Tulfo lambasts DMW officials over 'unrealistic' promise to ex-Saudi OFWs

MANILA — Officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) received a mouthful from Sen. Raffy Tulfo during a committee hearing Thursday.

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This, upon learning that the DMW's 2022 announcement that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will finally settle the unpaid salaries of around 10,000 displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the said country has yet to materialize.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. made the announcement last November, after his bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Aside from the President, DMW Secretary Toots Ople also made the announcement last November.

“Marami sa ating mga OFWs nagtatanong na, excited na pero hindi pa sumasayad ang bayad sa kanilang kamay... When you say ‘malapit,’ malapit nang next month, malapit nang next year? O malapit nang isang dekada pa?" Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, asked DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia.

Olalia replied: "May parating po silang napakataas na minister dito po sa ating bansa ngayong taon. At yun pong minister na yun ay inaasahan po nating makikipagpulong sa ating mahal na Presidente at may good news po siya."

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Olalia’s answer did not satisfy Tulfo, who insisted that a specific date is needed by the affected OFWs.

“Ang siste nito, ina-announce-announce nyo tapos binulong nyo pa siguro kay Presidente (Marcos), pati si Presidente nag-announce na rin. Eh baka pati yung mga tao maasar kay Presidente. Huwag ganun,” the senator said.

In defense, Olalia said that their announcement did not mention any specific date.

In the same hearing, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega disclosed that the Philippine Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia has already stated that expecting the settlement of unpaid salaries this year is “not realistic.”

“The DFA will be frank, will be honest sa ating mga kababayan. Early this year, our embassy reported that it is not realistic the payment to come this year... However, that was before Mr. Olalia went to Saudi Arabia some months ago to discuss this matter. Ang agreement was it would be DMW handling this... Maybe they have other information,” De Vega disclosed.

This prompted Tulfo to confront Olalia regarding the supposed bleak promise to unpaid OFWs.

“Next time tell your boss na huwag basta ibuka ang bibig kung hindi siya sigurado... Kawawa naman pala. You gave them false hope,” Tulfo suggested to Olalia, referring to DMW Secretary Ople.

OFW HOSPITAL

In the same hearing, lawmakers questioned why there is only one OFW Hospital in the country, located in Pampanga, given the bulk of Filipino migrant workers.

Majority of OFWs are also unaware of the hospital’s existence, the legislators pointed out.

But according to DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac, the land where the hospital stands now was only donated by the local government of Pampanga.

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Contributions to put up the actual structure came from various donors, which included the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

“Akalain mo 200 personnel, dalawang pasyente lang inaasikaso. Ang mga doctor doon, nakatayo lang. Exagg (exaggerated) na to, pero ang mga doctor at nurses doon nakatingin lang sa ceiling, nagbibilang ng butiki... May patakaran daw kasi pag Sabado bawal at kailangan ikaw ay mag-register to make an appointment,” Tulfo said.

“And I found out, three months pa bago mabigyan ng appointment,” he added.

Cacdac assured the panel that the issues are already being addressed.

“May improvements, may existing partners na po kami with UP-PGH... Yung procurement concerns ay naresolba na po... Ang appointments binibigyan na po ang out-patient sa weekend,” Cacdac said.

Still, Tulfo wanted to see a fully-booked 68-bed OFW Hospital.