CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Kapampangan overseas Filipino worker Gabino Taruc finally met his agency, MMM International Placement Corporation, after filing charges against the latter for the "deceiving treatment" he received in Saudi Arabia.
Taruc and his agency met at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Regional Office here on Tuesday to settle the issues between two parties.
Taruc was earlier reported to have been deceived by the agency in the job stated in his contract and was allegedly maltreated by his coworkers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"Dun sa kontrata, florist ang pinirmahan ko pero pagdating ko dun pinagpakain nila ako ng mga hayop, pinagbuhat ng mabibigat at pinaghukay," shared Taruc.
In the complaint filed by Taruc, he requested for a refund of the placement fee he paid to the agency and his unpaid salary for his over one month of service there amounting to P44,500.
However, the agency said they cannot afford to pay the amount and offered Gabino P12,000 to settle the case. "Ito lang talaga ang pinadala ng agency po namin dahil ito lang po ang kaya," said Lydia Antonio, representative of MMM International Placement Corporation.
The OFW disagreed and said, "Kulang pa yan sa mga inutang namin para makaalis ako, kahit 'yung placement fee lang." Taruc's mother Filomena raised his son's medical condition to prove that the amount offered by the agency is unjustifiable.
"Nagkasakit sa puso ang anak ko dahil sa nangyari sa kanya dun. Naggagamot sya ngayon dito at kung maoperahan man siya, kulang na kulang 'yan," she said.
Taruc was diagnosed with a heart problem in Riyadh and was advised to undergo an operation there. He was confined in the hospital for one week.
The agency said they weren't informed of the complainant’s case when he was still there that's why he didn’t receive assistance.
"Kinontak ko po yung binigay nilang number sakin, si Danilo, pero ang sabi sa akin bahala ka na dyan. Wala akong pakialam sayo. Wag mo na akong tatawagan ulit," Taruc said.
The agency denied the issue saying "Danilo" is not an official employee of the company and is just a contact person in Saudi Arabia.
OWWA Conciliator/Single Entry Approval Desk Officer Mayolito David advised both camps to settle the case here or it will be sent to the National Labor Relations Commission for further investigation. The complainant agreed to settle for P30,000 to close the case but the agency disagreed.
"Nakatulong na kami sa inyo, kami naman ang tulungan niyo," said Taruc's sister Angelita.
The agency proposed P25,000 for their last bid saying, "'Yan na lang po talaga ang kaya namin. Babayaran pa rin naming kasi yung employer mo doon sa Saudi dahil hindi mo natapos ang kontrata."
The OFW agreed conform to the price but requested for his insurance benefit from the company.
"Dapat makuha namin yung insurance ko kasi na-inform kami na entitled pa rin ako dito," Taruc said.
After both participants signed the settlement papers, the agency gave the P12,000 as partial payment and promised to give the remaining amount on June 26. The agency refused to give further statement regarding the issues raised by the OFW and his family.