A total of 591,063 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated by the Philippine government from March 2020 to June 22 this year, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
OWWA stated that of this number 391,709 OFWs were repatriated in 2020, while 109,354 other OFWs have been repatriated as of June 22.
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The government agency further said that majority of these OFWs lost their jobs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and all of them have been reunited with their families back in the provinces.
Repatriated OFWs went through quarantine in the country till their swab results were released — with negative people being treated and the others being taken to their hometowns.
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OWWA likewise urged the Department of Budget and Management to provide an additional Php5.2 billion to fund the repatriation program this year, which includes free flights for distressed OFWs, and free accommodation in quarantine hotels for all OFWs who are about to head home.
The repatriation program is conducted in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Transportation, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, and Department of Health. (AW)
