OFWs in Al Jouf form Migrante Chapter

OFWs in Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia
formed KGS-Migrante Chapter

News Release
14 March 2008

Some 30 OFWs working in Al Jouf, a province in the Southern part of Saudi Arabia , have formally founded their own chapter of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, a member-organization of largest umbrella OFW groups, Migrante International.

The formation of KGS-Migrante Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia was a product of our fellow OFWs desire and aspiration to work hand in hand for their protection and advancement of their welfare. This is a recognition on their part the need to be organized by so doing they can collectively face the problems encountered by fellow OFWs given the unparalleled neglect and inefficient service and alteration of programs for OFWs and families under the present Arroyo administration,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator.

The newly formed chapter of KGS-Migrante in Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia have elected its set of officers as follows: Chairperson Romeo Villacarlos from Cebu, Vice Chairperson Aljun Dakay from Cebu, Secretary-General Joseph Silaroy from Pangasinan, Treasurer Kent Alcomendras from Cebu, and Public Information Officer Richard S. Tarun from Isabela.

Standing Committees have also been created to effectively render its services to its members and distressed OFWs such as the Rights and Welfare Committee, Sports and Recreation, Education and Campaign, and Finance Committee.

On its solidarity message sent to the newly formed KGS-Migrante Al Jouf, Migrante International’ s Maita Santiago said “We are certain that your organization will contribute much towards efforts to forward the rights and welfare of migrants, within the framework of the Filipino people’s national democratic aspiration.”

Other OFW member-organization s of Migrante International have also sent their respective solidarity messages to the newly formed chapter of the Kapatiran ng Gitnang Silangan-Migrante Al Jouf such as the Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Mangagawa sa Korea (KASAMMAKO), the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil-Migrante HK), KGS-Migrante Riyadh chapter, Migrante-Jeddah, Migrante-UAE, Migrante-Kuwait, and Migrante-Qatar, and other member-organization s of Migrante International in Europe, Canada, and the US.

Gaudelia Cadaoas, a domestic helper in Hong Kong for 15 years and now working as staff for Migrante International in Manila has made a poem sent to the newly founded KGS chapter in Al Jouf expressing her message of solidarity to the newly formed OFWs group in Saudi Arabia (click to read the poem).

For reference:
John Leonard Monterona - Regional Coordinator
Migrante Middle East
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012