Over 24,000 repatriated OFWs sent home –Palace

Despite transportation difficulties, more than 24,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in quarantine facilities in Metro Manila have returned to their respective hometowns, Malacañang said Monday.

Government data showed that 24,028 OFWs were transported from May 25 to 31, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised briefing. Of this number, 9,143 were transported by air and 378 via sea travel.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier gave government agencies one week to process the immediate release of some 24,000 OFWs that tested negative for COVID-19 or have undergone the necessary 14-day quarantine.

To accomplish this, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) formed task groups to speed up the movement of OFWs from different quarantine facilities to their respective homes, as well as the processing of outbound workers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has ordered the designation of additional personnel from its regional and attached agencies to strengthen the manpower requirement of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

This is to ensure the smooth land and air transport and monitoring of OFWs from their quarantine facilities to their respective destinations.

Labor Undersecretary Claro Arellano said over the weekend that OWWA had so far spent over P700 million for the repatriation, transport, accommodation and food of the more than 30,000 returning OFWs.

Bringing the OFWs -- many of whom had complained of having spent almost a month in quarantine due to bureaucratic problems --  to their home provinces had not been as smooth as anticipated. Many had experienced staying in terminals and airports for hours.

In some provinces, OFWs had to undergo another round of quarantine as local governments want to ensure that they are free of COVID-19.

Malacañang likewise said it would respect the decision of local governments. --KBK, GMA News