Davao City
April 14, 2018

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte met Ms. Pahima Alagasi, a household service worker in Saudi Arabia who was scalded by the mother of her employer in 2014, at Torres Street in Davao City.

Pahima Alagasi filed a case against her employer but lost the case in court despite the aid of a Saudi Arabian lawyer and strong representations from the Embassy of the Philippines in Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, Alagasi’s employer filed a case of false accusation against her with consequential damage of SR 250,000 (USD 66,617.57). The overseas Filipino worker’s employer also filed an absconding case against her for running away while undergoing medical treatment at the Raseel Medical Center in order to take refuge at the Philippine Embassy. Since then, Alagasi stayed in Bahay Kalinga while waiting for the resolution of her case.

During the presentation, Pahima Alagasi received cash assistance from the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) and a check amounting to PhP 100,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, ACTS-OFW Partylist Representative Aniceto John Bertiz III, Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh Adnan Villaluna Alonto, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, and Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) Director Iric Arribas were also present in the event.

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