02 November 2017•Update: 02 November 2017
By ROY RAMOS
ZAMBOANGA CITY
One hundred and five undocumented Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) from the United Arab Emirates arrived in Manila Wednesday, said the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
They were victims of illegal recruitment or were abused by their employers prompting them to escape and seek refuge with the Abu Dhabi Philippine Overseas Labor Office where they await repatriation which usually takes years to process, said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola.
"Most of them are household workers… some were caught by the immigration because of overstaying. They usually enter through tourist visas," said Arriola as quoted by state-run Philippine News Agency.
Arriola disclosed that the Philippine government has so far sent home around 700 workers from Abu Dhabi under its “Balik Pilipinas, Balik Kabuhayan program” – and this latest number is the biggest batch of repatriated workers this year.
Under the program, each distressed OFW will receive an immediate cash assistance of $100 and has the opportunity to apply for an additional P15,000 ($292) livelihood assistance aside from the plane tickets sponsored by the government.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Hans Leo Cacdac noted that around 130 distressed Filipinos were left in Abu Dhabi and are targeted to be sent home by end of this year.
