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Updated January 2024
Overseas Filipino Workers, commonly referred to as OFWs, are Filipino nationals who are working abroad. They can be people from different walks of life involved in a range of work, from construction workers to professional doctors. The Philippines had initially placed a ban on OFWs from working in Saudi Arabia.
As the country resumes the deployment of workers to the Middle East, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia have inked deals to assure the welfare of OFWs. Here are the latest updates released by both the governments and the latest updates on the resumption of OFWs to Saudi Arabia.
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OFW Saudi Arabia latest news 2024
As of the latest, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is actively working to address the long-pending issue of unpaid wages for 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the bankruptcy of their companies in 2015 and 2016.
DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac shared plans to reopen discussions with Saudi authorities in January, aiming to expedite the resolution process. Contact efforts are also underway to reach out to the beneficiaries. Cacdac emphasized that the Saudi side has confirmed the availability of funds, awaiting the mechanics of distribution to set the funds in motion.
In 2022, the Saudi government allocated 2 billion riyals (around ₱29.7 billion) to address the outstanding wages of OFWs from bankrupt construction firms. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed in October that Saudi Arabia has finalized the list of claimants and is actively processing the committed wages.
As initiatives unfold and discussions progress, there is optimism for a swift resolution to provide relief and justice to the affected OFWs in Saudi Arabia.
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OFW Saudi Arabia updates
DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan enumerated the labor reform measures jointly adopted by the Philippines and Saudi Arabia through a series of bilateral talks between the DMW and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD):
- a new Saudi-specific employment contract with insurance coverage for domestic workers and skilled workers that covers unpaid salaries, airfare, and recruitment costs refunded in case of unfinished contracts and other contingencies. The Saudi government will shoulder the insurance cost for skilled workers, while Saudi employers are mandated to pay for the insurance coverage of Filipino domestic workers.
- a pre-termination clause in the contract would specifically allow a domestic worker to transfer to or change employers before the end of the contract based on certain grounds, such as the non-payment of salary.
- the adoption of a joint alternative dispute settlement mechanism would facilitate a more transparent, fair, and amicable settlement of employment disputes.
- integration of the contract and implementation of the Wage Protection Program, which will regulate and ensure the timely payment of wages to all OFWs; and,
- direct referral of cases involving the trafficking and exploitation of OFWs to the MHRSD through its anti-human trafficking department.
All Saudi recruitment agencies will also have welfare desk offices (WEDO). The DMW and the Saudi government will likewise have blacklist and whitelist categories for recruitment agencies and employers. The blacklist will include abusive employers and agencies, while those who are following the rules and treating the workers properly will be on the whitelist.
Victims of human trafficking will be assisted by the Saudi government based on referrals from the DMW.
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The DMW assured that there would be no cases of OFWs in Saudi Arabia returning home without getting their salaries. Salary payments will be made via digital or electronic methods, which means concrete evidence if the salary is delayed or incorrect.
