Over 19,000 marooned OFWs in NCR transported back to provinces – DOLE

A127 stranded Boholano overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) were flown back to Bohol on Tuesday night, May 26, 2020. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/DOXSON ASOY

MANILA, Philippines — More than 19,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded in Metro Manila due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been transported back to their home provinces, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported Friday.

During the online hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, Alice Visperas of the DOLE International Labor Affairs Bureau said the 19,010 OFWs were among the 24,000 workers earlier reported stranded in the National Capital Region.

“Of the 24,000, we only have less than 5,000 remaining [OFWs] in the different hotels and ships who we hope to be able to transport before the end of this week as instructed to us by President Rodrigo Duterte,” Visperas said.

Visperas said the stranded OFWs have been staying in hotels and other accommodations in coordination with the different Philippine manning and recruitment agencies.

She added that the OFWs are also provided food during while awaiting travel arrangements back to their hometowns.

Many OFWs were adversely affected by the pandemic as foreign governments enforced travel restrictions.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard Olalia earlier reported that only 47 OFWs were deployed in April this year, compared to over 30,000 in April 2019.

There was also a 99.48 percent dip in deployment of re-hired or returning OFWs in April 2020 compared to data from April 2019.

GSG