OFWs from Israel get P20,000 in food, cash aid

MANILA, Philippines — Some P20,000 in food and cash aid awaited 60 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who arrived in the country yesterday afternoon from Israel, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Social workers from the DSWD Central Office and the National Capital Region Office, led by Program Management Bureau director Miramel Garcia-Laxa, were among the parties that waited for the migrant workers who were repatriated from Israel.

The 60 OFWs were the fourth batch who came home. They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 aboard Etihad Airways from Tel Aviv, Israel to Abu Dhabi, then to Manila.

Two infants joined the OFWs, of whom 32 are hotel workers while 28 are caregivers.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said this group’s arrival has brought to 119 the total number of OFWs who have returned to the Philippines since Palestinian militant group Hamas launched combined rocket, ground, sea and air attacks in southern Israel last Oct. 7.

Cacdac noted that about 185 Filipinos have requested repatriation from Israel. The DMW is looking at more or less 65 to 70 more Filipinos to be repatriated.

Cacdac said the government has enough funds to cover repatriation expenses.

The returning OFWs were also each offered a repatriation assistance package worth P50,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The amount can be used to address the daily needs of their families.

There are around 30,000 OFWs in Israel, “99 percent of them are caregivers while the rest are hotel workers,” according to the DMW.

Meanwhile, 124 OFWs from Lebanon have also expressed willingness to return home to avoid the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The government is pushing for the repatriation of some 17,000 from Lebanon within the week.

In a related development, cause-oriented groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) will hold a rally today at the Israel embassy in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City in protest of the armed conflict in Gaza Strip.

Bayan president Renato Reyes said the protest is to condemn the Israeli government’s continuing attacks and bombings in Gaza