More than ₱2.18 billion in government aid was extended to overseas Filipino workers in 2025 as the Department of Migrant Workers expanded its welfare and crisis response operations for Filipinos affected by emergencies and displacement abroad.
Funds were drawn from the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund, which supported financial relief, medical care, legal assistance, labor-related claims, and repatriation services from January to November 2025. The department reported that over 160,000 OFWs benefited from these interventions, including those caught in armed conflicts and humanitarian crises.
Repatriation efforts accounted for a significant portion of the response, with the agency facilitating the return of 1,562 Filipinos affected by the Hamas–Israel conflict. Additional operations brought home 803 OFWs from Sudan and 1,667 from Lebanon as security conditions deteriorated in those areas.
The expanded welfare operations were carried out alongside institutional strengthening within the department. By November, 1,491 positions had been filled, increasing frontline capacity, while 42 Migrant Workers Offices were operating globally. The agency also finalized 10 bilateral labor agreements aimed at reinforcing rights-based migration frameworks and improving overseas employment standards.
Beyond emergency assistance, the department continued to shift services to digital platforms. The OFW Pass system recorded 514,966 transactions in 2025, accelerating the move away from traditional Overseas Employment Certificate processing and reducing physical documentation requirements for departing workers.
Reintegration programs supported 52,745 returning OFWs as of October, including 656 teachers who secured public school posts through the Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir initiative. Health and on-site support services were also expanded, with the OFW Hospital in Pampanga upgraded to Level 2 and serving 115,365 patients, while OFW lounges nationwide assisted 856,551 workers as of November.
