The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or OWWA is exploring options on how to help stranded overseas Filipino workers or OFWs in the UAE.
The statement comes amid the uncertainty brought by the pending decision of the government on whether to extend or lift the travel ban imposed to UAE, Oman, and five other countries.
OWWA Chief Hans Cacdac said that they are discussing with other government agencies to study opening commercial flights for OFWs.
RELATED STORY: No decision yet from IATF on PH travel ban to UAE set to expire on June 30
“We are discussing, we are talking to other government agencies in terms of trying to open up yung opportunities na makauwi yung ating OFWs through commercial flight. Kasi sa ngayon hindi pa yan puwede nga,” he told GMA News.
Cacdac also urged manning agencies to mount repatriation flights to bring home stranded OFWs since only government and private repatriation flights are accepted from countries with travel bans.
“If recruitment agencies come on board & help us organize or put together repatriation flights, if other government agencies also will come on board and help us along these lines, then this will give way to more repatriation flights,” Cacdac said.
READ ON: Stranded OFWs in UAE to be repatriated as per availability of quarantine facilities
The Philippine government has extended the travel ban to seven countries including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka until June 30.
This is the third time the travel ban has been extended in order to curb the entry of the more transmissible Delta variant first detected in India.
Early this month, an IATF resolution has allowed some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from UAE, Oman, India and three other countries to return to the country despite the prevailing travel ban. (TDT)
