The Philippine government assures that assistance and jobs will be given to Filipinos returnung from Ukraine.
“Given the crisis they experienced in Ukraine, they should come home and spend time with their family. Then we will help them whether with re-employment or livelihood,” OWWA chief Hans Cacdac said in a virtual briefing.
Cacdac said that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA could also help repatriates find jobs in other countries. The returning Filipinos could also try local employment if they want to.
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Cacdac said OFWs are also given cash assistance and college scholarships for their children.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said that a total of 199 Filipinos are now out of harm’s way after they were evacuated from Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said 63 Filipinos have so far been repatriated to the Philippines.
In an ABS-CBN News interview, Arriola said that 136 Filipinos have been evacuated in other European countries.
“As of now, 199 Filipinos na po ang out of harm’s way, kasi may nakauwi na pong 63 tapos ‘yung iba po, ‘yung 136 nandoon na po sa ibang countries, naghihintay na lang ng eroplanong pabalik sa Pilipinas,” she said.
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Arriola said that some Filipinos are still stranded in Ukraine because they work as household domestic workers and married to Ukrainians.
The DFA also urges Filipinos to go home to decongest the number of refugees in European countries.
“Mas mabuti na nandito sila kaysa makipagsiksikan sila sa more than two million refugees, kasi sabi ng United Nations, over two million na na refugees ang lumabas sa Ukraine. Hindi naman po tayo refugee na maiko-consider dahil ‘yung bansa po natin ay maluwag na maluwag silang tinatanggap,” she noted
“Tsaka parang tulong na rin po iyon sa mga Ukrainian. Umuwi muna po sila kasi wala rin naman silang trabaho doon dahil nakikita nga po natin sa television, grabe ang bombahan,” she added.
