80K OFWs displaced by pandemic seek repatriation

As many as 80,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are waiting to be repatriated. Since the COVID-19 outbreak a year ago, the government has repatriated 410,211 displaced OFWs as of Jan. 16, according to the Department of Labor and Employment. It said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) last week transported 8,273 OFWs who were cleared of COVID-19 back to their home provinces. The Owwa arranged for the transportation of 7,895 repatriated OFWs the previous week. Aside from the air or ship fare, the government also shouldered the accommodation, food and transportation of repatriated OFWs, who were also given P10,000 cash assistance each. More than 520,000 OFWs were displaced by the pandemic. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan