MANILA, Philippines - Unemployed and stranded Filipinos in Saudi Arabia are forced to sell their blood to survive and provide for their families in the Philippines, Filipino migrants' rights group Migrante-Middle East said on Thursday.
The group said overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Saudi Arabia who have lost their jobs sell their blood on a monthly basis to hospitals and clinics. They are reportedly paid around 300 to 500 Saudi riyals (roughly P3,300 to P5,500) for every 500 cubic centimeters of blood they shed.
The Filipinos most vulnerable are either undocumented OFWs whose passports have been confiscated by their employers or OFWs who became jobless after leaving their abusive employers.
Lawmakers have filed House Resolution 2542 urging the House Committee on Overseas Workers to invite representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Migrante and other concerned agencies and groups to investigate the reported plight of OFWs in Saudi Arabia.
Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. filed the resolution.
"We continue to follow up on the matter so that we (can have) concrete steps to bring them back," Rodriguez said in an interview with Radyo Singko's Punto Asintado on Thursday.
"Measures must be enacted to ensure that our OFWs no longer resort to selling blood and so that, more importantly, they are protected when in a foreign country," Rodriguez said in a separate interview with another media outfit.
The Filipinos most vulnerable are either undocumented OFWs whose passports have been confiscated by their employers or OFWs who became jobless after leaving their abusive employers.
Lawmakers have filed House Resolution 2542 urging the House Committee on Overseas Workers to invite representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Migrante and other concerned agencies and groups to investigate the reported plight of OFWs in Saudi Arabia.
Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. filed the resolution.
"We continue to follow up on the matter so that we (can have) concrete steps to bring them back," Rodriguez said in an interview with Radyo Singko's Punto Asintado on Thursday.
"Measures must be enacted to ensure that our OFWs no longer resort to selling blood and so that, more importantly, they are protected when in a foreign country," Rodriguez said in a separate interview with another media outfit.
But Raul Hernandez, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), says the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia has refuted reports about OFWs selling blood out of economic necessity or desperation.
"Naitanong na po natin ito sa ating embahada sa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at ang sabi nila hindi po ito totoo...Ang sabi ng ating embahada, kailangan bago makapag-donate ng dugo sa any clinic or hospital, kailangan mag-prisinta ng iqama at kungundocumented at walang iqama 'di pwedeng magdonate o magbenta," Hernandez said.
[We asked our embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and they said that this isn't true. According to our embassy, one must present an iqama before donating blood to any clinic or hospital. Undocumented OFWs do not have iqama, and they therefore cannot donate or sell blood.]
An iqama is akin to a residence permit.
"Dapat tanungin natin iyong Migrante kung saan nila nakuha 'yong reports kasi angverification na ginawa ng ating embahada ay hindi ito nangyayari," he added. [We must ask Migrante where they got their reports.]
Migrante chairperson Gary Martinez stood by their report. He also disputed the DFA's claim that iqamas are necessary for donating or selling blood. He added that most Filipinos who sell blood do so in the black market.
He said OFWs are forced to venture in such activities because of the government's negligence.
"Palagay ko prevention iyong dapat gawin hindi i-resolba ung pagbebenta. Ang i-resolba iyong mga naka-pending na kaso ng gusto nang umuwi na matagal na nilang napangakuan," he said.
"Palagay ko prevention iyong dapat gawin hindi i-resolba ung pagbebenta. Ang i-resolba iyong mga naka-pending na kaso ng gusto nang umuwi na matagal na nilang napangakuan," he said.
[What needs to be done is prevention, not solving the selling (of blood). What needs to be resolved are the pending cases (of OFWs) who were promised that they would be repatriated.]
The DFA said that it is ready to help Filipinos who have lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia.
"Undocumented or unemployed OFWs should seek help from the embassy so that they could be repatriated," Hernandez said.
Source: Interaksyon
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