The Philippine government has successfully repatriated a total of 224 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) along with eight children back to the Philippines, in the wake of the recent attacks launched by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.
The latest group to arrive was the seventh batch, consisting of 39 individuals and two children, who landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Monday. They arrived via Etihad Airways flight EY424. This group comprised 29 caregivers and 10 hotel workers, as stated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in a Facebook post.
Senior officials from various government departments, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the DMW, led by Assistant Secretary Levinson Alcantara, were present to welcome the OFWs.
Before their departure, the group was assisted at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel by the Migrant Workers Office – Israel (MWO-Israel), with Labor Attaché Rodolfo Gabasan and welfare officer Dina Ponciano overseeing their travel.
During their transit through Abu Dhabi International Airport, the group met with Ambassador Alfonso Ferdinand Ver and Consul General Marford Angeles of the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ensuring their wellbeing.
The Presidential Communications Office highlighted the extensive support provided by the Philippine government to these repatriated OFWs. This includes return airfare from Israel to Manila, USD200 for immediate needs, and hotel accommodations in Israel while waiting for their flights.
Upon arrival in Manila, each returnee is entitled to PHP50,000 from DMW, another PHP50,000 from OWWA, care kits, food packs, initial medical check-ups, psychosocial assessments, a PHP20,000 financial aid for those in crisis, and skills training vouchers from TESDA.
Furthermore, DMW-OWWA is covering their hotel stays, transit flights, bus tickets, and food expenses until they reach their respective homes and provinces.
