MANILA: More stranded and undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia are expected to camp out outside the Philippine consulate in Jeddah to ask to be repatriated, a migrant workers’ rights group said yesterday. Migrante Middle East regional coordinator John Monterona cited that around 7,000 OFWs have already signed up for repatriation since the last quarter of 2012. “There were 7,000 stranded OFWs listed up at the Philippine Consulate as they seek to avail the repatriation programme, but only to be told that it was temporarily stopped,” Monterona added. Monterona said that based on their dialogue with Philippine Consulate officials, the numbers of those who are seeking repatriation have surged to 12,000. “So, we are projecting that more and more stranded OFWs will join the camp-out near the Philippine Consulate building in Jeddah. It may reach 800 to 1,200 or could be even more,” he said.
Filipina chef found dead
MANILA: An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was found dead inside the shelter run by the Philippine embassy in Bahrain where she was temporarily staying, a migrant workers’ rights group reported. Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Monterona said the Philippine embassy concluded that Kathleen Ann Viray Ilagan, who hailed from Davao, committed suicide. Monterona said that he received an email from a former staff of the Centre for Overseas Workers, a Davao-based non-government organization providing assistance to OFWs and families, asking assistance on behalf of the family of Ilagan to look into her death. Records showed that Ilagan left the country on July 2012 to work as a pastry chef for a local company based in Bahrain.
Man dies as bus falls from bridge
MANILA: A man was killed while 37 people were injured after their bus fell from a bridge in Antique early yesterday, police said. Local media reported that regional police director Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said the bus carrying 45 passengers fell from Calaugan Bridge along Tibiao village in Antique. Police said the driver may have lost control of the bus as witnesses saw the vehicle travelling at high speed. The lone fatality was identified by police as Mariano Geriane. AGENCIES
