DFA targets to repatriate 37K OFWs in 3-4 weeks

FILE: DFA Welcomes Home 665 Filipinos from Barbados and UAE (Photo: DFAPHL/Twitter)

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is planning to repatriate 37,660 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in various countries in the next three to four weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, an official said on Friday.

During a hearing of the House committee on public accounts regarding the issues surrounding the repatriation of stranded OFWs, DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said the DFA stands ready to bring home “as many OFWs as possible”.

“But we have to follow also the regulations, because we are bound by the flight caps, the number of OFWs that can enter,” Arriola said, referring to the limitations imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

“There are limitations per day. If we are given at least 2,000 per day, at least 7 days a week, then we can bring in more,” she added.

Arriola reported that the over 56,000 OFWs have been repatriated as of this date. Of this number, 31,031 are seafarers while 25,259 are land-based migrant workers.

She, however, noted that there were still 88,000 distressed OFWs stuck in Saudi Arabia, only 6,342 of whom have been brought home.

“We understand that’s a small number compared to the 88,000. But we also wish to inform the committee that our problem with Saudi Arabia is the size also because the province of Riyadh is bigger than the Philippines,” she said.

She also warned that the department’s funds for the repatriation of OFWs could be depleted by August.

“The bigger problem, your honor, we have a very high utilization rate. And if we continue repatriating aggressively, since we already only have 30 percent to 31 percent of the remaining PHP1 billion funds for the assistance to nationals, by the end of the August or mid-August, we will not have funds for repatriation anymore,” Arriola said