A Filipina domestic worker who was among the 17 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) detained in Qatar for participating in an unauthorized political protest has returned home to the Philippines, reuniting with her children just in time for Easter.
In a statement released on April 21, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed the arrival of the 36-year-old mother of two at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Easter Sunday, April 20. She was welcomed by DMW officials alongside representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
The repatriated OFW was the only one among the 17 who lost her job following the incident in Qatar, which involved an unsanctioned gathering of Duterte supporters last March. The protest, held at a resort in Doha during the former president’s 80th birthday, violated local laws on public assemblies, resulting in the arrest of 20 Filipinos, including three minors. The minors were later released, while the rest were granted provisional freedom after diplomatic interventions by the Philippine government. All charges were eventually dropped, following what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called a testament to the “strong bilateral ties” between the Philippines and Qatar.
Upon her termination, the Filipina worker immediately sought the assistance of the Philippine Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office in Qatar under the One Country-Team Approach. She has since expressed her desire to start over in the Philippines.
“We shall provide training, reemployment, and livelihood assistance as she is interested in the field of culinary arts, and accounting as well,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac.
The returning OFW, who had worked in Qatar since 2019 and previously in Kuwait, received financial assistance from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and a scholarship certificate from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). She will also be eligible for government-led livelihood programs under the DMW’s reintegration services.
DMW Undersecretaries Jainal T. Rasul, Jr. and Dominique Rubia-Tutay, Assistant Secretary Maria Angela Regina Galias, and other key officials were present to personally welcome her home.
Her children, aged 12 and 16, along with other family members, were at the airport to greet her in an emotional reunion, symbolizing a new beginning after a difficult ordeal abroad.
