Repatriation efforts continue to bring thousands of Filipinos home as tensions in the Middle East affect overseas workers. Government data shows that 6,532 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents have already returned to the Philippines as of April 20.
The number reflects coordinated operations led by the OWWA Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). More arrivals are expected this week as additional flights are scheduled.
Of the total, 5,172 are OFWs while 1,360 are their dependents. OWWA has sponsored 3,258 of those repatriated, covering nearly half of the total. The agency continues to coordinate return flights and provide assistance upon arrival.
“As of April 20, based on the records of OWWA and DMW, there are 6,532 repatriated OFWs and their dependents,” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, in a briefing on ongoing repatriation efforts.
Data from OWWA shows that 2,712 OFWs returned due to the conflict in the region. Meanwhile, 467 came back after contract terminations, while 206 returned for medical reasons.
Additional repatriation is underway, with hundreds more expected to arrive in the coming days. Around 652 OFWs will return through OWWA-sponsored flights, mainly from Kuwait. Nearly a thousand Filipinos in total are expected through joint efforts with the DMW.
Officials said the number of arrivals may continue to increase as operations expand. Coordination between agencies remains ongoing to manage the return of affected workers and their families.
