A majority of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who returned to the Philippines amid tensions in the Middle East still hope to work overseas again, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
According to Cacdac, 84% of repatriated OFWs indicated in entry surveys that they still intend to seek employment abroad.
“Of that figure, around 50% may still return to their previous employers because they continue to hold valid employment visas,” he said.
The DMW said these workers may be assisted in securing the necessary clearances to return to their host countries.
For OFWs who prefer to transfer to another country or job, Cacdac said the government has prepared around 200,000 job orders in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
The available jobs were matched to the workers’ skills based on survey forms accomplished upon their arrival.
Cacdac said the government may also hold job fairs to help displaced OFWs explore other overseas opportunities.
At the same time, he noted that deployment of OFWs has declined as some workers are backing out of jobs due to the continuing Middle East crisis.
The DMW chief said a national reintegration network remains available for returning OFWs.
He added that two chartered flights are scheduled to bring home more Filipinos, including more than 200 workers arriving from Bahrain and Kuwait.
As of April 3, the DMW recorded 4,241 repatriates from the Middle East, including OFWs and Filipinos on visitor visas stranded in the region after fighting erupted on February 28.
