By Mary Jane R. Amarado
ZAMBOANGA CITY, 22 May – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA) headed by Regional Director Hassan Gabra Jumdain provided immediate
assistance to three (3) OFW deportees from Sabah, Malaysia who arrived at the
Zamboanga Port on May 16 at around 8:00 in the evening together with 80
undocumented deportees on board M/V Danica Joy.
The three OFWs namely Johnny Ferrer, Elpidio
Manuel Jr., and Eugene Gabbac were deployed on August 16, 2010 by TMJ
International Manpower Services to work as construction workers under the W
Construction Corporation in Kota Kinabalu.
RD Jumdain reported that the OFWs were
detained by police authorities at the Kipayan Detention Center where they
stayed for 26 days due to the brawl they had with some Indonesian nationals
caused by a celebration they had at their quarters. After a month, they were
transferred to Kimanis Rumamera Deportation Center and stayed there for 1 month
and 25 days.
The case, which was brought to the
attention of OWWA Zamboanga was personally coordinated by Director Jumdain with
the POLO – Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which resulted to the
immediate repatriation of the OFWs.
The workers who are all from Cagayan
Valley were provided by OWWA with food, clothing, personal necessities and long
distance call to their families.
The three OFWs left Zamboanga
International Airport and arrived in Manila on May 18 via Philippine Airlines
flight PR124 around 8:00 in the morning and were assisted by OWWA Officers in
coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who
provided them temporary shelter and shouldered their airfare.
They were met at the NAIA Terminal 2 by
their families together with Mrs. Thelma Manzano-Junudi of TMJ International
Manpower Services. (MJRA/OWWA9/PIA9/alt)
