More than 185,000 overseas Filipino workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic have so far been sent home by the government to their provinces.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said 185,750 OFWs have been sent home to their provinces as of Sept. 6.
The latest batch with 1,628 OFWs returned home to the provinces on Sept. 5.
The government started transporting OFWs en masse in May after COVID-19 tests and quarantine.
DoLE Secretary Silvestre Bello has said that they will continue assisting OFWs as more COVID 19-affected migrant workers are repatriated to the country.
Bello announced that President Duterte has approved the release of an additional P5 billion for the repatriation and assistance to OFWs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said a huge part of the fresh funds will be released to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) which undertakes the repatriation of OFWs displaced on-site due to lockdowns and closure of establishments overseas.
With the additional funding, Bello said, more OFWs will benefit from the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program and even more overseas workers will be repatriated and provided with assistance.
DoLE has been extending a one-time P10,000 or $200 cash aid under AKAP to pandemic-affected OFWs.