MANILA, July 18, 2011—If Saudization scheme is not affecting Filipino professionals in the Kingdom, think again. The number of illegally terminated Filipino workers had already reached 31, and that number, said Migrante-Middle East, will continue to rise as the Saudi Labor Ministry intensifies the implementation of Nitaqat system in order to give jobs to their nationals.
In an email, Migrante-ME regional coordinator John Leonard C. Monterona said that the Philippine Labor Department should proactively assist those affected by the Saudization scheme and be true to its words that there are jobs waiting for the terminated Pinoys in Saudi in the Philippines.
“Recent addition to the information we are receiving [about the mass termination] are Filipino nurses working in government and private hospitals in Jeddah, western part of Saudi Arabia,” Monterona revealed to CBCPNews.com.
But Monterona admits that these reports are yet to be verified with the Philippine Embassy officials in Jeddah.
“I’m trying to call Philippine Labor attaché Vicente Cabe, but to no avail. I need to inform him about these reports and confirm if this information are true. If true, then he should be devising plans in order to help these laid off nurses,” he said.
On the other hand, Migrante-ME has also set-up its own hotline to assist migrants in Saudi if ever they are terminated by their employers.
Dubbed as “Sagip Migrante,” the project aims to document, consolidate reports and to refer laid off migrants to concerned government agency for legal and economic assistance.
“If they have concerns, problems or reports, they can reach us here through mobile numbers 00966535921228 and 00966564978012. For the families of affected OFWs in the Philippines, they can reach our Manila central office through phone number +63921 270 9079 and +63932 399 5952,” Monterona said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
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