After online media reports of Filipinos scavenging for food in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that they are working on arranging flights to help bring home the affected workers.
According to Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa, they are in discussions with the company to facilitate the evacuation of the affected workers and 280 staffers who also want to return to the country. As of writing, a flight has already been scheduled for the workers.
Food and money have also been given to the workers in the online media reports. Mustafa added that while the workers have been provided with a food allowance from the company, they were given an amount lower than what was promised and was not enough to provide for their everyday needs.
The labor official also noted that they are also working on arranging mercy flights for the 23,000 displaced workers in Saudi Arabia. In a virtual press briefing held this morning, Mustafa noted that they were able to send home 2,700 displaced workers through flights arranged by DOLE, Department of Foreign Affairs and the workers’ companies.
Header photo by Marianne Bermudez of Inquirer.net
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Writer: ANGELA PATRICIA SUACILLO
