DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Presidential Adviser on OFW (overseas Filipino workers) Affairs Abdullah Mamao said the repatriation proceedings for stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia have started.
In a statement sent to the Inquirer, Mamao, who recently flew to Saudi Arabia and visited various camps for distressed OFWs in Riyadh and Jeddah, said a step-by-step template will be followed in the repatriation proceedings.
Earlier, Consul General and officer-in-charge Iric Arribas said that Mamao arrived in Saudi Arabia last Monday and immediately visited camps where distressed OFWs had been staying.
“On hand to help Philippine missions in the Kingdom is presidential adviser on OFWs Abdullah Mamao, whose mandate is to repatriate all distressed OFWs in the Kingdom,” Arriba said.
Mamao said during his visit to the camps with Dr. Abdul Hannan Tago of the Diversified Movement of Empowered Migrants, formerly known as the Duterte Middle East Movement (DMEM), he told the distressed OFWs that they have two options: to go home or work for other companies in Saudi Arabia.
He said in both cases, the Saudi government expressed willingness to help. RAM/rga
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