BACOLOD City – The city council tapped the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers to help a Bacolodnon domestic helper.
The 24-year-old Marites Caballero of Barangay Singcang-Airport was allegedly being physically abused by her employer in Kuwait.
Councilor Caesar Distrito said Caballero’s elder sister Nelsa went to his office to seek help.
In their last conversation, Caballero told Nelsa that her employer took her passport and other documents.
She added that she can only get the documents back if she works for her employer for three weeks.
After that, the employer also promised to buy Caballero a ticket to the Philippines.
Caballero has been working for about five months now in Kuwait, her family said. She has a two-year contract there.
Nelsa said Caballero was in tears while telling her that she does not want to stay with her employer any longer.
They already reported this to Caballero’s agency, Nelsa added. The agency then contacted the employer but the latter denied the allegations.
Several days passed that Caballero failed to communicate with her family. That was when Nelsa decided to ask help from the councilor. She said she is worried for her sister’s safety.
Distrito said the concerned government agencies must give attention to the matter especially after a memorandum of agreement aimed at ensuring better working conditions for Filipino workers in Kuwait was signed last month./PN
