Close to 11,000 overseas Filipino workers and their families have been safely returned to the Philippines since unrest erupted in the Middle East in February, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Of that total, 6,060 were flown home aboard emergency flights financed through OWWA’s Emergency Repatriation Fund, the agency said.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan said the government has sustained its response without pause since the disturbances began. “Sa bilin ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., tumugon ang pamahalaan mula pa noong unang araw ng kaguluhan noong Pebrero at nagpapatuloy ang ating mga operasyon hanggang ngayon. Hindi tumigil ang ating pagtulong. Sa pamamagitan ng Emergency Repatriation Fund ng OWWA, tuloy-tuloy nating napopondohan ang mga emergency flights upang mailigtas at maiuwi ang ating mga kababayan.”
The latest arrivals numbered 165 Filipinos from Kuwait, who landed at NAIA Terminal 3 on June 16 via Cebu Pacific Flight 5J31. Before reaching Manila, the group was routed through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after being moved out of Kuwait. The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia, led by Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat, extended help to ensure the workers passed safely through the transit point.
The returnees came from across the country: 22 from the National Capital Region, 78 from elsewhere in Luzon, 28 from the Visayas, and 37 from Mindanao. Their needs were attended to in Kuwait by the OWWA On-Site Welfare Office and the Migrant Workers Office before departure, in coordination with embassies, OWWA, and partner agencies.
Caunan described the effort as proof of the administration’s whole-of-government approach, which draws together the DFA, DMW, OWWA, embassies and Migrant Workers Offices, DSWD, DOH, and reintegration partners including DOLE, DTI, SB Corp., TESDA, and CHED. “Ang whole-of-government approach ang susi sa mas mabilis na koordinasyon at mas epektibong serbisyo para sa ating mga OFW. Kapag sama-sama ang buong pamahalaan, mula sa ating mga embahada at MWOs sa ibang bansa hanggang sa mga ahensyang tumutulong sa reintegration pag-uwi sa Pilipinas, mas mabilis nating naiaabot ang kinakailangang tulong at mas natitiyak natin na walang maiiwang Pilipino sa panahon ng krisis,” she said.
Upon landing, the workers were met by OWWA personnel who assisted with baggage and brought them to the Philippine Trade Training Center, the designated holding area for newly arrived OFWs. Each received food aid and special financial assistance. Those bound for the Visayas, Mindanao, and other parts of Luzon were placed in temporary accommodation while their domestic flights were arranged, while returnees living in Metro Manila, Region III, and Region IV-A were given land transportation assistance home.
Caunan also welcomed signs of easing tensions in the region. “Anumang balita na magdadala sa mapayapang pagresolba ng sigalot ay aming malugod na tinatanggap. Nananatili tayong umaasa para sa isang pangmatagalan at makatarungang kapayapaan na magbibigay ng seguridad at katatagan sa rehiyon para sa kapakinabangan ng lahat, lalo na ng ating mga OFW na patuloy na nagsusumikap at nagsasakripisyo para sa kanilang mga pamilya. Habang nagpapatuloy ang ating pag-asa para sa kapayapaan, nananatili ring handa ang pamahalaan na tumulong at umagapay sa ating mga kababayan saan man sila naroroon.”
