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MANILA, Philippines?The Philippine consulate general in Dubai has advised the 137 Filipino drivers stranded in the United Arab Emirates to go back to the Philippines after learning that the employment offers made by a Philippine-based licensed recruitment agency were non-existent.
Ed Malaya, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Dubai had already repatriated 15 of the 137 Filipino drivers.
He said that 10 left for Manila on April 14 while five were repatriated the following morning.
The 137 victims of bogus job offers applied with CYM International Services after receiving flyers distributed at various terminals announcing the availability of 4,000 jobs for bus drivers through Dubai?s Road and Transport Authority (RTA).
Upon arriving in Dubai, however, they learned that RTA, a well-respected government agency, was not aware of such recruitment efforts and was not in a hiring mode.
According to the consulate, the bus drivers, most of whom came from Central Luzon, were promised good-paying jobs in exchange for a placement fee of P150,000.
Running low on funds, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-government organization helping abused OFWs, said the stranded drivers had reportedly resorted to raiding the dumpsite near their living quarters for tin cans and metal scraps that they can sell so they could have money to buy food.
The center said the workers were living in horrible conditions?their building relies on a generator set that delivers electricity only 3 to 4 hours a day; water supply is scarce; and is located in front of a smelly garbage dumpsite.
