PH Govt Urged to Act as OFWs Face Job Crisis in Middle East
MANILA: The Philippine lawmakers have urged the Aquino government to adopt short-term and long-term measures to tackle the impending retrenchment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East.
Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Deputy Speaker and Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla were quoted as saying by Manila Bulletin that the government should gear up for a “worst case scenario” following the continued drop in prices of oil that may jeopardize the jobs of OFWs in the Middle East.
“We have to prepare for a worst case scenario. Appropriate measures should be in place should the situation worsens and affects our OFWs,” he reportedly told the panel hearing after Migrante-Middle East disclosed that at least 30 OFWs who were recently employed by a construction firm were retrenched and “all are still under a three-month probationary period.”
“If oil prices continue to fall, the oil companies will retrench OFWs. What is the plan of the government? The price of oil in the world market might go down to 20 dollars per barrel,” Padilla reportedly said.
The Bichara panel conducted yesterday a probe on the implications of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the Philippines and the contingency plan for OFWs in case the conflict escalates, Manila Bulletin reported.