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Pinoy Abroad

Binay to fly to Qatar, Saudi to check on OFWs


Vice President Jejomar Binay will be visiting Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this week to look into the situation of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) there. “It is to the best interest of the Philippines and the two countries to reach a common ground on issues affecting Filipino workers," said Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, in a statement released Monday. Binay, who will leave for Qatar on March 29 and will proceed to Saudi Arabia on April 1, said that among the issues that he hopes to discuss with Saudi officials is a recent decision to ban the deployment of domestic helpers there. “Our government is willing to dialog with the government of Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns as well as our position on bilateral labor issues," he said. He said he will also be extending the “appreciation" of the Philippine government for the pardon granted by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz to some jailed and overstaying Filipinos there last September. “It is our hope that His Excellency will again show his benevolence so that our (other) kababayan (fellow Filipinos) may (also) be allowed to rejoin their families in the Philippines," he said. Aside from meetings with labor officials, Binay will also meet with various Filipino communities and visit OFWs who sought shelter at the Bahay Kalinga centers run by the Philippine labor department in Saudi. “My visit to Saudi Arabia will not be complete without the chance to interact with our fellow Filipinos," he said. There are close to 1.8 million OFWs in Saudi Arabia, while there are around 280,000 Filipinos working in Qatar. - Kimberly Jane Tan/GMA News

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