Wife gets benefits after seven years

Sometimes one has to wait for a long time to get God’s answer to a prayer.

For widow Lora Felipe it meant seven long years before she could finally receive the death benefits of her overseas Filipino worker husband, Eduardo.

"Finally my prayers were answered," said Lora as she accepted from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) the two checks amounting to $3,769.15.

Lora’s husband was hired for a two-year contract as an offshore rigger by Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. in Malaysia sometime in February 1993. But on June 7, 1993 or barely four months after his deployment to Malaysia, Eduardo met an accident while on his way to report for work.

He was with his co-workers riding in a boat that would ferry them to their workplace when turbulent waters and strong winds caused their ferry boat to capsize.

Eduardo’s body was never found while two of his co-workers also died in the accident.

It took several days before Lora learned about her husband’s death because relatives who heard the news over the radio feared that something bad might happen to her if she was informed of the tragedy.
Lora said she almost gave up but the Embassy and OWWA officials as well as the staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) were more than willing to extend their assistance.

The composite team of OWWA, POLO and Embassy officials made a series of monitoring, follow-up, met with Malaysian labor officials and prepared all the necessary requirements to enable Lora and her daughter to get the claim. – Mayen Jaymalin