Around 42K OFWs set to return to PH in coming months — Galvez

Presidential Peace adviser and concurrent National Task Force COVID-19 Response Chief Implementor Carlito Galvez Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippnes — Around 42,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to return home in the next few months as the world grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

“We have to undertake the testing of more or less 30,000 OFWs (that have) been stranded in Metro Manila,” Galvez told senators during Tuesday’s committee of the whole hearing on updates on the government’s response to the health crisis.

“We will be accepting more or less 42,000 more OFWs this coming month and we are challenged with this,” he added.

Authorities have started allowing inbound international chartered and commercial flights to land at Manila’s main airport on May 11 with the imposition of a 400-passenger cap per day.

These passengers will be subjected to PCR-based COVID-19 testing and will undergo a 14-day mandatory facility-based quarantine.

Latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed that 2,405 overseas Filipinos had been tested positive for the coronavirus, including 828 recoveries and 279 fatalities.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health has confirmed 12,718 COVID-19 cases.

Of the total number, 2,729 have so far recovered while 831 have died.

JPV