Abused Domestic Helper in Saudi Arabia Asks Help from Her Agency But Receives Nothing

Last Monday, the Philippines expanded a ban on Overseas Filipino Workers in Kuwait after President Duterte angrily lashed out at the country due to reports of OFWs suffering from abuse and exploitations of their employers, especially after finding the lifeless body of Joanna Demafelis in a freezer.

Amid the deadline imposed by the president, more and more Filipinos were helped by the embassy together with Cebu Pacific to go back to their families in the country. Filipinos were also given amnesty by the government of Kuwait, with no fines or penalties to be paid, especially for those who either overstayed or escaped from their current employers. Under this program, Filipinos who stayed in Kuwait longer were allowed to leave without suffering from any fines or penalties.

Worsening Situation in Saudi Arabia

Although the situation in Kuwait is slowly improving, there are OFWs from other parts of the Middle East who needs help, like the situation of Angel Luz, who’s working as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia.

The aunt of Luz named Jocelyn Baynosa Johnson is asking for help for her niece. According to her, the agency Job Asia Management Services, who is connected to the agency Saudi Recruitment Agency or Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Alangari in Abu Baker, Al Sadeek Saudi Arabia, is not helping at all.

She revealed that her niece is already working for two months and one week in her current employer but she is not receiving any salary at all. What’s worse, her female boss is abusing her too. She is working until the wee hours of the morning and she is not being fed properly too.

The poor domestic helper wants to go back to her family in the home country, but the agency is refusing to help. The family cannot contact the OFW too.

Hopefully, we can help this poor OFW to just return to her family. Instead of giving her family members a better life, she’s the one suffering from the abuse and unpaid salary.