Philippine Government Ready to Assist OFWs in Iran-Israel Conflict

Department of Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, Undersecretary Felicitas Bay, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan assured that the Philippine government is ready to provide support to overseas Filipino workers affected by the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The government is prepared to offer assistance such as repatriation, financial aid, and reintegration support to OFWs in need.

According to the officials, a voluntary repatriation effort is in place under Alert Level 3, with 31 OFWs expected to arrive in Manila from conflict-affected areas.

The repatriation process faced challenges due to the temporary closure of Qatari airspace, delaying flights.

As of now, 311 OFWs in Israel have requested repatriation, with 96 confirmed, and more batches are scheduled for repatriation in the coming days.

The government's assistance is available to both documented and undocumented workers, with each returning OFW set to receive financial aid, food, hygiene kits, counseling, and temporary shelter.

Efforts are also underway to support OFWs' reintegration through job placement, skills training, and livelihood programs.

OFWs can contact authorities through the DMW-OWWA hotline for assistance and are advised to rely on official sources for information.

The government reassures that there are enough resources to aid OFWs affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

According to the source: Philippine News Agency.