The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it has extended more than P7.766 million in assistance to 4,398 repatriated and stranded overseas Filipino workers affected by the ongoing Middle East crisis.
In a statement released Monday, the DSWD said 3,989 of those assisted were repatriated OFWs while 409 were stranded workers.
“We are assuring our returning kababayans that the government is fully equipped to assist them in their reintegration,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.
“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,” she added.
[Translation: The continued delivery of assistance is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure the safety of OFWs.]
The DSWD said all 4,398 OFWs were provided psychological first aid upon arrival at airports to help them cope with trauma caused by the regional conflict.
An additional 227 individuals also received further psychosocial interventions through DSWD field offices.
The agency said 1,324 repatriated OFWs received financial assistance totaling P6.906 million to cover immediate expenses and daily needs.
Meanwhile, the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program distributed P560,000 worth of livelihood aid to 28 beneficiaries to help them establish alternative income sources.
One repatriated Filipino requiring urgent medical treatment also received P300,000 in medical assistance.
The assistance forms part of the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport or UPLIFT framework aimed at mitigating the economic impact of the Middle East crisis.
The DSWD said it continues to coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and other agencies to support affected OFWs.
“The DSWD will not stop monitoring the situation of our OFWs to ensure that no one is left behind,” Dumlao said.
“At para masiguro na ang ating mga kababayan ay makakabangong muli,” she added.
[Translation: And to ensure that our fellow Filipinos can recover.]
