A group of Filipino community leaders in the Eastern Province met to discuss plans of a fundraising drive for the distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia last week.
Community leaders supported the idea of "Search for Miss Little Princess OFW 2007" as one of the avenues to raise funds which will be held on December 7, 2007 at the International Philippine School in Alkhobar (IPSA). This is not the first time organizations move for a fund drive to support distressed OFWs, but encourages further all organizations to fundraise in behalf of the distressed OFWs in the Kingdom.
Agreements on how the program be held has been forged and agreed by the Overseas Filipino Workers Congress – Eastern Province (OFWC-EP) who spearheaded the cause, represented by the OFWC-EP President, Peter Marfa. The proposal was unanimously approved and advised to proceed with the project.
Accordingly, proceeds from the project, as discussed, would be donated to purchase tickets of OFWs at the Bahay Kalinga, a temporary asylum for OFWs seeking assistance on abuses and other cases of labor disputes in the Kingdom. It may possibly be added to subsidize the shelter needs for food and medicine to alleviate the distressed OFWs’ living condition.
To let these distressed OFWs become a perfect present to their families was the noblest idea the groups believe in. If they were to be reunited before Christmas or in New Year “that is perhaps the best and perfect present OFWs can do to fellow workers in the Kingdom,” said Robert Umas-as, an OFW who works as supervisor in a convenient store in Dammam.
A local publication report said that there were some of them already repatriated back home, but there were still many pending and undecided cases that further hearings are required which depletes the Philippine government budget for OFWs. To help those who have been cleared of ready for repatriation is nearing to impossible to provide because of the costly ticket to the Philippine.
Leave Your Comments