18 OFWs in Israel return to Philippines

Another batch of overseas Filipino workers who escaped the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas arrived in the Philippines on Friday. 

According to the Department of Migrant Workers, the 18-person group consisting of 14 caregivers and four hotel employees will receive all necessary assistance.

Each repatriate will receive P100,000 in cash assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and DMW, skills training vouchers, additional financial assistance from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and psychosocial evaluation and assessment services. 

Additional financial support will also be given to returning OFWs with children of school age. 

OFWs who plan on staying in the country for good will also receive various training, skills, and capacity-building interventions from the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) and OWWA.

“As directed by the President, the DMW, the OWWA, and all our other partner government agencies will receive our OFWs and help them through this challenging time, especially the trauma and stress they endured,” said DMW Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones.

The first batch of repatriates, composed of 15 caregivers, one hotel worker, and a one-month-old infant, arrived in the country on Wednesday.  —VBL, GMA Integrated News