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MANILA, Philippines — Saudi Arabia has asked the Philippine government for more time to arrange the visit of Philippine delegates, headed by Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople.
Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople revealed this on Tuesday, saying that the Saudi government is still finalizing the details of the Philippine delegation’s trip to the kingdom.
“They requested more time to arrange our visit dahil ‘yung sa unpaid claims, hindi pala sa kanila ‘yun nakaatang,” Ople said in a Palace briefing.
(They requested more time to arrange our visit because the unpaid claims issue is not within their purview.)
“They wanted time for certain arrangements to be made so that when I go there I will be able to meet with the right person in the office of the Crown Prince,” she added.
She said Saudi’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, which is the DMW’s counterpart there, will give the itinerary and schedule of the trip “within the week.”
Ople is set to discuss with the proper department the unpaid wages of several overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). She, however, refused to give further details as to the amount that OFWs will receive or the timeframe of the settlement of the issue, saying that this is an “emotionally charged” issue.
“I want to be very cautious and prudent na gusto ko ‘pag nakausap ko na, saka kami mag-release ng information kasi emotionally charged ‘yung issue,” she said.
(I want to release information once we have already talked with the Saudi government since the issue is emotionally charged.)
“Wala akong sasabihin about it until we finally meet in Saudi Arabia with the officials that are tasked to work this out with us. Until then, hindi na muna kami magbibigay ng any specifics, out of respect na rin sa aming kakausapin sa Saudi Arabia,” Ople added.
(I am not saying anything about it until we finally meet in Saudi Arabia with the officials concerned. Until then, we will not be giving any specifics, out of respect for them.)
In November last year, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has pledged to give 2 billion Saudi riyals or P30.5 billion to settle the unpaid salaries of OFWs there.
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the promise to President Marcos during bilateral talks at the just concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperations Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ople earlier said that the amount would be given to 10,000 displaced OFWS.
It wasn’t the first time the Saudi government made the pledge.
In October 2021, former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said his Saudi counterpart, then Labor Minister Ahmed al-Rajhi, offered to pay P4.6 billion for the claims of 11,000 OFWs by December 2021.
This was in exchange for lifting the suspension on Arab recruitment agencies that were responsible for the deployment of the displaced OFWs.