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DOLE suspends job applications for four KSA firms

CEBU CITY: The processing of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) applications of workers bound to four watch-listed employers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been suspended, according to an official.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Regional Center for Visayas Chief Evelia Durato during the Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) meeting of DOLE-7 said, they will be holding the processing of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who maybe newly-hired or workers-on-leave who are bound to four KSA-based companies, reported Philippine Information Agency.

These companies are Mohammad Al Mojil Group (MMG), Mohammad Al Bargash Contracting (MHB Corporation), Saudi Bin Ladin Group (SBG, and Saudi Oger Limited (SOG), the report said.

Durato added that they received an advisory from their head office indicating recent verified reports which include hundreds of OFWs from said employers who have not been paid their salaries and have remained stranded in KSA.

“Considering the recent developments and concerns about the welfare of workers, these employers have been put on watch list. For the meantime, we will not process OEC applications of OFWs who are intending to go back to said employers,” she reportedly said.
DOLE-7 Labor Communication Officer Luchel Taniza said the advisory has been disseminated to all POEA regional and extension offices and to the Balik Manggagawa Assistance Center.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued an advisory for the holding of deployment and processing of OECs for OFWs who will work in the Republic of South Sudan due to the country’s prevailing security situation, according to the overseas employment administration official.

Durato stressed DFA has raised the crisis alert level of South Sudan to alert level 4, which means either Mandatory Repatriation and/or Total Ban on OFW Deployment shall be put in place.

OEC is a requirement under POEA rules and regulations to ensure that OFWs are properly documented and protected, said the news portal.

Only OFWs are required to get an OEC, Taniza reportedly said.

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