ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tolentino: More stand-by funds needed for OFWs going to perilous places

Tolentino: More stand-by funds needed for OFWs going to perilous places

Published Dec 23, 2023 06:01 am

At A Glance

  • In terms of legislation, Senator Francis Tolentino believes that there should be more stand-by funds allotted for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who will go to dangerous places for their employment. 

In terms of legislation, Senator Francis Tolentino believes that there should be more stand-by funds allotted for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who will go to dangerous places for their employment.

“Hindi lang repatriation, kundi hanggang sa makabalik sa normal na buhay. Maayudahan sila na makapagtayo ng sariling negosyo nang sa ganoon ay di muna umalis,” the senator said in a radio program on DZRH on Saturday, Dec. 23.

(It shouldn't end with repatriation, it should continue with assistance to help get their lives back on track. They should be helped in putting up a business so that they won't have to leave immediately.)

He made the remark after speaking with Jimmy Pacheco, an OFW who overcame hostage-taking in Gaza and successfully returned to his hometown in Sta. Ana, Cagayan Valley.

Tolentino told Pacheco: “Nagpapakita talaga ito di lang ng iyong tibay at paninindigan, pati na rin ng ating mga kababayan (This shows not only your strength and resolve, but also that of our countrymen).”

Pacheco, who worked as a caregiver in Israel, detailed his horrifying experience such as eating tissue paper just to survive, witnessing the death of his 80-year-old care recipient, and being tortured.

“Binugbog ako, tinutukan ng baril, pinaluhod, tapos biningi nila iyong tenga ko (I was beaten, held at gunpoint, told to kneel, and my ears were deafened),” he said.

Tolentino noted that despite the Pacheco's survival, there is still trauma for him to overcome.

“Dito makikita ang kabayanihan mo, pagmamahal sa pamilya, kaya saludo kami sa pinagdaanan mo. Alam kong matagal pa ‘yang di maaalis sa iyong kaisipan (Here we see your heroism, and your love for your family, and we salute you for what you experienced. I know it will take a while to forget that),” he added.

Pacheco was set free on Nov. 24 after 49 days in captivity. He arrived in the country on Monday, Dec. 18, and was welcomed by his wife, his children, and his mother.

Despite what happened to him, Pacheco said he is still planning to return to Israel to ensure the future of his children.

The Philippine government said that scholarship assistance will be given to Pacheco's three children while livelihood assistance will be extended to his family.

Related Tags

Overseas Fililpino Workers (OFWs) Senator Francis Tolentino HAMAS Gaza
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.