MANILA—Fourteen distressed overseas Filipino workers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia have returned to the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia reported.

The Filipinos, most of whom worked in Malaysia on tourist visas, ran away from their employers due to non-payment of salaries and non-issuance of valid work permits, the embassy said.

The 14 arrrived at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga on December 2.

At the Clark airport, they were met by officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs Regional Consular Office in Pampanga, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region III.

The Embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals Unit worked out the early release of their exit passes while the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuala Lumpur paid for their overstaying fines and plane fare.

The repatriation of the distressed nationals is the latest in a series of mass repatriation done by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The DFA reiterates its advisory to Filipinos not to come to Malaysia as “tourist workers”, as they would be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.