The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided assistance to 4,398 repatriated and stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the continuing tensions in the Middle East.
As of May 18, the DSWD said it had released P7.766 million worth of assistance to OFWs, including 3,989 repatriated workers and 409 stranded Filipinos.
DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the government is prepared to help returning OFWs recover and reintegrate into their communities.
“We are assuring our returning kababayans that the government is fully equipped to assist them in their reintegration, at ang tuloy-tuloy na paghahatid ng tulong na ito ay alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr na siguruhing ligtas ang ating mga OFWs,” Dumlao said.
All 4,398 OFWs received psychological first aid upon arrival to help them cope with the trauma and stress caused by the Middle East conflict.
The DSWD said 227 individuals also received additional psychosocial support through its field offices.
Financial assistance worth P6.906 million was distributed to 1,324 repatriated OFWs to help cover immediate expenses and daily needs.
Under the Sustainable Livelihood Program, 28 beneficiaries received livelihood assistance totaling P560,000 to help them start or sustain alternative sources of income.
The agency also provided P300,000 in medical assistance to one repatriated Filipino who needed urgent health intervention.
The DSWD said the support measures form part of the government’s UPLIFT (Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport) framework, which aims to help affected Filipinos return to the local workforce and rebuild their lives.
“The DSWD will not stop monitoring the situation of our OFWs to ensure that no one is left behind, at para masiguro na ang ating mga kababayan ay makakabangong muli,” Dumlao said.
The agency said it is working with the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and other offices for a coordinated response to the needs of displaced OFWs.