More than 500,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) displaced from the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have been brought back to the country since the health crisis began last year.
"502,581 (OFWs) have been repatriated and sent to their home provinces," Department of Labor and Employment-Information and Publication Service (DOLE-IPS) Director Rolly Francia told labor beat reporters on Easter Sunday, April 4.
The figure was based on Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) head Hans Leo Cacdac's report to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. According to the OWWA report, the repatriates have been safely transported back to theIr home provinces after undergoing COVID tests and quarantine protocols in various hotels.
A total of 1,471 individuals comprised the latest batch of OFWs who were sent home on Black Saturday, DOLE said.
A separate report from DOLE’s International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) showed there were 645,071 OFWs affected by the pandemic, with all but 17,495 of them losing their jobs.
The 502,581 OFWs who returned home came from the total 627,576 who were displaced. Of the difference (124,995), 49,698 are awaiting repatriation while 75,297 opted to stay in their respective host countries, ILAB Director Alice Visperas said.
Meanwhile, ILAB records also indicated an increase in the number of OFWs infected with the disease.
As of April 4, a total of 17,495 confirmed COVID cases among OFWs have been tallied based on reports submitted by the 40 Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in various parts of the world.
Of the figure, 10,155 have recovered while 938 have died.