Visiting Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola has appealed for more volunteers to come to the aid of distressed compatriots who mostly entered UAE on a visit visa and ended up under the care of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Administraton (POLO-OWWA) awaiting repatriation.
“We’d like to appeal for volunteers to I receive ATN (Assistance to Nationals) requests every day in Manila. We really need volunteers. Sabi nga nila, we are just one body, one nation. Kapag nasasaktan ang isa, nasasaktan lahat,” Arriola told The Filipino Times.
“Siguro kung may free time, kahit taga-sagot lang ng hotlines. Donations for those who are in jail, hospital visits, information dissemination against coming here on visit visa. Kasi nagsisimula yung problema talaga kapag pumapasok ka sa bansa nang undocumented. While we don’t encourage it, we are doing our best to help the victims. Kailangan talaga na magkaisa ang community sa pagsasabing wag nyong gagawin iyan,” she added.
Arriola made Dubai the first leg of her delegaiton’s visit between August 3 to August 6 during which she held separate talks with officials of the Philippine mission and the Filipino community leaders.
“The condition of the victims of illegal recruitment are the most distressful because most of them ran away from their employers, and in the process, injure themselves. In fact, we have visited one who broke her leg because she leaped from the building where she was staying at. We also visited those (who were detained) at the immigration. We visited Rashid Hospital. These are also a cause of concern for us,” Arriola said.
The undersecretary added, although the government’s priority is to help repatriate the runaways, it is also discouraging Filipinos not to come to the UAE on visit visa for the purpose of seeking jobs.
“Our priority is to get them home first. But we are discouraging those who come here as tourists to look for jobs. Kailangan talaga may papel sila mula sa POEA. Because that’s where all the problems start,” she said.
The Philippine Embassy and Consulate General have repatriated over 600 distressed Filipinos during the first half of the year.
