OWWA to fly home Dubai OFW with stage 4 cervical cancer

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Philippine government will fly home a 37-year-old Filipina diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer as hospitals here have declined to admit her for lack of insurance coverage, a Filipino official said.

Labor attache John Rio Bautista told GMA News Online that preparations were already underway to transport Grace Agudo Garciano, a domestic helper who made a public appeal for help as she could no longer continue hospitalization as a charity patient.

"Target date ng repatriation ay January 7. Sagot ng Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ang plane ticket," Bautista said.

(The target date of repatriation is January 7. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will shoulder her plane ticket.)

"Mas mabuti na 'yun. Kung may sakit, mahal sigurado ang insurance. Pre-existing pa lang mataas na, ganito pang may sakit na?"

(It's better that way. If afflicted with a disease, insurance coverage is high. Payment for pre-existing medical conditions is already high, what more in her case?)

Garciano could not be happier. 

"Opo, masaya po. Makaka-uwi at makapagpagamot na po dun sa 'Pinas," she said. 

(Yes, I am happy. I can go home and have my medication there in the Philippines.)

Her cancer progressed as her employer allegedly failed to get her an insurance policy that would have allowed her to secure treatment.

Cancer

Bautista said the DMW's Migrant Workers Office (MWO) handles many cancer cases, having been in touch with a civic group on the matter.

"Maraming ganyan talaga. Iba't ibang profile. Mayroong OWWA-registered, mayroong hindi. Mayroong nawalan ng trabaho, at meron naman relative lang ng OFW. 'Yung covered ng OWWA, hinihiwalay namin; 'yung hindi, hinihingian naming ng profile at sinusubukan naming (matulungan)," he said.

(We have many cancer cases. They have different profiles. There are OWWA-registered, there are those who aren't. There are those who lost their jobs, and there are those who are relatives of OFWs. We separate those who are covered by OWWA. For those who aren't, we ask for their profiles and try to help them.)

Garciano is covered by OWWA, said the labor attache.

Insurance

She was diagnosed in May last year, then began going in and out of the hospital. She was re-admitted in late November, but was discharged a few days before New Year's Eve as the charity program which made her eligible for treatment ran out of funds for her.

"Dito walang chance na magamot ako. Sabi ng doctor walang available na charity para sa akin. So, ang option ng doctor ay umuwi ako as long as kaya ko pa. Sana matulungan nyo ako na maka-uwi," Garciano said in a video message asking for support.

(Here I have no chance of receiving medical treatment. The doctor said there is no available charity program for me. So their option was for me to go home in the Philippines while I am still able.)

"Malaking bagay sa akin na maka-uwi ako sa pamilya ko kasi abandoned ako ng amo ko nuong August. Wala akong trabaho. Wala lahat," she said.

(It's a big thing for me to be avail to go home because my employer abandoned me back in August this year. I have no job. Everything is gone.)

'No plans'

"Walang plano 'yung amo ko na makipag-negotiate kung ano ang gusto nya. Kung ipapagamot ba ako o ano, kasi wala akong insurance. 'Di nya ako kinuha ng insurance," she said.

(My employer has no plans to negotiate if I will be given medication or what, because the employer did not get insurance coverage for me. I don't have insurance. I should have gotten an insurance plan.)

By UAE law, all employees must be covered by medical health insurance.

"August, nag-reklamo ako sa Dubai Labor, may case kami ngayon," Garciano said.

(I filed a complaint before the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in August, we now have a pending case.)

Shared bed space

After her discharge, Garciano has been staying in Satwa (a working class Filipino enclave) on a shared bed space with her partner, Ariel Oraza, a supermarket employee. 

"Nahihirapan siyang mahiga kasi may dalawang tubes sya sa likod," said Oraza.

(She has difficulty lying in bed because she has two tubes attached to her back.)

"Maalagaan ba siya ng partner nya? Syempre, nagta-trabaho 'yun," raised Bautista.

(Can her partner take care of her? He has a job.)

Both Garciano and Oraza arrived in Dubai four years ago. Garciano is from Digos, Davao del Sur; Oraza, Pangasinan.

Single mother

A single mother, Garciano has two kids – an 18-year-old girl in first year college, and a 17-year-old boy in grade 12.

She has been separated from her husband "pero in good terms po kami para sa mga bata (but we're in good terms for the kids)," she said. 

Garciano said the situation has devastated her and her kids

"Nag-iyakan po sila. Hindi po nila inaasahan na mangyayari sa akin ito. Sobrang laking damage din sa akin lalo na emotionally, siyempre papano na pamilya ko."

(My kids cried. They were not expecting this would happen to me. This whole thing has immensely damaged me, emotionally. What will happen to my kids?)

Once home, Garciano said she would ask help from the government.

"Lalapit po sa gobyerno. Hihingi po ng tulong," she said.

(I will go to the government and seek help.)

Those who wish to extend assistance may reach Garciano at +971 58 628 2994, or Oraza at +971 55 218 5423.

— VDV/RF, GMA Integrated News