As for my daughter and even with my wife there was this awkwardness but with much effort I was able to patched up things and my vacation was enough to energize me for yet another year of being away from them.

It is unfair for OFWs to be treated as revenue mill or as OFWs consider themselves as government’s milking cow. With their dollar remittances that keep the Philippine economy afloat including the strengthening of peso against the dollar, it is unfortunate that the government continue to levy additional fees on this sector. Although OFWs do not oppose government’s plan to provide universal health insurance to the poor, it is immoral to use solidarity to burden the already suffering workers overseas.

REALITY NG BUHAY OFW - Part 1

This is my life... my story as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) abroad.

As they say, being an OFW is difficult. But behind every OFW, is a story that needs to be heard.

 

 

 I’ve been a witness to a lot of dramas that usually take place at the NAIA airport. Families hugging at the parking area, husbands, wives and children crying, and well-wishers who incessantly give requests and final instructions to their “dearly-departing”. Yes … overrated as it may sound, but for us OFWs, leaving is like a yearly trip to the lethal injection chamber. That’s why, teary-eyed, highly emotional and hyper-sensitive passengers normally roam around our busy airport every day, and that includes me.

 So to keep myself busy while waiting for my flight, I normally observe my fellow OFWs and most of the times have small chats with them especially with the first timers. Then, after the small talks, I would usually sit back and stare at the airplanes outside the departure gate thinking about the life I am about to embrace again going back to the foreign land.

 Honestly, the feeling is unbearable even since I started working abroad. That’s why, I cannot help but wonder how could someone who stayed for 25 years or more in the Middle East to bear to go through the same feeling (technically) for 25 times?

We have this notion that when someone is an OFW or based abroad, he or she is loaded. Not true. An OFW might earn from P50K-P300K a month, depending on the location. Those in Saudi Arabia or the United States might earn in the high range. But to say that they're 'rich' is a fallacy (amen!).There's no place like home.

For some OFW's the notion maybe true but for most it's a fallacy like what the author of the article where I got the excerpt said. I have seen the plight of some unfortunate Filipinos working here in Qatar and even heard of some earning as low as QR 700.00 that is roughly Php 8,360.00. Imagine the hardships and the sacrifices it takes just to earn that meagre amount so they can send money home. I just can't imagine how they are surviving with that salary as the cost of living here is relatively higher compare to Saudi Arabia. My food allowance here ranges from QR 500 to 700 depending on what I prepare for my meal. I don't even want to know what he or she may be eating on every meal. Just the thought makes me feel bad but for the sake of their love ones back in the Philippines they are willing to take and bear everything.

• If you go and work abroad, expect hard labor, not just strolling and shopping.
•  Salary value is not that high in the foreign country you will be in but it is a good money because you can support your family in the Philippines.

  Expect the worst but use your mind in everything you do. Do not let others discriminate you. Just learn to manage difficulties – away from home, family and working with different nationalities.

 Your employers give you the salary so spend wisely. Employers are not that emotional or sensitive to your needs. They just expect you to work. Use your other skills, they value the money that they give to you, so work hard for it.

• Don’t trust anyone quickly as not everyone could sympathize with you. You have to learn to face your own battles alone.

Imagine how hard it is to go and work abroad, just to earn money? People in the Philippines better show your OFW family the value that they should get in exchange to the hardships they experienced when they are working abroad.

OFWs standing in the queue at NAIA Immigration

OFWs going to OFW Lounge at NAIA for OEC Verification / Authentication hours before flight departure.

GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR OUTGOING FILIPINOS IN THE PHILS.

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): DOJ/BI' Latest Memo: Departure Formalities for Tou...: GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL-BOUND PASSENGERS IN ALL AIRPORTS AND SEAPORTS IN THE COUNTRY DOJ Manila Memorandum d...

A Guide for Non-Muslims: THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Though this year, 2012, expected to begin on July 21 and end August 18. The Islamic year has twelve lunar months, totalling 355 days. Each month starts on a new moon. This means that Ramadan begins about 10 days earlier each year. The Islamic New Year also advances by 10 days per year (compared with the Gregorian Calendar used in the West).

What happens during Ramadan?

Muslims mark Ramadan by fasting each day from sunrise to sunset. This is a strict fast - no food and no drink of any sort, not even water. It is hard for smokers, because that too is disallowed. The faithful rise early in the morning and take a meal, Suhoor, before dawn and first prayers. Their next meal is called Iftar and is taken after the sunset prayer. Within the faith, exceptions are made for the old and infirm, young children and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Throughout Ramadan, families get together to share food and company in the evenings and night-time, and the emphasis is always on reflection, prayer and charity. Ramadan is not a commercialised festival.

If you live in an Islamic country
Ramadan is enshrined in law; it is not simply a religious option. You are not obliged to fast, but you are required to respect the traditions. Here are some tips to avoid accidental offence:
•Take a good breakfast in the privacy of your apartment before venturing out for the day. If you must have lunch, take a packed lunch and find a private place to eat it. Better still, try to do without. Most of us carry a few extra pounds anyway.

•Don't snack - avoid coffees, sweets, gum, etc. during the day. Most of this is habit, rather than necessity, so it's a good discipline. You'll want to drink water. Try to find a private place.

•Try not to smoke. If you really must, find a private place, but also consider why you must!

•Be careful on the roads! Driving standards are low in the Gulf States at the best of times. Around sunset, the roads are full of people rushing home to break their day-long fast with their families. Many are dehydrated and very tired. Seriously - be careful!

UAE LABOUR LAW: GRATUITY / SEVERANCE PAY

Labour Law in the UAE  - Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 regulating labour relations as amended by Federal Laws Nos. 24 of 1981, 15 of 1985 and 12 of 1986 (the "Law").


According to Article 3 of the Law, the Law applies to all staff and employees working in the United Arab Emirates, whether UAE national or expatriate. However certain categories are exempted from its applicability:

1. Staff and workers employed by the federal government, government departments of the member-emirates, the municipalities, public bodies, federal and local public institutions and those staff and workers employed in federal and local governmental projects are exempt.
2. Members of the armed forces, police and security units.
3. Domestic servants and their like.
4. Agricultural workers and persons engaged in grazing (this exemption does not include persons who are employed in corporations which process agricultural products and or those who are permanently engaged in the operation of/or repair of machines required for agriculture.

GRATUITY / SEVERANCE PAY
 Section II, Article 132-141

Employee entitlement at the termination of the employment contract
The employee at the termination of the employment contract will be entitled for to the following:

1. A notice period, or any amount due in lieu of the notice period, in the case of an unlimited contract.
2. Compensation for the unreasonable dismissal if the contract was terminated by the employer for unreasonable cause, in the case of an unlimited contract.
3. In the case of a limited contract, compensation equivalent to the period until the end of the contract, or three month's salary whichever is greater.
4. Payments equivalent to the balance of unutilized leave or any part thereof.
5. Payments for overtime or any balance of wages due and not yet paid.
6. End of service gratuity calculated on the duration of the employment.
7. Repatriation expense as per the law or the contact.

End of service gratuity in terms of compensation
An employee who completes one year or more in continuous service shall be entitled to gratuity at the end of the service. The gratuity shall be calculated as follows:

1. 21 day's wages for each year of the first five years.
2. 30 day's wages for each additional year on condition that the total of the gratuity shall not exceed the wages of two years.

Gratuity Calculation
Gratuity is calculated on an annual basis if the employee has actually completed one year of employment with the employer or more. The day of absence from work without pay shall not be included in calculating the length of service. However, if the employee completed a year in service he will be entitled to a gratuity for the fraction of the year proportional for the part of the year he spent in work provided that he has completed one year in continuous service.

LATEST MEMO FROM DOJ/BI-MANILA: Guidelines on Departure Formalities for OFWs

GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL-BOUND PASSENGERS IN ALL AIRPORTS AND SEAPORTS IN THE COUNTRY
Latest Memorandum Dated 03 January 2012

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9208, otherwise known as the “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the “Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10022 and other related laws, the following guidelines, providing for definite parameters in the strict enforcement of immigration departure formalities intended for the prevention of trafficking in persons, illegal recruitment, and other related offenses, are hereby promulgated for strict implementation/compliance by all concerned:

OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS

• 1.First Time Overseas Filipino Workers

1.1 Travelers under this classification shall present the following documents as validated by the Labor Assistance Center (LAC):

• a) Passport
• b) Visa
• c) Airline/Sea craft Tickets
• d) Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)

1.2 Allowable Visa Usage (Based on POEA Rules and Regulations)

Should there be any discrepancy in the actual job position/job title in the visa and in the Overseas Employment Certificate, travel may nevertheless be allowed provided that the POEA through its LAC, has validated and approved the variance based on the following:

• a) The visa category is related to the workers’ position or in line with the principal’s nature of business;
• b) The recruitment agency executes an Undertaking on Visa Usage; and
• c) The worker is aware of the visa discrepancy situation and has executed a Declaration of Awareness and Consent.

1.3 Instance When Visa Usage is NOT Allowed (Based on POEA Rules and Regulaions)

The use of Visa Usage Undertaking (VUU), however, does not, and can never, apply to Household Service Workers (HSW). The visa category should be strictly for household-based positions, otherwise, a traveler will not be cleared for departure and the aforementioned documents shall be confiscated for further investigation and appropriate action.

1.4 For Acts Involving Reprocessing of Contracts and Other Documents

OFWs in possession of “reprocessed” documents shall not be cleared for departure.

Based on R.A. No. 10022, the following constitute acts of reprocessing:

• 1. The job description/position as indicated in the work visa is different from all other pertinent documents such as the Overseas Employment Certificate, the PDOS Certificate, among others;
• 2. The actual job as promised or offered is different from the actual overseas work as indicated in the pertinent papers; and
• 3. The name of the employer or hiring company as indicated in the work visa and/or OEC are not one and the same.

All documents used under the afore-mentioned provision shall be confiscated and turned over to the POEA for further investigation and appropriate action.

• 2. Balik-manggagawa/ Returning Workers

THE OFW PROJECT: Coca-Cola Where Will Happiness Strike Next

Coca-Cola is the most popular and biggest-selling soft drink in history, as well as the best-known product in the world.

Created in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coca-Cola was first offered as a fountain beverage by mixing Coca-Cola syrup with carbonated water. Coca-Cola was introduced in 1886, patented in 1887, registered as a trademark in 1893 and by 1895 it was being sold in every state and territory in the United States. In 1899, The Coca-Cola Company began franchised bottling operations in the United States.

Reminder for Balik Manggawa: OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE: OFW ADVISORY FROM POEA OFW VERIFICATION BALIK-MANGGAGAWA THROUGH POEA, PHILS. PHIL EMBASSY / POLO ABU DHABI LOCATION MAP...

SAUDI ARABIA: COMPUTER COURSES FOR FILIPINOS

RIYADH: Filipino expatriates in the Kingdom who want to enhance their technical skills now have the opportunity to enroll in computer cluster courses.

The courses are offered by the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc. (COMSOFIL-CENTRAL), a Riyadh-based professional organization composed of volunteer IT experts.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino expatriates, active and inactive members who are currently working and residing in the Kingdom who wants to enhance their technical knowledge and improve their level of  expertises and professional career, may now have the opportunity to enroll  and choose any of the computer cluster courses offered by the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc. (COMSOFIL-CENTRAL).

As part of the organization’s lofty mission-vision to professionalized OFWs in the Kingdom and to prepare them for their eventual  return to the country, the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc.,(a Riyadh-based professional organizations composed of Volunteer professional IT experts and specialists in the Kingdom, will conduct a 3-month in-house intensive cluster seminars on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) starting September 23, 2011 to December 9, 2011.

OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE

  

MARCH 2011 - OFW ADVISORY FROM POEA
OFW VERIFICATION
BALIK-MANGGAGAWA THROUGH POEA, PHILS.
PHIL EMBASSY / POLO ABU DHABI LOCATION MAP
OFW INFOSHEET FOR OEC APPLICATION
PAG-IBIG / HDMF MEMBERSHIP FORM

Schedule of Services

Philippine Embassy / Consulate, UAE

• Passport renewal:Sunday to Thursday ( 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:30pm)
• Notarial Services: Sunday to Thursday ( 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:30pm)
• Visa Application: Sunday to Thursday ( 9:00am to 12:00pm)

BALIK-MANGGAGAWA PROCESSING IN THE UAE

New POLO-OWWA Office - location map

This refers to the various email received by POLO and being circulated inquiring the new requirements of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) for our departing OFWs here in the UAE for their vacation leave to the Philippines.


Please take note that our requirements for OFWs who are applying for Balik-Manggagawa/OWWA and Pag-Ibig are as follows:

Advisory on Online Registration for Filipinos

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has launched an online registration for all Filipinos in Saudi Arabia as mandated by Philippine regulations.

The link to the online registration is available on the websites of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah... > FOR FILIPINOS IN SAUDI ARABIA

http://www.philembassy-riyadh.org/

http://www.pcgjeddah.org/

On the site, to reach the link and the registration page, please click on the image below on the homepage.

VARIOUS OFW FORMS

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): LATEST OFW FORMS: "ePassport Application Form OWWA Membership Form OFW Information Sheet for OEC Application Pag-IBIG Member's Data Form (MDF) Pag-IBIG Member..."

SAUDI ARABIA: ROYAL PARDON COVERAGE & OVERSTAYERS REPATRIATION PROCEDURES

PHL Embassy Riyadh Advisory No. 007-2011

Last Update: 26 January 2011

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh recalls that the Saudi Government had graciously announced on 22 September 2010 a Royal Pardon or Amnesty for a period of six months for those who overstayed their visas and violated residency rules.

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh immediately sent on 22 September 2010 a Note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to clarify the coverage and procedures for the Royal Pardon. The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah sent a note on the same subject to the Saudi MFA Makkah Branch on 25 September 2010.

Procedures to avail of Royal Pardon for Overstayers (Hajj, Umrah and Visit Visa]

On 1 January 2011, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh received the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ reply in Note No. 94/77/21403 dated 19 Muharram 1432 Hejira [25 December 2010] with the following information:

Ø       With reference to those who violated their hajj, umrah and visit visa, their fingerprints shall be taken by the Wafeeden Departments and then they shall be processed accordingly and allowed to leave.

Ø       With reference to those who are visitors [on family visit visa], They should proceed to the Directorate for Passports [Jawazat],

Ø       They should settle fees for extension of the visit visa [penalty is SR200 per month.  The SR10,000 penalty has been suspended for the period of the Royal Pardon.]

Ø       Their status should be corrected at the computer database [of the Directorate for Passports]

Ø       The visit visa holder is also required to present him or herself to the General Directorate for Passports or Jawazat in the respective regions for biometrics [fingerprinting] and finalization of his repatriation.

According to the authorities, all overstaying nationals, including those availing of the Royal Pardon, will be blacklisted from returning to the Kingdom.  Overstaying foreign nationals apprehended after the 23 March 2011 will be required to pay a heavy penalty and may be subject to imprisonment.

In its reply, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not include any mention of those with expired iqamas; those who came to the Kingdom for employment with a sponsor and have stayed beyond the validity of their iqama; or those who absconded from their original employer and seek repatriation.  It is therefore clear that, as mentioned in various news reports, absconding workers or TNTs are not included in the Royal Pardon or “Amnesty”.

Requirements for Repatriation of Overstayers – With Sponsor

Various officials of the Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in Riyadh, Al-Khobar and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah have made representations with the Saudi concerned authorities, particularly the General Directorate for Passports [Jawazat] and the Directorate for Expatriates [Wafeedin] and have been informed of the existing requirements for repatriation of absconding foreigners.

AMNESTY / DEPORTATION GUIDELINES FOR OVERSTAYING VISITORS IN KSA

PCG Jeddah Advisory No. 2011/001

Last Update: 07 January 2011

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) recently issued a set of procedures for the deportation of visitors with expired umrah, hajj or visitor visa. The guideline that was issued is Circular Note No. 91/74/27523/31 and it aims to inform all Consulates in Saudi Arabia about the Royal Amnesty that they are granting for all overstayers. The Royal Amnesty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was announced last September 23, 2010 and is effective from September 25, 2010 until March 23, 2011.
 
The amnesty is given to overstayers who would voluntarily go to the authorities and to those who are detained for illegal stay. Part of the reason why the amnesty was granted is to solve the problem of overcrowding at the Jeddah Deportation Centers. Listed below are the guidelines for the Royal Amnesty:
 
1. For violations of the Saudi Law No. M/51 dated 21/8/1426H Police authorities will provide the Saudi Labor Offices with copy of the police report on cited violations.

The Saudi Labor Office will then decide on the overstayers' labor cases by applying applicable regulations.

The Saudi Labor Office shall also inform the sponsors of the overstayers to present themselves to the Saudi Labor Office.

The overstayers may continue working until their labor cases are resolved.
 
 
2. For violations of legal residents and Saudi nationals (without distinction) such as employing, transporting, helping or harboring those with no legal iqamas such as Hajj or umrah pilgrims or visitors or tourists and the like The arresting authority will surrender the violator to the Directorate for Expatriates (Wafeeden) of the General Directorate of Passports.

The Wafeeden Directorate shall conduct an investigation and shall take the biometric information (fingerprinting and eye scan) of the individual

 
The Wafeeden Directorate may release the violator after presentation of guarantee (kafala) and penalty acceptable to the GDP (Jawazat) after it assured that any decision issued by the Administrative Committee of the General Directorate for Passports (Jawazat), either for repatriation or imprisonment, may be implemented.
 
 
3. For violators of the terms of the hajj, umrah, visitor or tourist visa Upon arrest, the police authorities will turn them over to immigration authorities for investigation and biometric documentation (fingerprinting).

The owner of the hajj, umrah, tourist company or the visitor's sponsor shall be summoned by the Jawazat and shall be asked to provide their passports and airline tickets.

The Jawazat will issue deportation visas and will release the violators under the guarantee of a sponsor who must submit proof of their departure within two (2) weeks of such issuance.

Failure on the part of the sponsor to submit proof of the departure could result in the suspension of his personal records and activities in the government's computer system.
 

4. For those who overstayed their umrah/hajj visas but who voluntarily surrender For those who present their original passports and tickets, the Directorate for Expatriates (Wafeeden) of the General Directorate for Jawazat shall subject them to investigation and routine security checks before they are issued exit visas and are allowed to depart.

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): MISSING OFW: LINA PENOTE

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): MISSING OFW: LINA PENOTE: "Photo of the missing OFW, Lina Penote MISSING OFW: LINA C. PENOTE has been missing since 2005. This was the last contact from her by her family..."

FILIPINOS IN UAE STRUGGLE WITH BI' NEW SPONSORSHIP REQUIREMENTS

  


Hundreds line up in front of the Philippine Consulate to get their paperwork done

 Re-introduction of unpopular requirement for Filipinos sponsoring relatives causes a great deal of inconvenience.

Dubai: It's 6.30am and Flor, a Filipina airline executive in her 36th week of pregnancy, is outside the gates of the Philippine Consulate at Al Ghusais, Dubai.

She is not alone. There are another 100 people waiting outside. The queue gets longer by the hour and swells up to 300 people by 8.30am when the gates open. By then, three lines have formed outside the gate, but no one from the Consulate ventures out.

Such scenes, normally witnessed only during amnesty periods, are now a regular feature outside the Consulate — thanks to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) authorities in Manila re-introducing the affidavit of support requirement in September for Filipinos sponsoring relatives visiting Dubai.

Time-consuming affair
"I didn't know it takes two weeks to get this simple paperwork done. By then I would have delivered my baby," said Flor, who was there with regard to her mother's visit. "My mum should have been here. There was no prior announcement, no mention of this requirement on its site," she said.

84 OFW cleaners in UAE claim exploitation

ABS-CBN NEWS: 84 OFW cleaners in UAE claim exploitation
AJMAN, United Arab Emirates - More than 80 Filipino workers have taken up legal action against their employer who abandoned them in Ajman.

The case filed by the 84 school cleaners against the Lovito Cleaning Services before the Ministry of Labor was elevated to the Dubai Labor Court. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) is now following up the case.

“Kini-case namin iyon. Ituloy ang case, i-update sila sa mga mangyayari kasi inaantay nila ang judgment. 'Yon lang ang makakapag-palaya sa amin sa penalty at makakapag-desisyon kung ano talaga ang para sa amin, kung dapat pa ba kaming magtrabaho o pauwiin na nila kami,” said one of the workers, Ma. Elena Amba.

The workers claimed their employer failed to pay them their wages for several months and then abandoned them.

“Ang trabaho namin school cleaner. Nakasaad po doon, 8 hours magtatrabaho; overtime, [may] bayad. Matatanggap na sahod, 1,700 Dirhams. Libre accommodation. Pero nong dumating, 700 lang ang sweldo. At nag-e-excess sa maximum na oras na dapat pasukan, hindi bayad. At pag nagkasakit, obligado pa na magpagamot sa sarili,” said Cindy Rodriguez.
>>> Read more