Filipino workers stranded in an immigration facility in Lagos, Nigeria have been given assurances of full government support after officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Philippine Embassy in Abuja personally visited them.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac and Ambassador Mersole Mellejor met with around 40 distressed OFWs, including a Filipina who had just delivered a baby girl with her Chinese partner.
“We see baby Kiera not only as a child born of two migrants, but as a symbol of hope, dignity, and the enduring strength of Filipino worker wherever they are. This is why we are here to ensure that no Filipino is forgotten, especially in their most vulnerable moments,” Cacdac said during the visit.
The newborn’s mother, identified only as Jane, is among those already cleared for release and awaiting repatriation to the Philippines. Once home, she and the other distressed workers will be provided with comprehensive welfare assistance and reintegration support under the government’s whole-of-nation approach, as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Cacdac also thanked Nigerian authorities, the Philippine Embassy, and local partners for their cooperation in extending help to the OFWs. The DMW continues to coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Embassy in Abuja to ensure legal aid and humanitarian support for Filipinos in detention.
Nigerian Assistant Comptroller General El Anugwa meanwhile praised the Filipino community in the country, saying: “Filipinos are naturally law-abiding and among the most well-behaved foreigners in Nigeria. They show respect, cooperation, and serve as a calming presence among diverse groups.”
