Repatriated OFWs due to COVID-19 pandemic hit 342k — DFA

More than 342,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have returned to the country since repatriation efforts began in February last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

Of this number, 327,511 OFWs were repatriated in 2020, said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Arriola, citing government data as of January 12. 

A number of OFWs, however, chose to remain in their host countries in light of the gradual reopening of economies across the world and vaccination efforts.

“Tuluy-tuloy po iyong sweeper flights natin. Actually, napansin po namin towards noong December, marami na rin po iyong mga nagdidesisyon na mag-stay,” Arriola said at the Laging Handa briefing.

“Narinig po namin, I think, ang plano po yata ng Middle East countries, iyong GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] is before Ramadan ay magkaroon na sila ng herd immunity. So marami po sa ating mga kababayan iyong nagbabakasakali na ring manatili po sa mga country of destination.”

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Hans Leo Cacdac earlier said around 80,000 OFWs might return to the Philippines in the first half of 2021. — RSJ, GMA News