The Al Tassel Story

By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
26 July 2009

The following is not a classic boy-meets-girl story and this is not about me. This is about thirteen Filipinos who ventured life overseas and still struggle. And, hey, this can be your own story, too.

Apparently for the thirteen individuals, traveling to the uncharted Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is comparatively a trek in the mystical Mount Cristobal of Quezon Province in Southern Luzon. Back in the Philippines, they all trudged the road less travelled all because they wanted short cuts; they wanted to avail of the express lane. Basically, they were all neophytes in the activity they plunged into: applying for work abroad.

Socially, most of them do not know each other. Some were colleagues in the Bistro along Malate; some simply applied for the promised job. And still others responded to the sweet words of a certain Filipino posing as the official Philippine representative of this Arabian Company for this particular work.

Seemingly, the story sounds familiar. Let’s dig!

They converged in a small reception area of the A Placement Agency in Ermita, Manila where they were interviewed by a Filipino Representative and some officers of the Agency. After a week, they were informed that the working visas are not available. They were required to report to B Placement Agency and encountered the same process. As their story went, Visas were not available again in B Placement Agency so they were transferred to C. This time, everything was ready; they paid as high as Php20,000.00 to expedite the process. At last, they were bound to leave the archipelagic Philippines soon.

By legal requirement, they were signed a contract with the Agency containing the SAR1,200.00 Basic Salary, plus SAR200.00 Food Allowance, overtime pay, clean and decent accommodation house, transportation and benefits according to the KSA Labor Law. They were informed that the Restaurant they would work for is in the heart of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom and a fine dining one.

Finally, they were deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in two batches: first, 7 and second, 6. According to the first batch, from the port of origin they were all extremely happy on board the Saudi Airlines unmindful of the events that would soon capture them when they reached their port of destination. At the arrival area, two Saudi Nationals met them, ushered them to the 2008 Model Chevrolet Trailblazer and brought them to a decent, beautifully furnished accommodation house in Dammam.

At this juncture, all seven of them were still floating in extreme ecstasy at cloud nine. Apparently, everybody’s mind is set on something “new” to them: bright hope for the future.

A week after, the second batch of 6 arrived. They were greeted with the same welcome propagandas as in the first batch. They were all in the same state: bright hope for the future, too.

They were trained in the main restaurant in Dammam. After a month, all of them were deployed to branches within the Eastern Province of the Kingdom: Al Hasa, Hofuf, Jubail, Dammam, and Al-Khobar. Consequently, they were transferred to their respective accommodation houses in locations they were assigned. Take note, each city in the Eastern province has distinct culture and each has different perils on hand.

Please, control your emotions. The roller-coaster begins.

All of them received their first pays. Sealed in an envelope without accompanying Pay Slips, they received their pays by signing an Excel Sheet. Shocked! The promised pays were cut by about thirty-three percent and no overtime pay was accorded.

In the second batch, one candidate was the Operations Manager of a Bistro in Malate. He was hired initially as Operations Supervisor with the Salary twice as much as his in the Philippines. As the first pay revealed, he was an ordinary dining crew just like most of the rest. Worse, his salary was only SAR1,000.00.

The story is slowly getting into my nerves now. Incredible!

This young man, true to the assessment of his personality I initially had during the casual interview, is very aggressive and loud. He speaks more than he listens. However to him, it is beneficial. This man complained why such a position and why such a salary when these were not the agreement signed in the Philippines.

Consequently, he was offered an office job as Accountant. The thing is: he is a graduate of BS Hotel & Restaurant Management. What a compliment, though!

Dalai Lama once said: Failure is just a twist of luck. Sometimes, things happen not the way we wanted because of one apparent reason. The event just twisted because that is what it ought to be. As in the case of this young man, he became the instrument of his batch to collect all evidences of records and information against the company in preparation for their mass complaints against the Management: Visa and Iqama costs are deducted from their salary every month. To date, the total amount deducted form their salaries exceed the actual cost of visa and iqama.

Adding fuel to the fire: every mistake in the accounting transaction – either in issuing payment check, describing the transaction or recording – this young man gets at least two days cut from his basic pay. Irritatingly wonderful!

Technically and legally, visa and iqama costs are the basic obligation of the Management in hiring expatriates around the globe. Needless to point out, these are not the costs to employees.

These Romeos are bleeding without apparent bloodshed. It’s a feeling one can just hide but manifest from inside out through anger; others cried.

It was a classic case of bed-of-roses promises.

The truth!

Number one: This Arabian Company has been hiring its workforce from the Philippines annually using different kind of company names with different persons posting as official Philippine Representative. Aside form this practice, this company has been approaching a lot of Placement Agencies to conceal their true identity.

Number two: This Arabian Company has been complained at the KSA Ministry of Labor Eastern Province Branch for grave offenses against eleven Filipinos prior to the arrival of these batches. And why do they still hire Filipinos? We work to maximum extremes and they can trust us in terms of responsibility. Luckily though – and is a credit to us Filipinos – this company does not trust other nationalities.

Number three: The eleven Filipinos who complained at the Labor Office were granted relief by the Labor Arbiter, paid with End-of-Service Benefits, were given other benefits as per the KSA Labor Law, and went back home full of surprises at the expense of this company.

Twist of fate, this time. These eleven Filipinos are the forerunners of these thirteen new Filipinos who are experiencing the same fate as they were. By happenstance, they may find the same refuge at the end of the day.

This is their very own story in the restaurant called the Al-Tassel. As what I have said, their story is by far no different from the rest. It happened to them; it can happen to any one of us.

Watch out, folks!