OWWA: Over 7,400 stranded OFWs so far sent to home provinces

MANILA, Philippines — On the second day of the one-week deadline imposed by President Rodrigo Duterte, the government was able to send home over 7,400 stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their provinces.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Hans Cacdac on Wednesday said 4,576 OFWs were assisted by the government on Tuesday alone, bringing the total of OFWs sent home to 7,459.

“We are pretty much on track to meet the target set by the President with 7,459 in the first two days and five more days to go,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

Cacdac has assured that all OFWs sent home have complied with the health protocols set by DOH and have been cleared of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are “COVID-free.”

The government has so far utilized 103 bus units and 40 charter flights in transporting the OFWs. Starting Wednesday night, passenger ships will be tapped to send home the OFWs, he added.

The OWWA, along with the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Health (DOH) was earlier ordered by President Duterte to send home some 24,000 OFWs who are awaiting their coronavirus test results in various quarantine facilities.

READ: Duterte: Send home 24,000 quarantined OFWs in 1 week, expedite release of COVID test results

This is after a number of repatriated OFWs have complained of being confined to quarantine facilities beyond the mandatory 14-day isolation period due to the delay in the release of their COVID-19 test results.

/MUF