RUNAWAY FILIPINO DOMESTIC WORKERS URGED TO AVAIL OF SAUDI’S 6-MONTH GRACE PERIOD

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) urged runaway Filipino domestic workers to seek assistance from the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in taking advantage of the recently-announced six-month grace period granted by the Saudi Arabia government to correct their legal status.

To further ensure the safety and welfare of OFWs as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac reiterated the call and encouraged runaway Pinoy domestic workers to regularize their status without facing any penalties from May 11 to November 10, 2025.

“We urged our kababayans, our domestic workers in Saudi with irregular status to take advantage of this opportunity to correct their legal status. Seek the assistance of our Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar for support,” Cacdac said.

Runaway domestic workers are those who have previously been reported as absentees. The grace period will allow them to correct their legal status through automated procedures in the Musaned, the official platform of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia (HRSD) for household services and home employment program.

The Secretary said that HRSD’s broader efforts to enhance fairness, safety, and opportunity in the Saudi labor market, aligns with the shared commitment of the Philippines in upholding ethical and safe labor migration of every OFW.

There are more than a hundred Pinoy runaway domestic workers in Riyadh and Jeddah, respectively, while there are about 50 in Al Khobar.

The MWOs have secured the exit visas to most of them who are now just awaiting flight tickets from their agencies and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for their immediate repatriation.

Earlier this month, a DMW team led by Undersecretary Jun Rasul visited the MWOs in KSA to personally assess the provision of welfare and labor assistance and services to OFWs, and to update cases being handled by the Assistance to Nationals Units (ATN) through our Legal Retainers and In-House lawyers.

The DMW continues to work closely with the government of Saudi Arabia to ensure the protection and welfare of our OFWs in the Kingdom.