Kapampangan Engineer Rafael G. Yaya, an overseas Filipino worker in Libya, considered himself lucky as he successfully managed to come back home safely sans the harrowing experience of other OFWs.
Yaya, who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) via Qatar Airways last Wednesday, showed no trace of stress nor hardships when he visited the Pampanga Action Center for OFW Concerns (PACOC) at the provincial capitol compound in the City of San Fernando a day after his arrival.
He said that he was indeed lucky that he and 13 other Filipino co-workers were able to leave the Hanil Engineering Construction Company work site in Al Zawiyah last February 25 and traveled almost two hours aboard a bus to the pick-up point in Tunisia without any untoward incident.
“Of course, we feared that something bad might happen to us as throughout the bus trip we stopped over 17 checkpoints,” which he said was the scariest experience he had during his journey.
“Our company was willing to let us go but did not want to shoulder our plane fare. We were only given 100 dinars each by our employers for the bus trip to Tunisia.”
He said they hid their cellphones and laptop computers inside their luggage and denied owning any when questioned by the Libyans manning the checkpoints.
However, he added that the next batch of 22 Filipinos were not as lucky since one passenger got his cellphone confiscated and they had to pass through an additional checkpoint or a total of 18.
Yaya said that when the tension in Libya first broke out in mid-February, he and other Filipino workers were hardly disturbed as their work camp is located 1,000 kilometers away from Benghazi while Tripoli is 45 minutes away.
“Hindi kami natakot noong una kasi inisip naming hindi maaapektuhan ang aming lugar dahil malayo ang pinagmumulan ng gulo.”
This 39-year old engineer from Sta. Rita town had been working for barely three months in Libya when the crisis broke out.
Prior to his arrival in the country, Yaya’s wife, Remedios sought the assistance of PACOC to expedite his repatriation.
PACOC Head Maria Eliza Rey M. Muñoz duly coordinated with Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. for the immediate repatriation of Yaya and 12 other OFWs from Pampanga.
According to Karen Dale, one of PACOC’s technical staff, Muñoz also sent letters to Vice-President and Presidential Adviser for OFW Concerns Jejomar Binay, Senator Jinggoy Estrada as chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Senator Manny Villar requesting for possible assistance to the said OFWs from Pampanga.
She said that Muñoz also accompanied Yaya and the families of eight other Kapampangan OFWs still waiting repatriation from Libya to Provincial Administrator Atty. Andres S. Pangilinan, Jr.
“Atty. Jun assured them of both Governor Lilia G. Pineda and the provincial government’s support,” Muñoz said as she added that at present the PACOC is coordinating with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for the immediate release of benefits due Yaya and other concerned OFWs. (Pampanga PIO)
