The Department of Labor and Employment said that returning overseas Filipino workers or OFWs to the country hit the 800,000 mark.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Sunday that based on records of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration a total of 809,374 OFWs were transported back to their home regions as of November 28.
The OFWs underwent quarantine protocols and provided assistance by the government.
Bello said that those who have returned consisted mostly of pandemic-affected workers and displaced OFWs.
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The pandemic sent over 125 million workers unemployed worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization.
“Many of our OFWs became helpless when the pandemic struck and so the government launched a massive repatriation drive never done before,” Bello said.
“Once cleared, our OFWs were transported home to their respective provinces,” he added.
Bello said that the largest number of returning OFWs since the pandemic was during November 15- December 12.They totaled 56,925 migrant workers.
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“This year, the highest was for the period October 17 to November 13 with 45,703 OFWs returning to their own families,” he said.
Bello said the lowest was on November 25 this year with 1,622 migrant workers.
“As long as we have migrant workers who want to go home but can’t do so because of difficulties due to the pandemic, we will continue the repatriation program,” the labor chief added. (TDT)
