Dubai: Officials are aiming to speed up the process of repatriation of Filipino workers driven to seek shelter at the consulate due to work issues, said Labour Attache Delmer Cruz, who recently took over as the head of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Polo-Owwa).
Cruz was addressing a community gathering at an event titled Leaders Forum organised by the Philippine Overseas Labour Office on Friday evening.
At present the time taken for repatriation of Filipino workers in distress ranges from 3 weeks in most cases to a month or two in a few cases, he said, adding that mission officials are hoping to significantly lower the timeframe for effective intervention.
Located in Ghusais, besides the consulate, Polo processes all employment-related services of the estimated 400,000 Filipino expatriates in Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah. It issues the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), a document that proves that a Filipino has been hired legally, as well as tackles all employment-related concerns of workers.
A recently-launched hotline number for Filipino workers in distress — 056 2732611 — is another initiative towards the welfare of the community, he said. “The number has been set aside for community members to reach out for help any time of the day,” Cruz said.
During the forum, he highlighted the various services offered by Polo and introduced the staff members to the community to increase awareness.
“Our main focus will be to make Polo more accessible,” he said, adding that they will continue to improve services by making them better and faster.
Cruz further stressed on the need for stricter enforcement of the minimum wage of Dh1,500 for domestic workers. Polo’s mandate includes being on the lookout for erring sponsors and foreign placement agencies, and blacklisting them when necessary.
