Medical emergencies, exploitation, and human trafficking were among the hardships that drove 30 overseas Filipino workers back home, and each of them walked away with financial support from the Department of Migrant Workers Regional Office 3 (DMW-RO3) during a distribution held in San Fernando City, Pampanga, on July 28, 2026.
The workers had returned from postings in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong. Health problems forced 13 of them to cut their contracts short. The rest came home after enduring abuse, breaches of their employment terms by employers, or trafficking.
The aid came from the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund, a DMW facility that channels immediate assistance to distressed migrant workers. The turnover formed part of the department’s mandate under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance Program, the whole-of-government relief effort ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac personally led the handover and urged the recipients to treat the money as a foundation for what comes next rather than a debt owed to the agency.
“Ang layunin ng pagbibigay ng benepisyong ito ay maitawid kayo pagkatapos ng inyong karanasan sa abroad at mabigyan kayo ng bagong panimula. Pahalagahan ninyo ang pera, ito naman ay hindi utang na loob sa amin, basta’t pahalagahan at ingatan lamang ninyo,” Cacdac told them.
Before the cash reached their hands, the beneficiaries first went through a Financial Literacy Seminar. The session was designed to equip them with practical guidance on handling, saving, and growing the assistance so that a one-time grant could stretch into something more durable.
