AN OVERSEAS Filipino worker (OFW) who was allegedly locked by her female employer in a stock room in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, returned home on March 30.
Edrelyn Cauntoy, 27, of Purok Limbo, Barangay Poblacion, Bago City, Negros Occidental, was fetched by her mother Anita, brother Janray and her nephew Emil at Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) port in Bacolod City past 1 p.m.
Cauntoy, who was emotional upon seeing her family, said: "Grabe ang kulba ko sang didto ko sa stockroom, daw indi ko kabalo kung maano ko kay nagutman na ko bala haw (I was so scared when I was inside the stock room. I didn't know what to do because I was very hungry)."
Her mother even cried when she was finally reunited with her daughter.
Two weeks ago, Cauntoy sought the help of the netizens after she was left alone in a stock room and was only given noodles and spoiled rice to eat for one week when her employer discovered that her Saudi Arabian identity card already expired.
Embassy officials and representatives from her Manila-based agency facilitated her release last March 20, through the assistance of the parent of her employers, after the video she uploaded online last March 18 went viral.
She stayed for four days at Dammam, where judicial and administrative bodies of the province, as well as several government departments, are located in the city, while her papers were processed.
On March 24, Cauntoy flew back to Manila and was fetched by a representative from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa). She temporarily stayed at her cousin's house until everything was settled.
Cauntoy, who was working for almost two years in the Middle East as a domestic helper, said she was relieved and very happy as she was able to return home safely. She also thanked everyone who helped her.
Cauntoy had been helping to send her two younger brothers to school and was even sharing some of her salary for the repair of their house.
She said she will no longer work abroad, adding she will just look for a job in the province.
Meanwhile, Cauntoy encouraged other OFWs, who are experiencing difficulties with their employers, to also make necessary actions as early as possible to avoid being put in a harder situation. (GYM)