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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Over 200 OFWs from Kuwait arrive safely in the Philippines

Over 200 OFWs from Kuwait arrive safely in the Philippines

Published Mar 26, 2020 12:00 am

By Leslie Ann Aquino

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III thanked the Government of Kuwait last Thursday, March 26, for facilitating the repatriation of the more than 200 distressed overseas Filipino workers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III speaks before the media during a press conference with President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Friday. The government has imposed a ban on deployment of Filipino workers in Kuwait following the death of domestic helpers due to alleged abuses of their employers. (Keith Bacongco) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

"We share the gratefulness of President Duterte to the Kuwaiti government for helping us send back home our kababayans at no cost to the Philippine Government," he said in a statement.

Bello said it was a "heartening act," considering that they are in the midst of providing assistance to the people due to the unprecedented emergency brought about by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

According to the labor chief, the department, through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, provided the repatriates with a range of assistance.

Bello said this included accommodations at Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Halfway Home, and provisions for their travel back to their provinces.

"They were also offered reintegration assistance, such as  livelihood projects or community-based income generating projects, skills training, scholarship for their dependents, credit facilitation and lending, as well as social and family counseling, and stress debriefing," he said.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the repatriates arrived in Manila on March 26, Thursday morning.

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