The initial group of displaced Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) receives compensation for their employment from Saudi Arabia.

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Hans Leo Cacdac, serving as the Officer in Charge of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), recently briefed the press at the DMW headquarters regarding updates on Filipino nationals and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by the Israel-Gaza conflict. Cacdac emphasized the government’s efforts in preparing for the repatriation of OFWs caught in the conflict, including organizing flights for their return.

Regarding OFWs previously affected by the bankruptcy of Saudi construction firms in 2015 and 2016, the DMW announced that another group of displaced workers would soon receive payouts for their unpaid wages and other entitlements. Cacdac mentioned that approximately 400 checks would be distributed in the upcoming month, supplementing the already distributed 1,500 checks.

The first batch of checks, totaling 1,104 claimants and amounting to P868.7 million, had been cleared by the Alinma Bank in Saudi Arabia and transmitted to the Overseas Filipino Bank, with 843 claimants already receiving and clearing their checks, equivalent to around P700 million.

Cacdac assured that the remaining 300 checks from the first batch would be distributed in the coming weeks. Additionally, in the third quarter of 2023, the DMW submitted a list of 10,554 displaced Saudi OFW claimants to Saudi authorities for verification.

Cacdac acknowledged ongoing challenges, such as facilitating payouts to heirs of deceased claimants and resolving discrepancies between OFWs’ real names and the names on their checks. He reiterated the commitment to working with Saudi counterparts to resolve these issues and ensure that OFWs and their families receive their long-awaited wages and benefits.