DOLE: 57% of 400,000 OFWs affected by COVID-19 pandemic brought home

At least 57% of the 400,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) needing repatriation due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been repatriated as of October 1, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Thursday.

Bello made the announcement during the deliberations on the Labor department’s proposed P27.5-billion budget for 2021 before the Senate Committee on Finance.

“Of the 400,000 OFWs needing repatriation, we were able to repatriate at least 229,000 as of 1 a.m. today. Meron pang naiwan, and this will continue to increase because of the effects of COVID-19,” Bello said.

Bello said that 400,000 do not include the undocumented OFWs who were also given repatriation assistance. “Basta po pag may lumapit sa amin, hindi na po namin tinatanong kung documented o undocumented,” he said.

Bello said that 1,000 to 3,000 OFWs are being repatriated to the country on a daily basis.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay, for her part, said that the college scholarship assistance for children of OFWs will be limited to one per household.

“40% po nung may repatriates so far ay may dependent na nasa college, and this could still increase,” Tutay said.

“Hindi po pa namin alam kung ilan talaga. Iyong repatriate po na OFW, mamimili po sila ng isang dependent para sa scholarship program,” she added.

The proposed 2021 budget has allocated P7.39 billion for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the Labor department, to fund assistance for the displaced OFWs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  —KBK, GMA News