A total of 478,838 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have now been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Thursday.

At the Senate finance subcommittee J's hearing on the DOLE's P27.5-billion proposed 2021 budget, Bello presented data from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) showing that 469,959 OFWs lost their jobs due to the virus, while some 8,880 were infected with COVID-19.

Of the total number of displaced OFWs, Bello said 230,424 were already repatriated, while 13,335 more are still awaiting repatriation. Between 1,000 to 3,000 OFWs are flying home to the daily, he said.

But 104,813 of the displaced workers refused to go home and opted to stay abroad, the DOLE chief said.

"Well, it's expected, your honors, because most of them come from Europe, the unemployment insurance covers more than one year, 'di kagaya dito sa atin, two months lang po (unlike what is being offered here, just two months)," he told the senators.

Bello said 70,647 migrant workers also remain "stranded" in various countries.

Meanwhile, as of September 30, a total of 8,880 OFWs were reported to have contracted the coronavirus disease. Of the cases, 4,536 have recovered, while 848 of them died.

"Marami na po kaming naiuwi na kakababayan natin na namatay (We have brought home several of our deceased countrymen). We already repatriated 29 dead OFWs, about 80 percent of them died because of COVID-19, your honors," he said, citing the series of repatriation of deceased OFWs from Saudi Arabia.

Bello, clarified, however, that the DOLE figures do not include undocumented OFWs, although he said that the government also extends repatriation services to them.

As for the repatriated documented OFWs, he said they will be entitled to financial and livelihood assistance, as well as other benefits in the DOLE's reintegration programs. Scholarships are also granted to their dependents.