Duterte addresses needs of distressed OFW

After 11 harrowing years, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Nancy Aransanzo – who incurred an unspecified debt when her employer cancelled her contract for refusing to set up an illegal recruitment agency – may soon realize her dream of returning home to the Philippines.

President Duterte, after listening to her plight during the pilot episode of his “Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa” program, has vowed to shoulder all her needs to enable her to return home with her 11-year-old daughter.

During their conversation via Skype, Duterte asked Aransanzo to go to the Philippine embassy in Qatar and he will take care of the rest.

“Punta kayo sa embassy natin, babayaran ko utang ninyo at bigyan ko kayo ng

travel documents (Go to the embassy, I will pay your debt and I will give you travel documents),” a teary-eyed Duterte said.

“Papadala ako ng pera pambayad sa utang niyo at umuwi na kayo kaagad (I will send money so you can pay your debt and go home as soon as possible),” he added.

After learning about Aransanzo’s predicament, the President asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to look into the acts of injustices committed on OFWs.

“If we have time, I will personally ask the Foreign Affairs department to give more focus on the acts of injustices and we will do the necessary things to help you,” Duterte vowed during the pre-taped pilot episode of his program which aired over PTV4 Friday night.

Aside from PTV4, Duterte’s program, a revamped version of the one he used to host when he was still mayor of Davao City, also airs over the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Facebook page. PTV4 Director for Operations Rocky Ignacio serves as his co-host.

According to the PCO, Aransanzo was originally legally employed as an office assistant in Doha in 2004 until her employer cancelled her contract 11 years ago when she refused to set up an “illegal recruitment agency” to hire fellow Filipinas.

PCO added that Aransanzo also used to work as a marketing manager who talks to employers in Qatar and supplies workers from the Philippines, Nepal, and India.

According to Aransanzo, her 11year-old daughter had always written letters addressed to the President, asking for help, but it never reached him. They only received help during Duterte’s visit to Qatar over the Holy Week last month.

Aransanzo, in between sobs, expressed gratitude to President Duterte during their Skype conversation, to which the President responded that he is only doing his job.

“Huwag mo akong pasalamatan, ginagawa ko lang ang trabaho ko (Do not thank me, I’m just doing my job),” he told Aransanzo.

“Bigyan mo ako ng ngiti, huwag mo ako bigyan ng iyak kasi pati ako naiiyak na dito (Give me a smile, not tears, because I feel like crying here as well),” he added.

Last month, Duterte was able to bring home 140 OFWs from his state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar during the Holy Week.

These OFWs were the ones who availed themselves of the amnesty program by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The repatriated OFWs received a total of 110,000 each from the government as they arrived in the country last April 17, a small token of appreciation for their sacrifices according to Duterte.

“I am thankful that you got home safely. You may now be with your family and loved ones. We know your hard work and sacrifice,” he said after abandoning more than half of his five-page prepared speech.

He also thanked the OFWs for keeping the economy afloat through their remittance.

“They helped us very much. Nagpapadala sila ng steady income na mga remittances nila, so kailangan magbayad tayo at malaki ang binibigay ng overseas workers (They are giving us a lot through their remittances so we need to pay them back by a lot),” he said.

“Salamat sa tulong na inyong naibigay sa bayan (Thank you for the help you have given to the country),” he expressed.

Duterte also assured that the welfare of OFWs will be prioritized and vowed to continue with the repatriation of migrant workers from the Middle East.

He also said that the country has an ongoing program for the repatriation of distressed OFWs and vows to spend money for it.

“Lahat ng gustong umuwi na Pilipino doon, makakauwi. Gastusan natin ‘yan (Those Filipinos who want to go home will be able to go home. We will fund that). [This is] one way of repaying for their sacrifices back there — just to see that they’re back home,” he said.