29-10-2023 (MANILA) Sixty overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be returning to the Philippines as part of the fourth batch of repatriates from Israel. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced that the group, which includes two infants, will arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 3:55 p.m. via Etihad Airways flight EY 424.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac revealed during a forum in Quezon City that out of the sixty repatriates, thirty-two are hotel workers, while the remaining twenty-eight are caregivers. With the arrival of this group, the total number of OFWs returning to the Philippines since the recent conflict sparked by Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7 will reach 119.
Cacdac further stated that approximately 185 Filipinos in Israel have requested repatriation. He added, “We are looking at more or less 65 to 70 more individuals who need to be repatriated.” Fortunately, the government has sufficient funds to cover the expenses involved in repatriation.
To assist the returning OFWs, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has offered a repatriation assistance package amounting to P50,000 each. This financial aid can be utilized to address the daily needs of their families back home.
According to the DMW, there are approximately 30,000 OFWs in Israel, with “99 percent of them being caregivers, while the rest work in hotels.”
In addition to the OFWs from Israel, there are also 124 OFWs in Lebanon who have expressed their willingness to return home due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants. The government is currently coordinating efforts to facilitate their repatriation within the week. It is estimated that there are around 17,000 OFWs in Lebanon.
The Philippine government remains committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of its overseas workers amidst challenging circumstances, providing necessary assistance and support for their return to the country.
