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MANILA, Philippines — Although still unsure when, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has promised him that it will settle the unpaid wages of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced when companies in the Kingdom declared bankruptcy in 2015 and 2016.
The Presidential Communications Office said Marcos told reporters the news after being asked to provide updates on the government’s efforts on ensuring that the wages will be given to the OFWs.
At the sidelines of his attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, the President said that the Saudi government is now processing the details of the back wages.
“We are already coming to the point na ‘yung detalye na lang ang pinag-uusapan. ‘Yung listahan ng mga claimant ay nalinis na, maayos na. And we are just waiting for the details to be worked out between the Saudi side,” he said.
(We are already coming to the point that the details are already discussed. The list of claimants is already cleared. And we are just waiting for the details to be worked out between the Saudi side.)
The Palace noted that while further details about the settlement issues cannot be disclosed, the President said that it will surely push through, and will soon be accomplished.
“I cannot say because it also depends on the internal processes in Saudi Arabia. But, again, I know for a fact that they will be paid. It’s just a question of when,” Marcos added.
The communications office also recalled that in 2022, during a bilateral meeting with the President at the APEC Summit in Thailand, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia committed some 2 billion riyals for OFWs who were affected when their construction firms went bankrupt.