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.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto noted in a statement that 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,” Recto 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 through humanitarian flights. The figure includes 8,281 OFWs, 1,803 dependents, and 362 stranded Filipinos.
Some of the humanitarian flights also served as medical evacuation missions, with health care personnel onboard assisting sick passengers, since the president “does not want repatriation to be a mere airport-to-airport thing,” Recto said.
“By tapping the skills of the OFWs honed by their work abroad, society benefits as well. This is a kind of technology transfer that helps the economy. This is a brain gain we need,” he said.
The DMW has 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.
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 also 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 through various administrations.
