BY GERARD NAVAL and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
THERE are close to 100,000 “distressed” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in different countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.
“These OFWs are either affected by lockdowns in their respective host countries, those seeking to be repatriated, or those whose work contracts have expired but cannot return to the Philippines due to the absence of commercial flights,” said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Of the total about 20,000 are awaiting repatriation, he said.
Bello’s disclosure came as the National Task Force for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) on Sunday declared as “mission accomplished” President Duterte’s order for government agencies handling OFWs to send back to their provinces — in a week — some 24,000 repatriated OFWs overstaying in government quarantine facilities in Metro Manila.
The last batch of OFWs, numbering less than a thousand, were sent home on Sunday, said task forces spokesman Restituto Padilla.
He assured the public, especially in the provinces where the OFWS are bound for, that those who were sent home tested negative for COVID-19.
Bello, citing reports from 40 Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs), said 98,615 distressed OFWs have been recorded as of May 29, with 83,483 in the Middle East, 12,050 in Europe and American regions, and 3,082 in nearby Asian countries.
On the 19,631 awaiting repatriation, he said they “have unfinished contracts or distressed and are in need of repatriation in the coming weeks.”
Of those awaiting to be repatriated, 11,505 are in the Middle East, while close to 6,500 are in Europe and the Americas.
A labor official, who asked not to be named for lack of clearance to speak on the matter, said not all distressed OFWs have expressed intention to be repatriated immediately.
“Some are still waiting if they can still get back to work after the pandemic,” the official said.
Records show that since the start of the pandemic, the POLOs have repatriated some 36,625 OFWs.
Earlier, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said about 40,000 OFWs are projected to come home between May and June.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has said some 300,000 OFWs are projected to return to the Philippines for the whole of 2020.
QUARANTINED OFWs
As for those who have been repatriated and subjected to mandatory quarantine procedures, OWWA said only 538 OFWs are awaiting clearance before being transported to their hometowns.
As of Sunday noon, OWWA said that 23,472 OFWs have returned home or are on their way home to their families.
“All of the more than 24,000 OFWs, who were virtually locked up in various quarantine facilities, would have been transported to their provinces by today (Sunday),” said Bello.
He reassured local government officials that the returning OFWs are cleared from COVID-19.
“All transported OFWs were given clearances after undergoing COVID-19 tests, and following prolonged quarantine in government designated facilities,” said Bello.
Padilla, in a radio interview, said government completed the return of the OFWs on Sunday.
“Ngayon araw na ito may natitira pa na less than 1,000 na lang, mga makakauwi ngayon araw. Kaya ang atin pong magiging report sa ating Pangulo ay mission accomplished sabi nga na ni (NTF-19 chief implementer) Secretary (Carlito) Galvez (III) at ni (defense) Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana [Today, there are less than 1,000 left who will return home today. That’s why our report to our President is mission accomplished, as Secretary Galvez and Secretary Lorenzana, would say],” he said.
Padilla reiterated that return of the 24,000 OFWs to their home provinces, along with the preparations in different international airports and the strengthening of quarantine and treatment facilities in the provinces, are being undertaken in anticipation of the arrival of some 42,000 OFWS this month.
He said the government would allow the OFWs to proceed to the other international airports outside Metro Manila and let them take their mandatory quarantine and undergo testing in their provinces.
