DAVAO CITY (August 28) — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III Monday night, August 27, has ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to immediately extend medical assistance and repatriate if possible, the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Kuwait who jumped from her employers house last week.
The quick response and assistance from the Labor Department and the OWWA were done twelve minutes after the NewsLine.ph informed Bello about the case of Gina Agustin Aguilar.
- Aguilar, 28, a mother of two, hails from Kabacan, North Cotabato.
- At 6:24 pm,Augusut 27, NewsLine.ph called Bello to inform him about the case of Aguilar, who jumped off her employer’s house last week is presently confined at Amiri Hospital in Kuwait following a major surgery.
- At 6:38 pm, Bello informed Newsline that he already contacted the Welfare Officer (Welof) in Kuwait to check on the report.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.-Newsline.ph file photo
Immediately thereafter, Bello got the official report, it stated that “OFW Agustin sustained rib and heel fractures and spinal injury and needs spinal surgery”.
Bello ordered OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac to immediately act of Aguilar’s case and make the necessary recommendation as soon as possible.
- At 6:42 pm. Bello informed NewsLine that Cacdac gave a report to him, which he shared, “Nag attempted suicide po from the 3rd floor ng employer’s house dahil napagalitan po ng daughter ng employer at due to intriga among co-workers. She has been visited by our Welof (Welfare Officer) po and her situation is being monitored.”
- At 7:01pm, Bello told NewsLine that Cacdac informed him “Pabigyan namin ng medical assistance, at pa repatriate namin sya asap, Will coordinate with POLO/Welof and PRA po re Ofw Gina Aguilar.”
ALSO READ: /ofw-from-nocot-jumped-off-three-storey-building-in-kuwait-to-escape-from-employer/
Bello also encouraged OFW’s to immediately report to their respective embassies and Philippine Labor Attache’s cases of abuses and other problems they encounter abroad for the Labor department to immediately act on it.
President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier instructed the Labor department to make sure that welfare officers in difference countries, especially in Arab countries are open 24/7, to immediately respond to emergencies involving OFWs.-Editha Z. Caduaya/NewsLine.ph
