OFWs stranded in UAE worried about running out of money

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been stranded for almost a month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday worried over running out of money as they faced the possibility of staying another three months in the country.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras,” Hazel Mae Umali has been stranded in the UAE for three weeks since her contract as a retail assistant ended on May 31.

Though she and other OFWs tried to get listed in a repatriation program at the Philippine Embassy, they were told that the application may take up to six months.

“‘Yung application po for repatriation will take three to six months, and according to the Philippine Embassy, nasa 4,000 pa ‘yung pending application ng repatriation dito,” Umali said.

(The application for repatriation will take three to six months, and according to the Philippine Embassy, there are around 4,000 pending applications for repatriation.)

Umali said the money she saved up to take back home was running out. She also worried over the fines the OFWs would have to pay the UAE's immigration service as their visas had expired.

“Dahil po may travel ban sa pilipinas, patuloy pa rin po ‘yung pag fa-fine nila sa amin. lalo na po sa mga expired, overstaying. Everyday po, may fine po yun,” she said.

(Because of the travel ban, they continue to give us fines, especially for those with expired visas or those overstaying. There’s a fine every day.)

Umali said almost all of them have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and that they were ready to follow the health protocols in the country.

“Sinasabi nila mga OFW ang bagong bayani kaya lang bakit parang pinagkakaitan kami na makapasok sa sarili nating bansa,” she said.

(They say that OFWs are the new heroes but why does it seem like they’re preventing us from entering our own country?)

The UAE was included in the Philippines’ list of countries with travel restrictions due to coronavirus variants.

The Inter-Agency Task Force, however, clarified that the travel restriction did not cover OFWs.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippine government was ready to facilitate the request of the stranded OFWs.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello had also ordered the labor official at the UAE to address the concerns of the stranded OFWs. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News