Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated by the Philippine government arrived from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
A total of 74 OFWs and eight minors from Kuwait were welcomed by OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The workers received financial assistance, as well as food, transportation, and hotel accommodation support as needed.
In addition, 61 OFWs and two children from the UAE, the first batch under the country’s amnesty program, also landed in Manila. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) provided immediate financial aid upon their arrival.
“All of them will receive reintegration services and other forms of support from the government,” the DMW stated in a Facebook post. The department emphasized that the repatriation efforts were made possible through the collaboration of the Philippine Embassy in the UAE, the DMW offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and OWWA.
The UAE’s amnesty program, which began on September 1, 2024, and runs until October 31, 2024, has already seen over 2,000 overstaying Filipinos take advantage of the opportunity to return home.
Earlier this month, 99 OFWs from Lebanon and Kuwait were also repatriated. OWWA reaffirmed that the government’s repatriation efforts continue to assist distressed OFWs seeking to return to the Philippines.