MANILA, Philippines - Seven Filipina migrant workers are now reportedly “trapped” by their recruiter in Oman, who brought them there for jobs not suited to their skills and is now allegedly holding them against their will while making them do odd jobs in the Middle eastern country.
In a press conference in Quezon City yesterday, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said the women are being forced by their recruiter in Oman into working “informally” as helpers “for the houses of their friends.”
According to Martinez, nine women traveled to Oman in February with promised jobs as domestic helpers. “But the recruiter in Oman apparently does not have job offers for DHs. What they had were for IT workers,” he said.
Martinez said that since the OFWs did not have the qualification for such jobs, their recruiter in Oman – Gulf Shield Manpower Services – allegedly held them while making them do jobs on the sidelines so they could earn something.
“Some of the women have become ill. The women even have to hide part of their earnings in their private parts so that it cannot be confiscated by their Arab recruiter,” he said.
Martinez said that back in the Philippines, their families have tried contacting their local recruiter – Euroconsult Agency – but the families are allegedly asked to pay the agency $1,000 each as “replacement fee” since the OFWs were not able to take on the IT jobs and that was considered a “breach of contract.”
Of the nine women, two were able to go back to the Philippines after being able to slip out of the “basement” where they were being kept by their recruiter in Oman.
Seven remain in the Arab country. They are Mary Joy Belmes, Cheryl Gaje, Maribel Calisaan, Josephine Bilolo, Siony Jamindang, Lysil Laborte and a still unidentified one.
Calisaan’s brother Ronaldo said the former and his fellow Filipinas were not being fed properly by their recruiter.
He said that when they checked with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, there was no record of his sister’s flight to Oman, indicating that her entry into the Middle eastern country was illegal.
Martinez said the OWWA and the Department of Foreign Affairs should look into the case of the seven women and move for their return to the Philippines.
In a press conference in Quezon City yesterday, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said the women are being forced by their recruiter in Oman into working “informally” as helpers “for the houses of their friends.”
According to Martinez, nine women traveled to Oman in February with promised jobs as domestic helpers. “But the recruiter in Oman apparently does not have job offers for DHs. What they had were for IT workers,” he said.
Martinez said that since the OFWs did not have the qualification for such jobs, their recruiter in Oman – Gulf Shield Manpower Services – allegedly held them while making them do jobs on the sidelines so they could earn something.
“Some of the women have become ill. The women even have to hide part of their earnings in their private parts so that it cannot be confiscated by their Arab recruiter,” he said.
Martinez said that back in the Philippines, their families have tried contacting their local recruiter – Euroconsult Agency – but the families are allegedly asked to pay the agency $1,000 each as “replacement fee” since the OFWs were not able to take on the IT jobs and that was considered a “breach of contract.”
Of the nine women, two were able to go back to the Philippines after being able to slip out of the “basement” where they were being kept by their recruiter in Oman.
Seven remain in the Arab country. They are Mary Joy Belmes, Cheryl Gaje, Maribel Calisaan, Josephine Bilolo, Siony Jamindang, Lysil Laborte and a still unidentified one.
Calisaan’s brother Ronaldo said the former and his fellow Filipinas were not being fed properly by their recruiter.
He said that when they checked with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, there was no record of his sister’s flight to Oman, indicating that her entry into the Middle eastern country was illegal.
Martinez said the OWWA and the Department of Foreign Affairs should look into the case of the seven women and move for their return to the Philippines.
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