Only 800 OFWs awaiting repatriation in DOLE centers

Over 800 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFW), who have been seeking shelter in government half-way homes abroad since last year, are now awaiting repatriation, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

According to a consolidated report of the DOLE’s International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), this was more than half of the 1,400 of the OFWs, who have been accommodated by its Migrant Workers and other Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) in 18 countries as of November, 2015.

The OFWs are currently in various stages of processing for their repatriation.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz noted she has issued a standing order to all of Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO), which manages the MWOFRCs, to repatriate distressed OFWs being kept under their wings, as part of their effort repurpose the facilities into training centers.

The training modules, which will be offered in the facilities, will be aligned with the standards of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“I directed all POLOs to double their efforts in repatriating their wards housed in their Centers in response to President Aquino’s call to transform all POLO into centers of care and excellence,” Baldoz said in the report.

Three of the 18 MWOFRCs – Brunei Darussalam, Korea, and Oman – were able to repatriate all wards being kept under their care by the end of 2015.

Meanwhile, the MWOFRCs in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait registered the most number of remaining OFW wards with 217 and 270, respectively.

The POLOs were able to repatriate a total of 480 OFWs last year and discharge 110 others from the MWOFRCs after giving them the necessary assistance.

Aside from the repatriation, the DOLE report also included the list POLOs, which have been able to successfully improve the services or were able to transfer their MWOFRCs to larger venues. These were the POLOs in Dubai, Hong Kong, Jordan, and Oman.