DSWD: P7.766M aid given to 4,398 repatriated OFWs from Middle East

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it has extended over P7.766 million in assistance so far to 4,398 repatriated and stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East.

In a statement, the DSWD said 3,989 were OFWs repatriated due to the Middle East crisis, while 409 were stranded OFWs.

“We are assuring our returning kababayans that the government is fully equipped to assist them in their reintegration, at ang tuloy-tuloy na paghahatid ng tulong na ito ay alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na siguruhing ligtas ang ating mga OFWs (and this continuous assistance is in line with the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that our OFWs are safe),” said DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao.

All 4,398 OFWs served by the DSWD were given psychological first aid upon their arrival at the airport to help them process and cope with their trauma due to the Middle East conflict.

In addition, 227 individuals also received other forms of psychosocial assistance from the DSWD’s Field Offices (FOs) to ensure their overall well-being.

The agency said 1,324 repatriated OFWs were given financial aid amounting to P6.906 million to cover their daily needs and immediate expenses.

The DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) extended livelihood assistance worth P560,000 to 28 beneficiaries to help them with alternative sources of income.

A repatriated Filipino who required immediate health interventions received P300,000 in medical assistance.

These measures are part of the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) framework to mitigate the impact of the Middle East crisis.

The DSWD is also working with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and other government agencies in responding to OFWs’ needs.

“The DSWD will not stop monitoring the situation of our OFWs to ensure that no one is left behind, at para masiguro na ang ating mga kababayan ay makakabangong muli (and to ensure that our countrymen can recover),” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said. — JMA, GMA News