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Worn thin
Like Mondragon, Ladiana and de Guzman, most of
the other stranded OFWs who went on hunger strike
neither received their iqama or foreign worker
identification card nor their salaries, from one
month up to six months maximum.
Cesar 'Boy' Evangelista and Pepito Mepania, both
auto-painters suffered the same fate from different
employers.
"Filipinos are hardy and patient until pushed
to the limits," Paulino Buslon, a furniture
painter avers.
Buslon and Robert Pacquin, a carpenter, endured
receiving not one riyal for more than six months,
until they left the furniture company, Hajman
in April 2003.
Buslon, Pacquin and two other co-workers, all
hailing from Davao City, reported their case to
the POLO, but until now, nothing came of it.
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| Jesulito Mergunio |
Heavy-equipment operators Danny Morales and Jesulito
Mergunio, both worked for a company in Qassim,
four hours away from Riyadh, without any iqama
nor drivers license.
Like other workers in the company, they work
for 12 hours every day, even on Fridays without
receiving any for their overtime work.
They endured the working conditions, Mergunio
lasting for four years and seven months straight
and Morales for two years.
"Anyway, we are receiving our salaries on
time," Mergunio explains, a reasoning most
OFWs in difficult working conditions have.
In May 2003, Mergunio finally decided its about
time he come home and made repeated requests for
a vacation, something he has not done in almost
five years.
But the employer refused, reasoning he have to
pay for the penalties the company incurred because
of repeated violations of driving without a license.
On their last meeting, Mergunio received a blow
from the employer and immediately went to Riyadh
to report his case to the POLO.
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| Danny Morales |
The same happened with Morales and co-worker
Roberto Victorillo when they requested for final
exit after finishing their two-years contract
in August 2003.
Morales was slapped on the face and Victorillo
was literally kicked out of the office after they
repeated their request for exit.
They left Qassim on September 19, 2003 and immediately
sought refuge with friends in Riyadh, reporting
their case to POLO soon after.
"Kaya naming tiisin ang hirap ng pagtatrabaho
sa dayuhang bansa (We can endure the hardships
of working in a foreign land), " the soft-spoken
Morales asserted. "Pero, pag pinisikal
ka na, iba na 'yon (But its totally different
if you are hit physically).
MIGRANTE Saudi Arabia
06 January 2004
Urgently Needed Home  Racing to Settle Down Hard times No shelter Resigned Like dirt Worn
Thin Against a Giant
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