Thousands of OFWs back out of repatriation to get COVID-19 vaccine abroad

Around 60,000 overseas Filipino workers have backed out of repatriation in order to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) abroad, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

According to JP Soriano’s “24 Oras Weekend” report on Sunday, vaccines will be given for free to documented OFWs in the Middle East.

“About 500,000 na humiling ng repatriation, may umatras na mga 60,000 and they gave us their reason na umatras na sila, hindi na sila nagpapa-repatriate dahil nabakunahan sila,” Bello said.

Most of the OFWs who have been vaccinated abroad are frontline workers.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has not yet begun vaccination.

Inoculations are set to begin in February.

Over 351,000 OFWs have been repatriated from February 2020 to January 24 this year, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News