Manama: Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has ordered the recall of a staff member of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Bahrain after a viral video showed the staff behaving disrespectfully toward overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). 'I have issued the order recalling that MWO Bahrain employee being highly disrespectful to OFWs in a viral video,' Cacdac said in a social media post Monday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the viral clip captured the MWO staff telling OFWs who had come to request cash aid to leave, explaining that the distribution had already ended and there were no more available funds. The OFWs expressed their frustration in the video, noting that they had traveled from distant areas for the cash aid and criticized the MWO for not issuing a prior notice regarding the end of the distribution.
The MWO staff further told the OFWs they could go ahead and file complaints with anyone. The employee was heard saying, 'Tapos na po ha, hindi na kayo mae-entertain. Tapos na po ang ayuda. Magsumbong na kayo sa mga gusto ninyong pagsumbungan. Ang Manila ho ang nagsasabi walang pondo. Sige i-record n'yo, kahit magsumbong pa kayo sa Pilipinas (It's over, you won't be entertained anymore. The assistance has ended. You can report to whoever you want to report to. Manila is the one saying there is no budget. Go ahead, record it, you can even report it to the Philippines).'
Meanwhile, DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay provided clarification regarding the financial assistance offered to OFWs, noting that cash aid is intended to address specific immediate needs. Several OFWs had complained about receiving only 20 Bahraini dollars (PHP3148.41) as cash aid. Rubia-Tutay explained that the assistance ranging from USD20 to USD50 is meant to help cover necessities such as food, clothing, and medicines.
She also stated that USD200 is granted to OFWs who are about to leave the airport and are homebound. Financial assistance is given upon arrival in Manila, which OFWs can use for personal needs. She provided an example, saying, 'For instance, yung isang OFW na kausap ko, wala sya kapera-pera dala kasi di pa naka sweldo ng umuwi sya, nanghiram lang sya ng PHP2,000 sa kasamahan nya dahil wala maibigay sa pamilya, kaya masaya sya na meron siyang financial assistance pag dating sa Manila (the OFW I talked to didn't have any money because she was not able to get her salary when she went home, she only borrowed PHP2,000 from a colleague because he couldn't give anything to her family, so she was happy to have financial assistance when she arrived in Manila).'
Additionally, financial assistance is provided to affected OFWs upon their arrival in Manila, alongside other forms of government aid. Other government agencies, including the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), offer various assistance under a whole-of-government approach.
'I assure our dear OFWs that we shall continue to serve with humility, respect, and hard work,' Cacdac stated.
