MANILA, Philippines —President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved an additional P3 billion to strengthen the government’s repatriation and reintegration program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the conflict in the Middle East.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the additional funding will cover the entire repatriation process which includes pre-departure assistance, flights, and reintegration support for returning workers.
“War or not, there are Filipinos in extreme distress that we should bring home,” the official said on Sunday.
Citing the latest data from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Recto said 10,446 Filipinos from the Middle East have been repatriated to the country through humanitarian flights. The figure includes 8,281 OFWs, 1,803 dependents, and 362 stranded Filipinos.
He added that some of the humanitarian flights served as medical evacuation missions, with healthcare personnel deployed to assist sick passengers as the president “does not want repatriation to be a mere airport-to-airport thing.”
“His order is that no one is neglected after they land. What the president wants is to bring to the provinces help for those in dire need, especially economic opportunities," Recto said.
The DMW has so far conducted 15 Bayanihan Para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network and Job Fairs nationwide to connect returning workers with local and overseas employment opportunities, livelihood programs, and financial literacy services.
Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has provided livelihood assistance to 664 returning OFWs through its Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay Program, which offers up to P20,000 in startup assistance for small businesses.
Recto said the Department of Education (DepEd) has established a hiring pathway for returning Philippine-licensed teachers seeking employment in public schools. Based on the latest DepEd data, around 10,000 former OFWs have joined the public school teaching workforce.
