Almost 500K Displaced OFWs Back in Hometowns, OWWA Reports

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, during a V-Cafe at Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) virtual forum held on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, reported that almost 500,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced by the pandemic have been assisted and are now in their home provinces.

IPS Director Rolly Francia, who hosted the said virtual forum, asked OWWA Administrator Cacdac, “Yung mga napauwi na natin na OFWs… Ilan na po ba so far and ating repatriate at natulungan at nadala sa kanilang probinsiya?”

“As of today (March 10, 2021), tumatayo sa 470,000. Approaching the half million mark na ang napauwi sa kanikanilang home regions na OFWs. Of course, I need to say na nandiyan ang DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), OWWA, but it is also an inter agency effort… This is really a one government approach as mandated by the President.”

– Hans Leo Cacdac, OWWA Administrator

Cacdac added that the government continues to provided assistance to returning OFWs. “Libre pa rin po, ayon sa pinag utos ng pangulo, libre ang swab testing or PCR testing ng arriving OFWs, yung quarantine hotel facility ay libre, of course, pati yung pagkain, and then yung pag-transport. Once negative sa PCR test, sila ay libre din sa pag-transport sa kanikanilang mga home regions…” said Cacdac.

According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), a newswire service of the Philippine government under the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the government started repatriating OFWs affected by the pandemic in May last year.

Watch the Virtual Forum

Here is the virtual forum with OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac. It went live on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 through the Department of Labor and Employment – DOLE Facebook page. Watch from the beginning or start at 6:00 of the video to catch more details on the OFWs assisted by government to their home regions.

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Source: Philippine News Agency (PNA), Department of Labor and Employment – DOLE | Facebook Page, Department of Labor and Employment IPS| YouTube Channel