The Department of Labor and Employment admitted on Tuesday it is possible that the number of Filipino domestic helpers expatriated or fleeing from their employers in the United Arab Emirates has increased this year.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the increase in the number of unregistered Filipinos arriving in the UAE may have contributed to the rise in the number of ‘runaways’ in that country.

“The 20 percent increase in wards at the center in Abu Dhabi may be attributed to continuously increasing number of Filipinos arriving in UEA, many of them unregistered,’’ Roque told the Bulletin.

Earlier, labor attache Nasser Munder was quoted by the Dubai-based Khaleej Times as saying that the number of Filipino household helpers fleeing from their employers has increased by 20 percent. Most of these runaways have been with their employers for less than three months, he said.

Munder, according to the report, said the count is based on the number of workers seeking refuge at the Filipino Workers Resource Center, a shelter for runaways or distressed workers that is being maintained by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Abu Dhabi.

"Compared to last year, our wards have increased by 20 percent with more than 100 wards on average per month. We now average between 118 and 125 a month compared to last year, when it was below 100," said Munder.

According to the labor official, workers escape for a variety of reasons, including abusive employers, culture shock, homesickness, medical reasons, delayed payment of salaries and sexual harassment.

He said the repatriation of Filipino workers takes some time and is compounded by employers who are sometimes reluctant to cooperate.

Some employers, he added will not make the domestic helpers go (home) without getting a refund of their expenses.

Munder also said that the number of women arriving and leaving the shelter varies each day, with newcomers sometimes numbering up to six. "Depending on the case and financial availability, some women stay at the shelter for as long as three months.''

He said many do not have the money to pay for their repatriation expenses and mostly rely on donations and sponsorships of airline tickets from their compatriots and some government officials.

The DoLE said it has yet to receive a formal report from the POLO office in the UAE about the reported rise Filipino runaways.