Philippine Embassy Clarification on Rumors of Final Exit Stamps for Those Leaving on Exit and Re-entry
Prior to this a report from ABS-CBN regarding the Saudization:
-source
Press Release 53/2011
11 July 2011
Philippine Embassy Clarification on Rumors of
Final Exit Stamps for Those Leaving on Exit and Reentry
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reiterates that the recent announcement of the Saudi Ministry of Labor spokesperson Mr. Hattab al –Hanzi about the ban on the issuance of work visas for domestic workers from the Philippines effective 02 July 2011 applies only to new work visas. It does not cover the household service workers with valid work visas who are already in Saudi Arabia or whose iqamas are up for renewal or those going on vacation. They can continue to work with their present employers.
This matter was confirmed by Assistant Deputy Minister of Labor H.E. Hashim Rajeh in a recent informal meeting with Labor Attaché Albert Valenciano of the Philippine Embassy.
The Philippine Embassy also called attention to unconfirmed stories about some vacationing workers who reportedly encountered problems at the immigration counter at the international airport in Riyadh. Allegedly, the immigration officer at the airport stamped “exit only” on the respective exit/re-entry visas of the workers. As a result of these stories, OFWs are now having second thoughts of going on vacation for fear that they may not be able to return to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Mohammad Al-Hussein, spokesman for the Passport Department (Jawasat) in Makkah province has openly denied this when he was interviewed by Siraj Wahab, a news correspondent of Arab New. He said then that “there is no absolute truth to it. If it is an exit/re-entry visa then it cannot be changed at the airports. The final exit is stamped only after a series of steps are taken by both the employee and the employer.”
The series of steps being referred to are the issuance of a release letter or no objection certificate (NOC) from the employer stating that it is giving its consent to release the worker and to send him/ her home to his/her country of origin. The employee has to sign a final settlement in which he acknowledges that he has received all his monetary claims from the employer. These documents are the basis for the issuance by the Jawasat of the final exit visa to the worker. Before the final exit visa is issued, Jawasat also checks whether the worker has any pending police case, traffic violation or bank loan. It is also required that no vehicle should be registered in the worker’s name at the time of final departure.
The Philippine Embassy advises OFWs not to believe these stories easily. As a precaution, vacationing workers should be in contact with their employers just in case they will have similar problems at the airport in Riyadh or elsewhere in the Kingdom. They should report the matter to the Philippine Embassy so that it could take appropriate action. The workers who are already in the Philippines on vacation can get in touch with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to document their case and bring the matter to the attention of the Saudi Embassy in Manila.
Prior to this a report from ABS-CBN regarding the Saudization:
Under the Saudization program, companies are classified into 4 color-coded categories. Companies in the yellow and red categories are in the danger zone, while green companies are those who are in the process of meeting the quota. Blue companies have already complied with the program.-source
Monterona said that if the immigration officials discovered that vacationing OFWs were employed by companies on the “red” list, they were forced not to return by marking “exit only” on their visas.
“These incidents only shows the seriousness of the Saudi government in implementing... its Saudization program,” Monterona added.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has estimated that between 20,000-50,000 OFWs may be affected by Saudization.
I read an artcle on one Forum Board about this written by jespiritu quote and unquote:source:patnubay
Nasa baba yong reaction at paliwanag natin tungkol sa kumakalat na rumors na ang exit-reentry visas ay pinalitan ng exit visa... at binalita ng ABS-CBN news website (Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/07/10/11/ofws-getting-hit-saudization)
1. These rumors started from Indian community last month na kumalat sa mga emails.
2. Hindi natin ito pinatulan dahil we know the procedures.. hindi ka naman makapagfile ng exit, kung hindi pa tapos ang contract, hindi pa naibigay ang benefits ESB, unpaid salaries and others. May clearance po na pipirmahan both by the worker and the employer. And this will be submitted to the Ministry of Labor for approval. Then it will be forwarded to the Jawasat for FINAL Exit visa stamping.
Before ka maaprove for FINAL exit ay kailangan mo pang mag- electronic fingerprint..
Kasama din sa checking kung may pending police cases ka, utang sa bangko or credit
cards, traffic violations and others..
Okay granted na maimplement pa ang NITAQAT , ang procedure na yan pa rin sa taas ang
masusunod..Pero ang pagbabasehan ay hindi lang ang date ng end of contract.. kundi pati
na rin ang date ng expiration ng iqama.. Kung ano ang ma-una magexpire ay yon ang
masusunod. Though some companies ay maaring mag-extend ng contract ng workers
hanggang sa based sa expiration ng IQAMA
3. The saudi government clearly answered that these Indian rumors are not true.. here is
the link
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article458446.ece?
4. I know the Indian community napakarami nila dito na sabihin nating nakabenefit sa
pagtratrabaho sa saudi arabia.. may mga negosyante, may mga nasa opisina..
Naintindihan natin na takot sila sa nitaqat kung maimplement dahil isa sila ang
pinakamaraming maapektuhan; kaya siguro sila gumagawa ng ganung kwento.. maybe to
call the attention of their government.. or ano pang reason...
5. Sa part naman natin, may mga takot din kami dito and we are asking our own
government na tulongan kami kung sakaling mapauwi kami ng bigla.. Pero kami na mga
professionals ay hindi magresort sa paggawa ng tsismis.
Karamihan dito, ay hindi papatol sa paggawa ng rumors na walang katotohanan..
UNLESS you are a MIGRANTE.. na karamihan sa kanilang mga members ay di naman
maapektuhan ng NITAQAT, dahil halos sila lahat ay mga undocumented.. Mahilig lang
talaga sila magpakalat ng tsismis para sa kanilang vested interest at kung kumalat na,
sila rin naman ang unang maniniwala na totoo ito... at ipabalita na nila ngayon sa media..
6. Heto ngayon, nagsalita itong si monterona as if may alam sya na nangyaring ganito..
Pamedia kaagad, magkakasakit siguro ang taong ito kung hindi makagawa ng
kasinungalingang balita sa isang araw. Wala syang pakialam na madagdagan ang
hinanakit ng mga saudis sa ating mga pilipino.. Hinanakit dahil sa mga pekeng rape
stories, gawa-gawang kwento ng pang-aabuso.. na ang Migrante, si Walden Bello at mga
gullible media din ang may gawa..
Walang pakialam itong monterona basta lang makagawa ng news na malagay yong
pangalan nya at migrante sa media.. kahit nasagap lang ang balita ay ipapalabas nya..
kahit OFW na namatay ay hindi na nirerespeto, manggamit para maipalabas lamang ang
kanyang pangalan sa media.
7. If talagang panindigan nya na totoo ang sinabi nya then dapat may mga tao syang
makapagsalita na ganito nga ang nangyari.. Then ipakita nila ang kanilang exit-reentry visa
(or photocopy) at yong sinabi nilang EXIT only na nastamped sa passport.
8. Para sa mga hindi aware sa buhay saudi, ang exit re-entry visa natin ngayon ay
electronic na at nakaprint sa isang bond paper. Hindi na katulad dati na sticket nakadikit
sa aming mga passport.
So common sense na rin sa mga pinoy na magphotocopy nito.. Kung totoo na EXIT only
ang natatak sa kanilang visa.. then ipakita nila sa media ngayon ang kanilang exit re-entry
visa, then yong FINAL exit na nakastamp sa kanilang passport..
9. Last month, I had an argument with some indian friends, na kung sigurado sila na may
nangyaring ganun then magreklamo yong kakilala nila sa saudi embassy sa India..Sabi
nila ay wala na daw kopya ng exit-reentry visa dahil pinunit daw ng immigration.. eh sagot
ko naman common sense naman siguro na magphoto copy. use the photocopy. Ngayon
natahimik ang indian community pero itong monterona naman ang nagsalita..
10 . Heto ang procedure sa mga OFWs na umuwi with exit -reentry visa.. pagpasok mo sa
immigration, basahin ng officer yong exit-reentry visa mo, then tingnan yong mukha mo
sa passport kung pareho ba.. then magstamp ang officer doon sa exit-reentry visa (bond
paper), then doon sa isang page ng passport.. Since palabas ka ng saudi Arabia, then
EXIT ang ilalagay dyan..ang hugis ng stamp na yan ay rectangular.. then pagbalik mo
naman from vacation ay ENTRY naman ang ilagay dyan at oval shaped naman yong
stamped.
YAN siguro ang sinabi nila na EXIT only.. at kung itong Monterona ay alam lang ang
pinagsasabi.. Dapat aware sya , or dapat nagimbestiga sya. Sabagay nasanay naman
yan sa pagsagap ng mga balita.. at gagawa din ng sarili nyang balita ng panggamit ng
mga OFWs na walang pakialam kung ano ang maging epekto nito.
EXIT nga yan at walang entry na nakastamp dahil palabas ka pa lang.. kaya siguro EXIT
only.. pero hindi FINAL EXIT.. ang final exit maliban sa mahabang proceso ay mahaba din
yong nakasulat dyan sa passport at may isang extra paper (A4) pa for electronic purpose..
11. Umabuso kasi itong migrante at monterona dahil naging tahimik lang ang karamihan.
nainis man ang karamihang OFWs ay hindi ito worthy na papatuluan.. Pero ngayon
obligasyon nating mga ofws na pigilan na itong si Monterona sa pagkakalat ng
kasinungalingan at paggawa-gawa ng kwento dahil hindi ito nakakatulong sa ganitong
situwasyon na may threat na mawalan tayo ng trabaho.
Style pa ng mga iyan na sila pa ang gagawa ng rumors.. na kesyo mapugutan na daw si
ganito ngayong friday.. mag-advise pa ang mga yan na gamitin ang rape para unahin
marescue ng embassy..sila rin ang magpabalita ng rape. ganun din yan sa issue na ito..
Dahil tahimik ang karamihang OFWs naniwala naman ang mga media sa labas at yong
mga walang alam. Nagkaroon ng galit ang mga tao sa labas laban sa Saudi Arabia dahil
sa migrante, walden bello at mga uto-utong media.
(At ang madaling lokohin at uto-utoin ay yong mga taong sinungaling)
12. Hope nakapaliwanag ako dito ng maayos sa inyo.. Heto ang problema, may mga
kaso tayo ng ofws na nagresign or nagterminate na ng contract .. ang binigay ng employer
ay Exit-reentry sa halip Final Exit.. Ito ay nilaban natin pananadya ito ng employer, at
nadeprive ang worker sa karapatang makabalik dito at magtrabaho sa ibang employer...
yong iba na lumapit sa polo sa halip na kausapin yong employer ay pinayuhan nila ang
worker na umuwi na lang dahil maexpire nama daw yong exit-reentry in 6 months..
Magpalit lang daw ng passport at maari ng makabalik.. WRONG! dahil computerized na
ngayon..Pagbalik dito ng worker, maquestion yan ng immigration na may exit-reentry visa
sya noon. Yan ang problema natin at walang kinalaman ang jawasat, saudi government or
nitaqat nyan kundi kagagawan yan ng employer..
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