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Monday, March 10, 2003
Kin of OFWs suffer war threat's ordeal
By Linette C. Ramos
CEBU -- The imminent war in the Middle East does not only threaten the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there or raise fear among the families they left behind, it has also caused uncertainty on the education and survival of the people who depend on them.
Since they have already been assured that their father works far from Iraq where the United States plans to launch its attacks, Odessa Tamayo is more concerned about whether she and her siblings will still be able to finish school in the event of a war.
Tamayo's father, the only breadwinner in their family, works as a foreman in a construction company in Saudi Arabia.
"My family has a lot of fears, not only for the safety of our father there but also for our future. My father is the only one earning in the family and if the war happens, will we be able to finish school? Will he still have a job?" she told Sun.Star.
Tamayo was among those who were able to avail themselves of free calls to the Middle East sponsored by McDonald's on Colon St., DWIZ, CAP Group of Companies and RPN 9 Sunday.
In her conversation with her mother, Evelyn Castillo said the lack of money keeps her and her fellow OFWs from leaving Kuwait even if they already have permission from their employers to return home.
Castillo said that because of the looming war, some employers in Kuwait allowed OFWs to leave even if their contracts have not expired yet.
"Paulion na man mi, Ma, pero dili man kaigo akong kwarta kay usa ka buwan nga sweldo ra man ilang ihatag. Makapalit siguro ko og ticket pauli diha pero wala na ko'y kwarta, dili na niya ko kabalik diri (They are allowing us to go home but my money isn't enough because they are only giving us one month's salary. I may be able to buy a ticket going home but I won't have enough for a return trip. I may not be able to come back here.)," Castillo told her mother in a long distance call.
She earns P28,000 to P30,000 a month working as a sales attendant in one of the malls there, depending on the number of hours she works in a month.
Castillo was forced to leave Cebu last October to prepare for the education of her three children, ages five, four and two. After her husband left her and her children, she had to look for a job, as she could not rely on her parents for support.
While those who have enough money are already preparing to come home, preparing for the war has kept Castillo and other Filipinos busy these days.
They have already stocked food in case they won't be able to leave their houses once war erupts and have also attended briefings on how to protect themselves in case biological and chemical weapons are used.
Jennifer Valiente, 30, was also happy to learn from her husband that the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia has already prepared the OFWs for anything.
In case they are affected by the war, OFWs will be transferred to evacuation centers and will be assisted in looking for a job in safer areas.
The embassy has also assured them that they will be repatriated to the Philippines in case they are exposed to greater danger or once there is an invasion of Saudi Arabia by armed forces. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(March 10, 2003 issue)
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